Gypsum

Hi Guys,

I heard that adding a teaspoon of gypsum while mixing will help produce a cleaner drier tasting beer when making bitter, but at what stage do you add this, when mixing glucose and water? when you add the yeast? Sorry if i'm sounding really dumb but i'm really new to this and am about to start on my first batch, don't really have any knowledge i'm just gonna be going by the instructions for this first one, really appreciate any help or advice anybody can give me.. thanks in advance!

Adding Gypsum to soft water can help while mashing and sparging for all grain brews, and may help to develop hop bitterness if added before the boil with all brews.

If you are extract brewing, and have water low in sulphates, I recommend you try two brews, one with gypsum, and one without. I doubt you will notice any difference. This should tell you whether you need it in future brews.

If you have water high is sulphates, you don't need gypsum at all.

If this means you have a bunch of gypsum that you don't need, you can always send it to me.

-a.

I use 1 tsp Gypsum when brewing my IPA and add it at the start of my 60 minute boil.

Thanks for your help guys, the water here is really hard and limescaly, not soft ,dunno about sulphates? I think the water here where I live (south England) is high in everything, nice and cloudy from the tap Since it's my first ever brew i'll try it without gypsum see what happens? thanks again guys!

If you already have hard water, I wouldn't use Gypsum at all.

People are frequently trying to emulate various waters in England when they add gypsum and other salts, so I'd say you're already there!