Does this Kolsch water profile look reasonable?

[njohnsoncs]

Grain:

Weyermann Barke Pilsner, 5.5 lbs
Weyermann German Vienna Malt, 0.3 lbs

Water:

2.16 gal in mash
2.06 gal in sparge
2.50 total desired batch size

I'm using Brun water calculator with the "Yellow Balanced" desired water profile. It says I should have

Ca: 50
Mg: 7
Na: 5
SO4: 75
Cl: 60
HCO3: 0

Using the built-in RO profile, I'm adding 0.50 g/gal CaCl2 for a total of 1.1 g in the mash and 1.0 g in the sparge and 4.5 ml/gal Phosphoric acid 10% for a total of 9.7 ml in the mash and 0 in the sparge.
This gives me the profile:

Ca: 48
Mg: 0
Na: 0
SO4: 0
Cl: 84
HCO3: -79

with estimated pH of 5.40.

I only have CaCl2 and Phosphoric right now so I can't adjust the Mg, Na, or SO4. Does the above profile look reasonable for a traditional Kolsch?

 

[Bilsch]

Your water looks good to me. For the grainbill an 85/15 pils/vienna would more traditional.

 

[njohnsoncs]

Your water looks good to me. For the grainbill an 85/15 pils/vienna would more traditional.

I read that it was better to keep Vienna (or other non-Pilsner malts) to <= 5% of the grain bill. That's how I ended up with this amount. To each their own.

My concern with the water profile is the high chloride and low sulfate. Any thoughts?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Are you confident that your Calcium chloride is in the anhydrous (or anhydride) state? If it has ever been exposed to air, due to the humidity of the air it may be at or near the dihydrate state. Or it may be somewhere in-between, or even somewhere beyond the dihydrate state. It is forever picking up moisture (if given the opportunity to do so).

1) Anhydride is 100% CaCl2, which is almost impossible to achieve or maintain. The purest I've ever tested is 94%, but I've only tested two unopened bottles. AJ has seen 96%.
2) Dihydrate is ~ 75.5% Cacl2 and 24.5% water. Its formula is CaCl2.2H2O

The two states appear visually identical. Most software presumes the dihydrate state as it's default (or more likely, as its only option).

It appears that you are computing it as the anhydride. That will be close for a first time opened bottle (whereby for that case it will more likely be 94-96%).

Due to the nature of the Pilsner malt you may need up to 26 mL of 10% Phosphoric Acid to achieve a mash at 5.4 pH. By my calculation, your calculated acid addition "may" wind up a smidge on either side of 5.6 pH at the end of the mash (which should still be marginally OK). The wort pH will rise throughout the mash, and will appear to be somewhat lower than ~5.6 if sampled early on in the mash.

The water looks fine with your CaCl2 only adjustment.

 

[njohnsoncs]

Are you confident that your Calcium chloride is in the anhydrous (or anhydride) state? If it has ever been exposed to air, due to the humidity of the air it may be at or near the dihydrate state. Or it may be somewhere in-between, or even somewhere beyond the dihydrate state. It is forever picking up moisture (if given the opportunity to do so).

1) Anhydride is 100% CaCl2, which is almost impossible to achieve or maintain. The purest I've ever tested is 94%, but I've only tested two unopened bottles. AJ has seen 96%.
2) Dihydrate is ~ 75.5% Cacl2 and 24.5% water. Its formula is CaCl2.2H2O

The two states appear visually identical. Most software presumes the dihydrate state as it's default (or more likely, as its only option).

It appears that you are computing it as the anhydride. That will be close for a first time opened bottle (whereby for that case it will more likely be 94-96%).

Due to the nature of the Pilsner malt you may need up to 26 mL of 10% Phosphoric Acid to achieve a mash at 5.4 pH. By my calculation, your calculated acid addition "may" wind up a smidge on either side of 5.6 pH at the end of the mash (which should still be marginally OK). The wort pH will rise throughout the mash, and will appear to be somewhat lower than ~5.6 if sampled early on in the mash.

The water looks fine with your CaCl2 only adjustment.

I have no clue what state the calcium chloride is in. I just opened the package yesterday for a different brew. How can I tell?

I'm using the Brun calculator so I'm following whatever assumption that is making regarding anhydrous or anhydride. How will this affect the brew? Should I try to compensate for that by increase/decreasing the amount of calcium chloride I use?

I'm adding 9.6 ml of phosphoric acid 10% because that is what the Brun calculator tells me to do so I get a pH of 5.4. It seems like you're saying that calculation is wrong. I'm not sure what to do here since I have conflicting information...

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I have no clue what state the calcium chloride is in. I just opened the package yesterday for a different brew. How can I tell?

This side of weighing it, liquifying it in a measured volume of water, letting it cool down, taking the resulting specific gravity, and then using it as a liquid (which is what I do), the only thing you can do is heat it to about 425 degrees F. for awhile to drive the water off and chase it back to its anhydrous state. But since yours if reasonably fresh, I would just assume it is close to 94% CaCl2.

I'm using the Brun calculator so I'm following whatever assumption that is making regarding anhydrous or anhydride. How will this affect the brew? Should I try to compensate for that by increase/decreasing the amount of calcium chloride I use?

See above.

I'm adding 9.6 ml of phosphoric acid 10% because that is what the Brun calculator tells me to do so I get a pH of 5.4. It seems like you're saying that calculation is wrong. I'm not sure what to do here since I have conflicting information...

Download several additional of such calculators (mine included) and compare them with regard to what they are all telling you. The main names (which I'm aware of) to hunt down are:

1) MpH 3.0
2) The Brew Engine (highly advanced, may appear overwhelmingly daunting to a novice due to its level of sophistication)
3) ezRecipe-RO
4) EZ Water Calculator 3.02 (easy to use, but does not appear to have been updated in many years)
5) Mash Made Easy 5.90 (my software, be sure to select for base malt type in the lower righthand drop-down cell)
6) Kaiser Water Calculator (this one works off of final beer color instead of grist components, not updated in many years)

Plus go online and use the respected Brewer's Friend calculator at:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/
(be sure to click on "Show Grist Info", and perhaps a few others that may not initially be readily apparent)

All of these are free.