Bru'n Water Pale Ale Profile

[hawkeyes]

Hello, I plan on making a IPA and will be using the Pale Ale Profile. I will be using RO water, is there any need to add Bicarbonates to match the profile? According to Bru'n Water, I am at 5.4 pH without adding acidulated malt. If I match the profile and add bicarbonates my pH goes up to 5.6 and I would need to add acidulated malt to get it back down to 5.4. Is there any benefits to adding Bicarbonates to a IPA?

 

[Satisfaction]

My understanding there would be no benefits of adding bicarbonates, unless you needed the calcium contributions. (there are other ways to get that though) Ultimately would you offset the basic mineral contribution with additional acid to reduce the pH to the 5.4.


When I formulate the recipe, I look at sulfate, chloride, calcium and pH as major determining factors for the direction I go with the water additions.

Bicarbonate additions would only come into play if the predicted pH ends up below 5.2.

 

[hawkeyes]

Thanks for the reply! It looks like I don't have enough calcium. It's around 110 - 120 ppm and I would need to add Pickling Lime to get it up to 140 ppm. I can adjust my pH with acidulated malt.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the reply! It looks like I don't have enough calcium. It's around 110 - 120 ppm and I would need to add Pickling Lime to get it up to 140 ppm. I can adjust my pH with acidulated malt.

Don't add pickling lime for calcium, and then lower the pH with acid malt.

Use enough gypsum to get your sulfate where you want it, and you will have plenty of calcium (over 50 ppm is enough). Shoot for an appropriate mash pH (5.5 would be dandy) and then only adjust with acidulated malt or acid to reach the appropriate pH. If you need to add some alkalinity to reach a decent mash pH, then use the lime.

 

[bob1852]

Use enough gypsum to get your sulfate where you want it, and you will have plenty of calcium (over 50 ppm is enough). Shoot for an appropriate mash pH (5.5 would be dandy) and then only adjust with acidulated malt or acid to reach the appropriate pH. If you need to add some alkalinity to reach a decent mash pH, then use the lime.

Or baking soda.

I find with that pale ale target water profile, I agree with Yooper that you're getting enough Ca through the gypsum to get the SO4 you need. Using baking soda can get you some alkalinity without your Ca or Na getting to high (since you're starting with RO). Plus, I always have baking soda around. Pickling lime, not so much.

 

[hawkeyes]

Don't add pickling lime for calcium, and then lower the pH with acid malt.

Use enough gypsum to get your sulfate where you want it, and you will have plenty of calcium (over 50 ppm is enough). Shoot for an appropriate mash pH (5.5 would be dandy) and then only adjust with acidulated malt or acid to reach the appropriate pH. If you need to add some alkalinity to reach a decent mash pH, then use the lime.

Thanks for the tip, I will save the lime for when I need to add alkalinity to reach the right mash pH. Do you think I should aim for 300 ppm of Sulfate like Bru'n water has for the profile? Or go lower?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the tip, I will save the lime for when I need to add alkalinity to reach the right mash pH. Do you think I should aim for 300 ppm of Sulfate like Bru'n water has for the profile? Or go lower?

I tend to go a bit lower, depending on what I'm making. For my DFH clone, I do much lower- like 120 ppm- but for some APAs and IPAs, I'll go to 250 ppm or so.