Prioritize Calcium or Chloride for Stouts?

[Iowa Brewer]

I'm brewing a chocolate stout and having a heck of a time getting my water profile right.

I'm using the Black Dry profile in Bru'n and it seems like I can either hit the calcium target of 50ppm (by adding CaCl2) and overshoot the chloride by 7ppm, or leave it as is in the attached image and come up 1ppm short on the calcium at 49ppm.

I'm sure this is an exercise in splitting split-hairs, but was wondering which levels are more important for darker beers: calcium or chloride. I'm especially curious as some sites say stouts should have up to 150ppm calcium.

Thanks!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

FWIW & IMO, ±10 ppm for Ca, Mg, Na, S04, or Cl is close enough. With my "add flavor salts to the glass" trials, I doubt I can taste a ±25 ppm difference in S04 or Cl.

wondering which levels are more important for darker beers: calcium or chloride

Both are important for different reasons. Calcium helps in the mash, chloride helps with flavor.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

FWIW & IMO, ±10 ppm for Ca, Mg, Na, S04, or Cl is close enough. With my "add flavor salts to the glass" trials, I doubt I can taste a ±25 ppm difference in S04 or Cl.


Both are important for different reasons. Calcium helps in the mash, chloride helps with flavor.

Thanks, BrewnWKopperKat. I figured the difference is so slight as not to matter much.
Interesting on the flavor & mash effects.

 

[mabrungard]

Agree! Brewing water chemistry is similar to hand grenades and horseshoes. The term: 'close enough' should be in your mind. Don't sweat about minor differences in targeted and actual concentrations.

The thing to pay attention to, is the pH prediction. I recommend targeting a mashing pH in the 5.6 range in order to keep the roasty flavors full and mellow instead of sharp and acrid.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Agree! Brewing water chemistry is similar to hand grenades and horseshoes. The term: 'close enough' should be in your mind. Don't sweat about minor differences in targeted and actual concentrations.

The thing to pay attention to, is the pH prediction. I recommend targeting a mashing pH in the 5.6 range in order to keep the roasty flavors full and mellow instead of sharp and acrid.

Sounds good, mabrungard. Thanks!

 

[dmtaylor]

Human beings cannot taste the difference in a few ppm. Probably takes HUNDREDS of ppm before we can taste it. Close is close enough.