Kolsch Water Profile

[ApolloSimcoe]

This upcoming weekend my plan is to brew a Kolsch. I'm using 100% RO water and am looking to get some feedback on my current water profile.

Ca 49
Mg 2
Na 8
SO 10
Cl 88

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I think it should work fine. What mineral additions are you using to achieve these ppm values?

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

CaCl, MgSO4

 

[Conehead]

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26737

I have been using Kal's water profile for my Kolsch/Helles and it always turns out fine.

 

[Soulshine2]

This upcoming weekend my plan is to brew a Kolsch. I'm using 100% RO water and am looking to get some feedback on my current water profile.

Ca 49
Mg 2
Na 8
SO 10
Cl 88

http://www.thescrewybrewer.com/2016/03/screwys-kolsch-style-beer-brewday.html

 

[mabrungard]

88 ppm Cl is too high. Keep it in the 40 to 50 range. The sulfate should be in that range too. Sulfate does not make beer bitter.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I brewed my latest (11.75 gal/44.5 L) post boil batch using (21 lbs/9.53 Kg) Pilsner and (1 lb/.45 Kg) Vienna malt mashed at (148F/64C) using the water profile below..

Ca 21
Mg 2
Na 8
SO 24
Cl 32

...and a healthy pitch of WLP-029 yeast allowing 6 weeks lagering in order to clear, it makes one tasty Kolschbier.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Thanks for the tips. I thought that Sulfate enhanced bitterness. I went with:
Ca 35
Mg 3
Na 8
SO 40
Cl 45

Turns out the more I think I know, the less i actually know.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Actually both CaCl2 and CaSO4 enhance hop bitterness roughly equally. The more of either (or both) that is present, the more bitterness that will be perceived. Beyond that, SO4 also enhances the perception of dryness, and CaCl2 also enhances the perception of maltiness.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Where did your sodium ions come from?

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Where did your sodium ions come from?

I was looking at "Mashing Water Profile". I'm still learning Martins spreadsheet
"Actual Finished Water Adjustment"
Ca 34
Mg 3
Na 0
SO4 39
Cl 41

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Do you know the current actual hydration state of your CaCl2, as well as the presumed hydration state utilized by your software? The two may not be in sync with each other. When first opened a bottle of CaCl2 is typically about 5% water, but after a few openings or more it may be approaching 24.5% water, and given long enough it actually starts turning into a wet goo, with all of this as it transitions from the anhydride form to the dihydrate form to .... the hepta-hydrate form and beyond. CaCl2 is a moving target which is essentially always assimilating water.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Sorry, I don't know the hydration state of it. It came in a sealed bag and i keep it in a closed screw lid container. This is what i purchased.
https://www.morebeer.com/products/calcium-chloride.html
The only software I'm using is Martins

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I would guess it at ~85% CaCl2 and ~15% water by weight then. This roughly splits the difference between the first two states.