brewitbrewit

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My last IPA I am calling Soap a Dope. Me being the dope since I am the only one who will drink it. I got a water analysis done from Ward Labs to find the problem:


Ph 8.9
Total Dissolved Solids 229
Na 70
K 4
Ca 15
Mg 7
total Hardness CaCO3 67
SO4-s <1
Cl 6
CO3 18
HCO3 212
Total Alkalinity CaCO3 204

Ez water Calculator pretty much tells me that I am lacking in Calcium and Sulfate. I did look at Palmers water profiles and it tells me that I need to add a lot of Gypsum, Calc Chloride, and Epsom salt. After playing with the quantities I can get the numbers to look right but I was wondering if one of you more experienced "water fixers" could give it a try and possibly give me advice so I have a good starting place. Modifications for Pale Ale and Cream Ale would be appreciated also

I am new to brewing, I am only on my 45th allgrain batch.

ajf

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I'd agree that you are lacking in calcium and sulfate for an IPA, but the biggest problem is the alkalinity.
I'd start by diluting your water with RO water using about 4 parts RO water to 1 part Dope water.
Plug this into the Ez water spreadsheet (80% dilution rate), and then start adding CaCl until you get your Cl level up to about 30 ppm
Then start adding gypsum until you get 100 ppm Ca and 200 ppm SO4.
(The 30, 100 and 200 ppm figures are approximations made by Terry Foster (Pale Ales), but I have found them to be very useful.

I never bother with epsom salts, as (according to George Fix), malt has enough magnesium for brewing purposes, but if you find it is easier to reach the Ca and SO4 concentrations with epsom salts, by all means use them; but don't exceed the maximum Mg concentration shown in the spreadsheet.

-a.

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brewitbrewit

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ok got it. I am putting 10 gallons of distilled water on my Kentwood bottled water order form. Alkalinity sounds like the major fix here as long as the PH is right. My water is the last major thing to fix. I recently made a fermentation chamber to keep one degree.

I have had problems with final gravities not getting low enough also. My beers are sweeter than I think they should be. Infact I mash pretty much everything at 150. Is this a related problem? If the bitter, isn't so bitter due to the water profile, than I guess it would taste sweet? My hoppier beers have never been very good, so I think I have now narrowed it down to water. I definatly don't like the soapy taste of the last IPA. I am still drinking it though, I made it, I am drinking it #@$% it.

Thanks for the help