Water Report help

Hello! Just received my water report from Ward Lab (see below). First of all, how does it look? I've had a hard time making a decent IPA and I'm hoping my water can help shed some light. I've made recipes that really focus on hop flavor/aroma but they really don't come through - just bitterness. I really appreciate your help!!

pH 7.4
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 211
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.35
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.5 / 3.5
ppm
Sodium, Na 21
Potassium, K 2
Calcium, Ca 36
Magnesium, Mg 9
Total Hardness, CaCO3 128
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.2 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 20
Chloride, Cl 26
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 91
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 75
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

Chris

Suggest you dilute to reduce the bicarbonates for a pale ale. Pre-boiling the water could also be considered. Once the bicarbonates are down about 75% you can add Calcium Sulphate/Gypsum to bring up the Ca+ and S04- numbers into suitable range. There are lots of details and some good water programs posted in this section if you check.

The water looks pretty good. Some (and they would be brewers who do a lot more ales than I do) would say increase the sulfate but if you are already finding the beer bitter without flavor additional sulfate probably won't help. I'd try a lower alpha variety and make later additions.

If you haven't been adding any minerals or acid to the water, your results are par for the course. At 75 ppm total alkalinity, the mash pH (and most importantly...the sparging pH) are not where you want them. A little acidification is needed. The 60 ppm sulfate and 26 ppm chloride are good starting points, but the sulfate should be boosted to help an IPA or PA dry out in the finish and help that hop character and bittering stand out. 100 ppm sulfate is a nice starting point and your palate shouldn't be offended with that level. I like my sulfate in the 300 ppm range. To each, their own.

The rest of the ion levels are in good range to serve as a starting point for most beers. Boosting the calcium a bit is a good idea. Gypsum solves two needs for this water when brewing IPA's or PA's.

Enjoy!

Exactly what I was looking for, thanks guys! I'm playing around with Bru'n water now, it's a bit confusing. I plan on brewing this weekend so I'm sure I'll have more questions! Thanks again