Help: Additions needed for brown ale

[nickmv]

I'm brewing up a brown ale today, and trying to figure out how to enhance the malt flavor, as my city's water is so clean that it doesn't lend well to malty and dark beers.

My water profile is as follows:
http://i.imgur.com/rxhDc93.png


I've been reading and it seems that I want a decently high bicarbonate level to enhance brown and stout ales. Anyways, can anyone give me a recommendation on what chemical to add, and how much?

The recipe calls for:
8.5lbs 2 row
9 oz Choc Malt
12oz Dark Crystal
12oz Smoked Malt

 

[BrewerinBR]

Go here and download Bru-n-Water and plug your water profile and follow the instructions HBT water expert mabrungard has prepared in the sheet.

https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/

 

[mabrungard]

If the mash grist is actually that acidic, then you might want to add alkalinity. Just be sure that its needed since a mash pH that is a little low is less disasterous than a pH that is a little high. Do not add alkalinity just because some website or book told you to. You have to look at the complete picture of mash grist and water to estimate what alkalinity needs might be.

Since you have low sodium in the tap water, adding baking soda to only the mash is a suitable way to add alkalinity.

 

[ajdelange]

I'm brewing up a brown ale today, and trying to figure out how to enhance the malt flavor, as my city's water is so clean that it doesn't lend well to malty and dark beers.

My water profile is as follows:
http://i.imgur.com/rxhDc93.png


I've been reading and it seems that I want a decently high bicarbonate level to enhance brown and stout ales. Anyways, can anyone give me a recommendation on what chemical to add, and how much?

The recipe calls for:
8.5lbs 2 row
9 oz Choc Malt
12oz Dark Crystal
12oz Smoked Malt

Don't add anything. That's pretty nice water and the colored malts you have should bring the pH to a reasonable level. It would be best if you could check that with a pH meter but I assume you are just starting out in this and don't have one yet.

When the beer is finished taste it and then taste it again with some additions of calcium sulfate and calcium chloride. Based on these taste tests add one or the other or both of these salts the next time you brew the beer.