Salts to manipulate water - Max volume

[rycardo]

Hello everyone, I have a doubt related with salts for water adjustment.
I use brewfather to calculate the amount of salts I should use to manipulate the water. The point is, there is any limitation on the quantity of salt we should use?
I usually manipulate the water with Magnesium Sulfat, Calcium Sulfat and Calcium Chloride.
I will give you an example. For my next brew brewfather is recommending me to use:
7g (0,25oz) of calcium Sulfat in 30l (8gal) of water
7g (0,25oz) of calcium chloride in 30l (8gal) of water
4g (0,14oz) of magnesium Sulfat in 30l (8gal) of water

Reading salts instructions, is saying to don’t use more than
51g/30l (1,79oz/8gal) of calcium Sulfat
1,2g/30l (0,042oz/8gal) of calcium chloride
2,4g/30l (0,084oz/8gal) of magnesium Sulfat

As you can easily see, brewfather is suggesting me to add calcium chloride and magnesium Sulfat Volumes above the manufacture instructions.

Let me hear your thougths and opinions.

 

[VikeMan]

What manufacturer instructions are you talking about? And in what context are they supposed to apply?

 

[marc1]

If the additions get you the water profile you're shooting for, I think you are OK. Whether that water profile will taste good or not is up to you.

As VikeMan notes, the salts instructions are curious.

 

[rycardo]

I’m following Brewfather recommendation for salts dosage.
The salts are selled by a store, no brand.
In summary, I just want to know if these values are ok, or there is any recommendation about high dosage of these salts? I’m afraid that 7 grams (0,25oz) of CaCI2 are and 4g (0,14oz) of MgSO4 for 30L (8 gal) of wort is higher than recommended, and could create beer off-flavors or healthy issues.

 

[marc1]

To see how those g/l are going to taste, look at the water profile.

If your overall profile is the one at the bottom with 97Cl and 164 SO4, then it isn't crazy if you want mineralized water. If you're making a blonde ale, you might want less, but that is all personal preference. It's not going to hurt you. It will only ruin the beer if you do not like water with that many salts. Cl makes it taste more full, and SO4 makes it taste drier to me. Mg can taste weird if you put too much - I don't ever add any, but plenty of people do.

So, to answer your question, the limitation on amounts of salts (assuming that your mash pH is OK) will be mostly based on your tastes.

 

[marc1]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/a-brewing-water-chemistry-primer.198460/

 

[rycardo]

To see how those g/l are going to taste, look at the water profile.

If your overall profile is the one at the bottom with 97Cl and 164 SO4, then it isn't crazy if you want mineralized water. If you're making a blonde ale, you might want less, but that is all personal preference. It's not going to hurt you. It will only ruin the beer if you do not like water with that many salts. Cl makes it taste more full, and SO4 makes it taste drier to me. Mg can taste weird if you put too much - I don't ever add any, but plenty of people do.

So, to answer your question, the limitation on amounts of salts (assuming that your mash pH is OK) will be mostly based on your tastes.

Hello Marc, I was reading John Palmer book and he always suggest to use minimum of 50ppm of calcium, since I’m using bottled water (really poor in minerals), I need to add CaSO4 and CaCl2 salts, and these salts will increase SO4 and Cl2 presence. My SO4 and Cl2 equation is equal to 1,7 (not so malty and not so dry).

 

[rycardo]

To see how those g/l are going to taste, look at the water profile.

If your overall profile is the one at the bottom with 97Cl and 164 SO4, then it isn't crazy if you want mineralized water. If you're making a blonde ale, you might want less, but that is all personal preference. It's not going to hurt you. It will only ruin the beer if you do not like water with that many salts. Cl makes it taste more full, and SO4 makes it taste drier to me. Mg can taste weird if you put too much - I don't ever add any, but plenty of people do.

So, to answer your question, the limitation on amounts of salts (assuming that your mash pH is OK) will be mostly based on your tastes.

Hello Marc, I was reading John Palmer book and he always suggest to use minimum of 50ppm of calcium, since I’m using bottled water (really poor in minerals), I need to add CaSO4 and CaCl2 salts, and these salts will increase SO4 and Cl2 presence. My Sulfate-to-chloride ratio is equal to 1,7.

 

[marc1]

Water that is poor in minerals is great to start with, you can build it up however you want to.

The ratio isn't important on its own, it is the absolute amounts of Cl and SO4 that you should be concerned about for taste.

How much of them you will like is a matter of personal preference. You're going to have to try out different amounts to see what you prefer for different styles. The primer I linked has some good basic information for people getting into water chemistry.

 

[rycardo]

Water that is poor in minerals is great to start with, you can build it up however you want to.

The ratio isn't important on its own, it is the absolute amounts of Cl and SO4 that you should be concerned about for taste.

How much of them you will like is a matter of personal preference. You're going to have to try out different amounts to see what you prefer for different styles. The primer I linked has some good basic information for people getting into water chemistry.

I’m reading John Palmer book. I heard he is one of the best on this.
for blonde ale he recommends the following water profile. So, in you opinion I should use so much Cl?
I’m also sending a print screen with water profile I had created for a blonde ale. What do you think?

 

[marc1]

I’m reading John Palmer book. I heard he is one of the best on this.
for blonde ale he recommends the following water profile. So, in you opinion I should use so much Cl?
I’m also sending a print screen with water profile I had created for a blonde ale. What do you think?

That profile looks more like what I might expect for a blonde.

Again, the amounts are going to be personal preference. If you make it like this, you can then dose small amounts of gypsum solution into your glass to get an appreciation for what it tastes like and if you would want more next time. Same for CaCl.