Adding gypsum

[svthomas72]

So, this will be my first time adding anything to the water to make different profiles. The homebrew shop nearest me says he uses gypsum to get the dry crispness in his WCIPA. I WANT THAT TOO! When do I add the gypsum? My guess is add to the strike water before the grain goes in, but that is just a guess.

 

[day_trippr]

Good guess

Have you tried any of the water/mineral additions programs to now find out how much gypsum to use?

Cheers!

 

[Jag75]

I use Bru N Water . Really good program in my book. You need to use one especially if your using your tap water.

 

[svthomas72]

Good guess

Have you tried any of the water/mineral additions programs to now find out how much gypsum to use?

Cheers!

I have not yet. The home brew store is close enough that his water would be somewhat similar to mine. He said he uses 2 tsps. I have tried to contact my local water people, but they keep dodging my phone call. I just want to know the mineral content, but they probably think I'm trying to sue them or something. I'm going to wind up breaking down and paying for a test. I filter it anyway, so it would be different than the profile from the city regardless.

 

[svthomas72]

I use Bru N Water . Really good program in my book. You need to use one especially if your using your tap water.

I'll look into that, thanks!

 

[Jag75]

I've found that using RO was the easiest. I'll look at my recipe and let you know what my water additions are if you'd like.

 

[svthomas72]

I've found that using RO was the easiest. I'll look at my recipe and let you know what my water additions are if you'd like.

Please do. I actually downloaded Bru N Water just now and have been looking at it. I am going to have to get a water report for sure, but this could be a game changer.

 

[rjhoff]

Its pretty common for brewers to add gypsum to IPAs without running a water profile analysis. I use BeerSmith and I have very neutral ground water (NC mountains), checked my go to pale ale recipe, calls for 9 grams gypsum - converts to roughly 2 tsps. I don’t see you’ll go wrong with that as a starting point, assuming you’re brewing a 5 gallon batch

EDIT: I‘m splitting that gypsum between mash and sparge water (about 30% in sparge)

 

[svthomas72]

Its pretty common for brewers to add gypsum to IPAs without running a water profile analysis. I use BeerSmith and I have very neutral ground water (NC mountains), checked my go to pale ale recipe, calls for 9 grams gypsum - converts to roughly 2 tsps. I don’t see you’ll go wrong with that as a starting point.

Thanks! I'm brewing tomorrow, and I just have been planning to take a swing at it with 2 tsps because it can't hurt. I do plan to check into the water test and find out what else I can do.

 

[rjhoff]

Thanks! I'm brewing tomorrow, and I just have been planning to take a swing at it with 2 tsps because it can't hurt. I do plan to check into the water test and find out what else I can do.

Go for it! Ward labs for water tests.

 

[Jag75]

So my water additions are Gypsum - 5.9g in the mash & 2.8g in sparge

Calcium chloride - .5g in mash & .3g in sparge

Lactic acid - 2.7 ml in mash & 1ml sparge .

This is with RO water .

 

[svthomas72]

So my water additions are Gypsum - 5.9g in the mash & 2.8g in sparge

Calcium chloride - .5g in mash & .3g in sparge

Lactic acid - 2.7 ml in mash & 1ml sparge .

This is with RO water .

In the sparge? Cool. I hadn't thought about that, but it makes sense.

 

[mabrungard]

Gypsum does two things: reduces wort pH and boosts sulfate content. With respect to the sulfate, you can add it anytime in the brewing process and you’ll get roughly the same result. But the timing of the gypsum addition can really affect the wort pH and the character of the resulting beer. If you’re using tap water with alkalinity, adding gypsum to the mashing water can help depress pH and reduce the extraction of astringency and tannins during the mash.

 

[jerrylotto]

I use the following salt additions to 7 gallons of RO or distilled water to estimate the "Burton on Hudson" profile for my fav IPA.

Volume ~50 ml:
CaCO3 (calcite/lime) 2g
NaHCO3 (baking soda) 4.3g
CaSO4 (gypsum as a dihydrate) 25g (yes, that is 25!)
MgSO4 (epsom salt) 6g
NaCl (table salt) 1g

​

 

[bracconiere]

because it can't hurt.

i still have nightmares about how bad gypsum can be....(keep in mind the big boys are playing with RO water, i never grew up...but when i tried to be a big boy, and add water salts to my tap water...i got beat up)

 

[govner1]

As a general rule I use 7 grams per 5 gal of dough in and spaghetti water. I add it all to the mash.

 

[seatazzz]

As a general rule I use 7 grams per 5 gal of dough in and spaghetti water. I add it all to the mash.

Spaghetti water? Is this another trend I'm missing out on? HAHAHAHAHA.....

 

[seatazzz]

My water is pretty good all by itself; I add campden to every batch just as a precaution. The only times I add gypsum are for hop-forward beers, it does seem to reduce astringency and makes the hops pop. 1tsp for a 5 gallon batch seems to do the trick.

 

[govner1]

Spaghetti water? Is this another trend I'm missing out on? HAHAHAHAHA.....

Damned autocorrect! Sparge water!

 

[eric19312]

Since you are adding for flavor easiest thing is to add to the boil kettle during the boil. I’ve also played with adding at bottling as an experiment to see impact on a batch.

2 tsp in a 5 gal batch should be noticeable.

 

[faithie999]

a potentially dumb question: I use BrewSmith to calculate mineral additions to my RO water. some of the salts are very soluble, but some are not. do you just agitate the treated water as best you can to suspend the undissolved salts and then use it as mash and sparge water, assuming that the rest of the salts will dissolve at mash and sparge water temps?

thanks

ken

 

[svthomas72]

a potentially dumb question: I use BrewSmith to calculate mineral additions to my RO water. some of the salts are very soluble, but some are not. do you just agitate the treated water as best you can to suspend the undissolved salts and then use it as mash and sparge water, assuming that the rest of the salts will dissolve at mash and sparge water temps?

thanks

ken

Good question. I have no idea tbh. I am new to this. I know that every IPA I have tried to brew thus far has had what I would call a softened hop profile to it, and I want that pine to shine. So, I am trying new things. As for your question, I hope that someone here can answer that before I start brewing this after noon.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I hope that someone here can answer that before I start brewing this after noon.

When I add gypsum for the mash, I will add it at flame-on and give the water a stir to help dissolve it.

some of the salts are very soluble, but some are not.

I have read that chalk is not soluble (and I have no experience brewing with it). The salts that I use (generally CaS04, CaCl, occasionally MgS04) tend to dissolve without much assistance.

 

[moorejl57]

My only experience with using chalk was for a sugar wash. It is generally insoluble in water but will dissolve in carbonated water. So it acted as a pH buffer dissolving in as the yeast became active and stabilizing the pH at around 4. Sugar washes tend to stall if the pH drops below 3, which they often do without any buffer.

I would think you would use baking soda if you wanted to increase alkalinity, but need to keep track of the amount of sodium being added as well.

 

[svthomas72]

So, my WCIPA is in the keg now. Finished at 6.9%, and the gypsum addition was a smashing success! I will be dabbling more with water profiles moving forward to be sure.

 

[InspectorJon]

My water utility company posts their yearly water report on their website. They are required to do water analysis by the state. They post an new report every year. It changes a little but not much.

EID Water Report