kevreh

Recipes 

Guess I read that somewhere or remember it wrong. Thanks for the clarification.

For my 5 gal batch I added about 1/3 teaspoon; very moderate. I'm glad to have Gypsum in my set of "tools" to get those pale ales that have a little more pop to the hop profile and slight hardness to the water profile.

Conversely, it would seem appropriate to use calcium chloride (or other) to soften the water for something like a German Heff. ?

Kevin

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Recent Brews: BIAB SMaSH Vienna Ale
Upcoming AG: Sring Weizen, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale

mabrungard

Recipes 

Again, adding CaCl doesn't soften the water. It reduces the Residual Alkalinity of the water which helps reduce mash pH. In my opinion, adding CaCl could be a preferred treatment for a beer that does not rely on hop bittering and flavor. But a caution is in order since overdosing with CaCl could present the same sort of minerally character, so remember: All things in Moderation!

I personally don't measure out mineral additions volumetrically since its inherently inaccurate due to variation in packing of the loose powders that some minerals are provided in. I guess its not such problem when dealing with more granular minerals, but I do prefer to weigh my additions. Weighing also provides a finer dosing capability if the scale is sensitive enough. I suggest getting a scale with 0.1 gram resolution if brewing in 10 gal or smaller batches.

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Martin Brungard, P.E. D.WRE
Carmel, IN
BJCP National
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)

Brewing Water Information at:
https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/