Gypsum taste...i think

Does anyone else get a weird taste when using gypsum. I only added 5g to my mash with 60% distilled water. And its significantly better than my previous batches, but I can't seem to get the "weird dry taste" out of my brews.
And my sulfites are only 90-100ppm
Next time I'm gonna cut down to 2.5g per 6 gallon batch

KuntzBrewing said:

Does anyone else get a weird taste when using gypsum. I only added 5g to my mash with 60% distilled water. And its significantly better than my previous batches, but I can't seem to get the "weird dry taste" out of my brews.
And my sulfites are only 90-100ppm
Next time I'm gonna cut down to 2.5g per 6 gallon batch

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Sulfate does impact taste, and if the sulfate is 90-100 ppm you may be tasting the effects of it. It "sharpens" the hops flavor. That combined with other things in the water make up could also impact it. Do you use a spreadsheet or something to calculate the additions? I get a "weird dry taste" out of beers made with alkaline water, but if you're using 60% distilled, your water probably isn't alkaline.

I used to use a spreadsheet but It this "taste" was was worse, rendering the beer undrinkable. Now I'm playing with the amount of gypsum. Next time I may only add 2.5g

Are you specifically using one source for water? For example if you make one brew with tap water and the next with distilled water and the taste still persists then I would say it is something in your equipment.

KuntzBrewing said:

Does anyone else get a weird taste when using gypsum. I only added 5g to my mash with 60% distilled water. And its significantly better than my previous batches, but I can't seem to get the "weird dry taste" out of my brews.
And my sulfites are only 90-100ppm
Next time I'm gonna cut down to 2.5g per 6 gallon batch

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IMO it's very unlikely that whatever flavor you are encountering is caused by a gypsum addition, especially with the SO4 at ~100ppm. It would be helpful for an informed answer if you posted your full water profile and recipe along with any mash specs, yeast strain, fermentation data, etc.

PurpleJeepXJ said:

Are you specifically using one source for water? For example if you make one brew with tap water and the next with distilled water and the taste still persists then I would say it is something in your equipment.

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Its strictly brews with gypsum addition. I brewed a hefe and ipa same week, ipa first, hefe second. Hefe taste fine. I used to use gypsum and mgso4 and I thought it was from the epsom salt. This ipa I used 1/4 the gypsum as my last ipa and no epsom. The taste is still present but not nearly as bad. The only commercial beers that I have tasted this "taste" in are ruthless rye and 3floyds zombie dust. I dunno what's causing this, never tasted it in any other brews but mine and those 2 comercial beers

Sounds to me like you are just blindly following someones gypsum additions without actually understanding your water.

tasq said:

Sounds to me like you are just blindly following someones gypsum additions without actually understanding your water.

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I plugged everything into spreadsheets, according to it with my tap water and distilled water plus 5g gypsum added to mash. And I always add the water into my recipe generator (beertools pro)

KuntzBrewing said:

I plugged everything into spreadsheets, according to it with my tap water and distilled water plus 5g gypsum added to mash. And I always add the water into my recipe generator (beertools pro)

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I shouldn't post when I'm half asleep. I totally missed where you mentioned that. My bad.

KuntzBrewing said:

Does anyone else get a weird taste when using gypsum. I only added 5g to my mash with 60% distilled water. And its significantly better than my previous batches, but I can't seem to get the "weird dry taste" out of my brews.
And my sulfites are only 90-100ppm
Next time I'm gonna cut down to 2.5g per 6 gallon batch

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How did you figure out what was already in the tap water you are using?

mavandeh said:

How did you figure out what was already in the tap water you are using?

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I emailed my city water supplier

KuntzBrewing said:

I emailed my city water supplier

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S/he must have given you the results of a pretty recent test then, rather than a quarterly water report average? I wonder if it varies a lot in your area based on water source.

mavandeh said:

S/he must have given you the results of a pretty recent test then, rather than a quarterly water report average? I wonder if it varies a lot in your area based on water source.

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Never thought of that. May email them back and ask. the part of town I live in is supplied by the local "creek" probably varies more than the north end of town getting water from a spring