Making water harder

I just bought some calcium sulphate and cannot find what ratio to add to my water to make it harder. Anyone use this before and have a ratio for this.
Also I read that boiling your water makes it softer.
Look forward to any info
Happy brewing

You could use gypsum or cacl2 as well.Are you starting with R/O filtered water? Get some ph papers. Are you mashing?Not shure what calcium sulphate is?

jonmohno said:

You could use gypsum or cacl2 as well.Are you starting with R/O filtered water? Get some ph papers. Are you mashing?Not shure what calcium sulphate is?

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Calcium sulphate and gypsum are the same. I bought a 100 grm PAC but did not have any ratios. Just wondering if I put a grm or a hundred per batch

Need to know what your your adding it to...bottles, RO, tap and what are the numbers for the existing water.

helibrewer said:

Need to know what your your adding it to...bottles, RO, tap and what are the numbers for the existing water.

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Boiled tap and boiled rain water. Numbers are always different but more looking for the final number to make dry ales

The most scientific approach to this subject I've seen is in the "Brew Science" category:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brun-water-v-1-12-posted-325949/

This individual puts out an amazing Excel spreadsheet on what to put in water. I've tried to comprehend it, but so far it mostly makes my head hurt. After absorbing what I could, I just started with my RO water and known beer recipes and added 1 tsp. of CaCl and 1 tsp. Gypsum to a 5 gal batch at the start of mashing. I also use a tablespoon full of 5.2 in the mash. Is this a good way to go? I have no idea, but I may know more when this beer is ready to taste.....

Brew_Dog said:

Boiled tap and boiled rain water. Numbers are always different but more looking for the final number to make dry ales

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In order to know what/how much to add, you'd have to know the current water content.

I assume rain water is soft, and nearly mineral free, like RO water. But I really don't know in your area what the make up is of your tap water.

If you're using 100% rain water, and it is nearly mineral free, you could use calcium chloride for malty beers and calcium sulfate for hoppy beers, or a small amount of both. (I use both in almost all of my beers, because my chloride level is low, and so is my calcium). I'd start with 100% rain water and 5 grams of calcium chloride in a 5 gallon batch, with a 5 gram addition of calcium sulfate to hoppy beers as well.

Yooper said:

In order to know what/how much to add, you'd have to know the current water content.

I assume rain water is soft, and nearly mineral free, like RO water. But I really don't know in your area what the make up is of your tap water.

If you're using 100% rain water, and it is nearly mineral free, you could use calcium chloride for malty beers and calcium sulfate for hoppy beers, or a small amount of both. (I use both in almost all of my beers, because my chloride level is low, and so is my calcium). I'd start with 100% rain water and 5 grams of calcium chloride in a 5 gallon batch, with a 5 gram addition of calcium sulfate to hoppy beers as well.

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http://www.melbournebrewers.org/images/stories/BrewWiz/key concepts in water treatment.pdf
Found this website that gave me some answers...
Thanks for your opinion

If you really want to make your water harder put it in the freezer for a while!

Sorry, terrible joke, but I had to do it...

Slowfro said:

If you really want to make your water harder put it in the freezer for a while!

Sorry, terrible joke, but I had to do it...

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I'm just glad someone saved me from posting this!

Well I see the Ice joke was already said, oh well

But on the serious side, I love this excel worksheet for figuring out RA and how malty/hoppy the beer will end up. I've saved several versions of it once I figure out how to treat my water for a particular style.

I found this on homebrewtalk some time ago, not sure of the original thread/author

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApLM5YZCDjtudEZEanN2RXFKaFN3UHR2c3ZpNlU5X2c

Edit:
here's the original thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/ez-water-adjustment-spreadsheet-135095/