Adding Salts POST Fermentation

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Mr. Mojo Rising

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
209
Reaction score
4
Location
Charleston, Il
I am just wondering what if at all the affect this would have on a few of my beers. I have noticed a difference with the beers that I have customized a recipe for and would possibly like to experiment with the beers I have in the keg that I didn't treat. I also have a pilsner that is taking forever to flocc. out. I know that it's profile is way low in calcium. hmmmm? Hopefully someone can help me out here before I go all Mad Scientist.

Prost!
 
pour off a gallon and mess with it THAT way, so you can throw it out.

I though that the salt additions were to effect change in pH, mash conditioning, ion stuff for the yeast, etc. it seems to be a little late. funkit! giveit a try, and let me know.
 
According to the water talks on Brewing Radio, Palmer suggests putting some salts into the boil in proportion to what you sparge. That is to help flavor, specifically the chloride/sulfate ratio. Calcium helps with yeast flocc and the boil also. That's why I wonder if there is any harm in doing it post boil/fermentation.
 
Unbelievable results!
I took a cup of a Russian Imperial Stout that I brewed with very soft water and micro-scaled the suggested additions that I should of during the mash/sparge in half. I added them and did a side by side tasting. The difference is unbelievable. The sample I added to is much more full and rounded. I can taste the malts so much better. The control sample is acrid and flat in comparison.
 
Here we go!

This is the water I brewed with which is tap water. I made NO adjustments to this water. I brewed this before getting my Ward Labs results.

Original:
PH. 8.1
NA - 14ppm
CA - 17ppm
MG - 12ppm
SO - 11ppm
CL - 23ppm
HCO - 59ppm
Total Alk as CaCo3 - 54

I was very surprised when I read that my water is very soft. After listening to the podcasts on Brew Strong with J.Z. and J.P. i realized why my beer just didn't have the flavor I wanted, especially heavy SRM beers. It also explained why my pale ales taste great!

POST Fermentation addition to secondary.

Gypsum - 2g
Cal. Chloride - 3g
Epsom - 2g
Baking Soda - 6g

RESULT via EZ Water.

NA - 101ppm
CA - 84ppm
MG - 22ppm
SO - 111ppm
CL - 99ppm

I took 2 quarts of distilled water and adjusted it with a drop or two of lactic acid to help dissolve the salts. Added the adjustments, boiled, and cooled. I added it to the secondary and gently swirled carboy. I sacrificed a little gravity to get better taste, but I can live with that since it is about 9.5% ABV anyway. It tastes much better!

Before doing this I tested the taste with a two cup sample and used the EZ water sheet to "Sight In" what I thought was close to the profile I should have brewed. I used just a pinch of each salt and tasted. It obviously was not accurate, but I wanted to see if it made a difference. I was surprised with the result with just being in the ballpark.

Mojo
 
I'd bet it is a pH affect. I've been messing around with adding baking soda for beers with a slight lactobacillus infection. I have hard water so I don't need to add any more Ca or Mg. I started a thread here.

cure-slight-tang-your-finished-beer-

I actually weighed out a "pinch" of sodium bicarbonate at work and it was about 10 mg. This small amount took our tap water at work from pH 7.4 to 8.5.

Just a pinch in a pint and the taste change in my porter is very dramatic.
 
I know I don't have an infection, the alcohol is way high. I do agree with you on the PH. I haven't tested it, but based on the water I brewed the RIS with I bet it is very acidic.
 
I wonder if there is a correlation with pH and beer flavors. Maybe a higher pH favors malty flavors, and a lower pH favors bitter flavors. I know on some lagers I've made I've undershot the carbonation and the beers tasted "flat" (not uncarbonated flat) and by increasing the CO2 pressure and letting it re-equilibrate, the bitterness tastes much more refreshing. By adding more CO2, you also lower the pH.

Once I get a lager on tap, I'll have to add some baking soda and see how it affects the taste. I suppose I could buy a lager and try it sooner.
 
My grandpa used to add salt to his beer and said it made it taste better. Baking Soda increases alkalinity AND adds salt. Maybe there is something to it. Grandpa drank a lot of beer!
 
Table salt will reduce the bitterness of the beer. This is a big part of what salt does in cooking. For a fun experiment, taste some tonic water, then lick a bunch of salt and re-taste the tonic water. With enough salt you can totally negate the bitterness of the quinine and then you'll realize just how much sugar is in the tonic water.
 
Has anyone else tried to add salts post fermentation?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm in a bit of a hurry (not good) to serve a keg of IPA. It was supposed to be very bitter, but tasting it one day prior to start of CC it's too bitter, or, to CaSo4-ish to be more correct. I don't know what the hell happened there. I checked my scale with a coin and it's right on. It's not much, but a little, which is to much..

I've added CaCl and CaSo4 to glasses of beer to see what happens, and a lot happens. So I guess the same will happen in a keg if I scale the addition correctly. But I've never blended CaCl and CaSo4.

I want to add CaCl to "remove" some of that dryness/bitterness/asringency the CaSo4 has given the beer. If I do it, can I **** up badly with the added Calcium?
 
I want to add CaCl to "remove" some of that dryness/bitterness/asringency the CaSo4 has given the beer. If I do it, can I **** up badly with the added Calcium?

I don't expect that adding CaCl is going to substantially improve the perceptions in that beer. Adjusting the ratio does not do that. If the water already had a lot of sulfate in it, adding more chloride is more likely to just create minerally flavor and not maltiness.
 
Adding chloride will sweeten the beer. This may improve its overall desirability. Try adding chloride as either the sodium or calcium salts and go with whichever is best. What have you got to lose?
 
Back
Top