How do my english mild mineral levels look?

[rnm410]

New to the English style and darker beers, only have experience doing lighter american, German and Belgian styles.

English Mild

OG 1.037
ABV 3.7%
IBU 16
SRM 17
FG 1.009

Ca 57 ppm
Mg 10 ppm
Na 22 ppm
SO4 40 ppm
Cl 46 ppm
Bicarb. 95 ppm

1.2 g Epsom
1.3 g CaCl
0.8 g Baking Soda
1. g Chalk

Asking about the ppm levels in bold, rest is just fyi.

 

[rnm410]

No opinions?

 

[The_Bishop]

#1 - Never add alkalinity. That means no Baking Soda.
#2 - Chalk is essentially useless. It doesn't dissolve without some heroic efforts. It is also not necessary.

 

[chickypad]

#1 - Never add alkalinity. That means no Baking Soda.

Never? I agree most shouldn't need it but I have extremely low alkalinity water (almost RO) and with dark beers I need just a touch of baking soda to bring the pH up. OP I would think more important question is what do those additions do to your to your pH.

 

[rhys333]

Where are you guys buying your Epsom salts? My LHBS doesn't sell it apparently because, and I quote, "The drug stores and pharmacies carry them in bulk for cheap" So I go to the local drug store and all I can find are the scented bath salts. I ask the pharmacist if they have food grade Epsom salts (i.e.: without perfumes) and he of course starts questioning me because he's seen Breaking Bad and think's I'm cooking up meth or something. Anyway, they don't carry it and I can't find it at other drug stores either. Any tips?

 

[canehdianman]

Where are you guys buying your Epsom salts? My LHBS doesn't sell it apparently because, and I quote, "The drug stores and pharmacies carry them in bulk for cheap" So I go to the local drug store and all I can find are the scented bath salts. I ask the pharmacist if they have food grade Epsom salts (i.e.: without perfumes) and he of course starts questioning me because he's seen Breaking Bad and think's I'm cooking up meth or something. Anyway, they don't carry it and I can't find it at other drug stores either. Any tips?

I'm sure you can order some online.

Look for Magnesium Sulfate though.

 

[The_Bishop]

Ok, let me re-phrase that:

Never add alkalinity to match a 'water style'. Only as needed for mash PH.

 

[rnm410]

My alkalinity is 15ppm, on the lower end but perfect for this beer style. I was not going to buffer the pH during the mash. I was going to add the "flavoring salts" at the end of the boil.

Back to the original question.

 

[Yooper]

My alkalinity is 15ppm, on the lower end but perfect for this beer style. I was not going to buffer the pH during the mash. I was going to add the "flavoring salts" at the end of the boil.

Back to the original question.

Ok, the answer is still that you don't want to use chalk, and you may and may not need the baking soda. What is the projected pH of the mash? That's what we need to know. You want to be in the 5.5 range.

If it was my beer, I'd ditch almost all of the additions except for calcium chloride, and increase that so that the calcium is around 60-70 ppm and the chloride is under 50-100 ppm and shoot for a mash pH of 5.5.

 

[The_Bishop]

There is no need to add alkalinity increasing salts after the boil.

 

[rnm410]

Ok, the answer is still that you don't want to use chalk, and you may and may not need the baking soda. What is the projected pH of the mash? That's what we need to know. You want to be in the 5.5 range.

If it was my beer, I'd ditch almost all of the additions except for calcium chloride, and increase that so that the calcium is around 60-70 ppm and the chloride is under 50-100 ppm and shoot for a mash pH of 5.5.

No additions, mash pH 5.54.
Listed additions not including Chalk or Baking Soda, mash pH 5.39

I've already scrapped the idea of using chalk, I was going to add baking soda at flame out for sodium.

Thank you for the feedback. Using primarily CaCl and adding minuscule amounts of other salts, keeping additions outside of CaCl to a minimum. Targeted 5.4 mash pH, 60 ppm Ca and 100 ppm Cl.

 

[rnm410]

There is no need to add alkalinity increasing salts after the boil.

Was adding it not to increase the alk. but to round the flavor and highlight the malt from the sodium.

 

[Yooper]

No additions, mash pH 5.54.
Listed additions not including Chalk or Baking Soda, mash pH 5.39

I've already scrapped the idea of using chalk, I was going to add baking soda at flame out for sodium.

Thank you for the feedback. Using primarily CaCl and adding minuscule amounts of other salts, keeping additions outside of CaCl to a minimum. Targeted 5.4 mash pH, 60 ppm Ca and 100 ppm Cl.

Why? If you want the flavor of sodium, use sodium chloride in the mash. I would never add alkalinity if it wasn't needed.

I'd go lower than 100 ppm with the chloride, but you don't have to. If you want to lower the CaCl2, you could do that and add some NaCl, but I don't the amount of sodium you're talking about would be perceptible in the flavor anyway.

What are your "other miniscule" salts? Just leave them out, and you should have a nice solid mash pH of 5.4-5.5, which is perfect and there isn't any need for more salts anyway if they aren't in amounts to make a difference.

 

[rnm410]

Why? If you want the flavor of sodium, use sodium chloride in the mash. I would never add alkalinity if it wasn't needed.

I'd go lower than 100 ppm with the chloride, but you don't have to. If you want to lower the CaCl2, you could do that and add some NaCl, but I don't the amount of sodium you're talking about would be perceptible in the flavor anyway.

What are your "other miniscule" salts? Just leave them out, and you should have a nice solid mash pH of 5.4-5.5, which is perfect and there isn't any need for more salts anyway if they aren't in amounts to make a difference.

<0.5 g Epsom, gypsum and table salt.

What is the difference in having 100 ppm of chloride vs say 75 ppm, would there be perceivable mineral taste at 100 ppm in such a low OG beer?