question for next recipe

Morning all,
I am trying to plan my next brew, which I have decided will be a super hopped up IPA. I have been cruising some recipes, and a lot call for the addition of gypsum. Being that I am new, and have never used it, what exactly will it do for a brew?

Though I haven't made up the ratios, I am thinking about some combination of Amber DME/LME and Light DME, with some light crystal grain, and something like 2oz nugget@60 mins, 2 oz kent or cascade at 45 mins, and some aroma hops/dry hops.

This will be my first brew that I make the 'recipe' up myself.

Truble said:

Morning all,
I am trying to plan my next brew, which I have decided will be a super hopped up IPA. I have been cruising some recipes, and a lot call for the addition of gypsum. Being that I am new, and have never used it, what exactly will it do for a brew?

Click to expand...

The gypsum is for adjusting the PH of your water...it isn't needed if you're using extracts only.

Fantastic! Makes sense, now you mention it- it was in all the AG recipes. good to know though.

for the extract specialty grain brewer it makes the water harder, and if you use irish moss, it helps the irish moss to work better. you use a teaspoon or so per 5 gallons. but if your waters already hard dont use it. it helps in the coagulation of protiens in conjunction with the irish moss. im not sure what it does for the pH or how it helps with all grain brewing.

Truble said:

I have been cruising some recipes, and a lot call for the addition of gypsum. Being that I am new, and have never used it, what exactly will it do for a brew?

Click to expand...

The gypsum hardens the water. Harder water will maker for a harsher bitterness perception. Bass Ale, as an example, is brewed with very hard water. For many hightly hopped beers, this harsh bitterness is desired.

Truble, the reason it is suggested is to try and Mimick the properties of the water in Burton On Trent, UK. The birth place of IPA.

Kai said:

The gypsum hardens the water. Harder water will maker for a harsher bitterness perception. Bass Ale, as an example, is brewed with very hard water. For many hightly hopped beers, this harsh bitterness is desired.

Click to expand...

interesting. It will be highly hopped, and I do like Bass a lot.

orfy said:

Truble, the reason it is suggested is to try and Mimick the properties of the water in Burton On Trent, UK. The birth place of IPA.

Click to expand...

right.. and to be more authentic, you can actually buy something called "Burton Water Salts" that contain more than just gypsum and will make your purified water closely match the water in Burton on Trent.

-walker

Just bought some.
Plus I'm thinking of going to burton (That's where my 8 kegs came from, most still with beeer in btw) and I'll fetch back 8 gallon of bottled water to try in an IPA.

we always added the Burton Water Salts to our extract/grain brews. we just added them to the steeping water for the specialty grains. helps enhance the hop bitterness.

first IPA i ever did (care of DeFalco's Houston ,TX):
INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
Purchase Kit: Liquid or Dry yeast

Medium amber hue, intense hop bite & aroma. Strong!
7 lbs. light malt extract
2 lbs. British Two-Row Pale malt
1 cup light brown sugar (boil with extract)
1/2 lb. British Cara-pils malt
1/2 lb. British Medium Crystal malt
1 oz. Bullion hops (bittering)
1 oz. Northern Brewer hops (flavoring)
1/2 oz. Kent Golding hops (finishing)
1/2 oz. Kent Golding hops (dry hop in fermenter)
1 pkg. Burton water salts
1 pkg. Nottingham ale yeast (or Wyeast #1028, #1098, #1968 or White Labs British, Burton, or Dry English Ale Yeast)
1 pkg. Bru-Vigor (yeast food)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (for priming)
O.G. - 1.063
F. G. - 1.014