...if you make your beers with RO or distilled water.
All-grain brewer here. We had a prolonged cold snap early in the New Year, -35C for about two weeks, so I decided to try my very first extract batch as it allowed me to brew indoors. I used a can of the Coopers brand ESB, plus 1kg (2.2lbs) light DME, and then an ounce of hops boiled in about 1.5 gallons water to add some character.
I noticed that the finished brew had that extract twang, flat flavors and a harshness that I didn't like. It dawned on me that it was lacking minerals, so I spiked a pint with a couple shakes of table salt. It improved the flavor of the beer quite profoundly. I mention this because I've heard it repeated often that extract already has the minerals in it. I can say with a high degree of confidence that it doesn't... or at least it doesn't have enough.
If you brew extract with RO water, I highly recommend adding minerals. 1/2 to 1 tsp of calcium chloride in a 5 gallon batch should be about right. Or canning salt will do the trick in a pinch (i.e.: the kind without iodine in it). Another approach is to use bottled water with minerals added. This may not be news to many of you, but for those that haven't tried it, it really does make a huge difference.
All-grain brewer here. We had a prolonged cold snap early in the New Year, -35C for about two weeks, so I decided to try my very first extract batch as it allowed me to brew indoors. I used a can of the Coopers brand ESB, plus 1kg (2.2lbs) light DME, and then an ounce of hops boiled in about 1.5 gallons water to add some character.
I noticed that the finished brew had that extract twang, flat flavors and a harshness that I didn't like. It dawned on me that it was lacking minerals, so I spiked a pint with a couple shakes of table salt. It improved the flavor of the beer quite profoundly. I mention this because I've heard it repeated often that extract already has the minerals in it. I can say with a high degree of confidence that it doesn't... or at least it doesn't have enough.
If you brew extract with RO water, I highly recommend adding minerals. 1/2 to 1 tsp of calcium chloride in a 5 gallon batch should be about right. Or canning salt will do the trick in a pinch (i.e.: the kind without iodine in it). Another approach is to use bottled water with minerals added. This may not be news to many of you, but for those that haven't tried it, it really does make a huge difference.