I'm trying to hit over 100 ppm calcium in a place where calcium in our water averages only 29.5 ppm. When I use Beersmith's adjustment tool, it tells me to add 1.9 g of gypsum, 4 g of chalk, and 0.5 g of CaCl to 8.1 gallons of water to get it to 102 ppm. However, when I use the Brewer's Friend website calculator, those same numbers give me only 74.5 ppm. That's a huge difference. Any idea why the difference? Which one is right?
Brewer's Friend vs. Beersmith Calcium Calculations
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The difference is probably in that one assumes the CaCl2 is anhydrous and the other that there is some level of hydration, probably the dihydrate CaCl2.2H20.
But don't trust any tool that advocates addition of 4 gram of chalk to brewing water! They are both, in that sense, wrong.
But don't trust any tool that advocates addition of 4 gram of chalk to brewing water! They are both, in that sense, wrong.
It's not how or when you add it. It's that chalk really has no application in brewing. When alkalinity is required for a particular mash (unusually because of acidic base malt and/or exceptional level of high kilned malt) sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide are better choices than chalk. Or better still, use more basic base malt and/or less high kilned malt.
Other than supplying the anions wanted for flavor effects, there is no reason to raise your water's calcium content to 100 ppm. For ale brewing, it is very helpful to bring the calcium content to over 50 ppm. That level is to help create adequate yeast flocculation and beer clearing after fermentation. There are no other significant advantages to boosting calcium content much higher than that.
For lager brewing, there are real reasons to keep your brewing water's calcium content well under 50 ppm.
For lager brewing, there are real reasons to keep your brewing water's calcium content well under 50 ppm.
Martin, I haven't heard that before, but would like to know more. Can you explain a little more?
Brew on
Calcium is often thought of as the 'chicken soup of brewing'. Its benefits WRT brighter runoff, enzyme protection, better yeast flocculation, oxalate precipitation etc. are well known. But sometimes one wants a beer that is all around soft on the palate and is willing to forego some of the benefits in order to attain that soft palate which is associated with continental lagers, Kölsch etc. As those beers are lagered it doesn't matter so much that the yeast flocculate quickly etc.
There are full articles on calcium and magnesium requirements in brewing that were published in both The New Brewer and Zymurgy. I won't bother regurgitating those facts here.
