Gypsum Addition for American IPA

[hannibalmdq]

So I've recently taken to adding a bit a gypsum to my fairly soft water to bump the Ca content to about 50 ppm. I normally add it to the Mash water.

I've been doing some more reading on Gypsum additions and I'm wondering if I should be adding it to the kettle instead? I'm interested in bumping the Ca and the Sulfates to get my hops to pop a little more.

I read that Ca in the mash will lower the ph so adding it to the kettle may be advisable if your already in the proper ph range and are interested in the Ca for break precipitation and yeast health. I'm assuming that either a mash or a kettle addition for sulfates wouldn't matter.

I didn't have efficiency issues before adding gypsum, so I'm inclined to believe that my mash PH was at least acceptable.

Thoughts?

 

[Natdavis777]

I would assume that if your water is soft, your grain bill for an IPA might not be getting you into the proper ph range. This is pure skepticism though from my my grain bills and using RO water. You very well could be, though. I would recommend testing your mash pH next time just to confirm you are within the acceptable range. If you are, there is no downside to adding all of your mineral additions to the kettle. I recently did the same with my last porter. I use Brun Water, and without any of my mineral additions, my pH was 5.3, so there was no need for me to add my gypsum/CaCl (which would lower my pH) just to courteract their effect with Calcium carbonate. So all of those additions (not calcium carbonate) went into the BK. I read a post from Martin B on a recent thread here about this very topic, and it was his advice to add your mineral additions to the BK (if your mash pH was in range) in order to get your flavor profile. This is what made me use this practice on my last brew day. Hope this helps

 

[hannibalmdq]

I would assume that if your water is soft, your grain bill for an IPA might not be getting you into the proper ph range. This is pure skepticism though from my my grain bills and using RO water. You very well could be, though. I would recommend testing your mash pH next time just to confirm you are within the acceptable range. If you are, there is no downside to adding all of your mineral additions to the kettle. I recently did the same with my last porter. I use Brun Water, and without any of my mineral additions, my pH was 5.3, so there was no need for me to add my gypsum/CaCl (which would lower my pH) just to courteract their effect with Calcium carbonate. So all of those additions (not calcium carbonate) went into the BK. I read a post from Martin B on a recent thread here about this very topic, and it was his advice to add your mineral additions to the BK (if your mash pH was in range) in order to get your flavor profile. This is what made me use this practice on my last brew day. Hope this helps

Thanks for the feedback. After playing with Bru'N'Water a little bit it did look my my mash PH might have come in high without the gypsum addition in the mash water. I elected to add it to the mash.

 

[Natdavis777]

Good deal


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