IPA Water Profile

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Ridire

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Probably been asked a thousand times, but if you are serious about your water, what is your ideal profile for an IPA?

With the grain bill I'm using on Saturday, and the additions I am thinking I will add, I get to this:

Mash pH (room temp): 5.44
Ca - 53
Mg - 6
Na - 9
Sulfate - 155

Thoughts? I am starting with 100% RO water and adding Gypsum, MgSO, Baking Soda and Lactic Acid to get to this profile for my grain bill (which is just 10 lbs of MO and 3 lbs of 2-Row).
 
In my IPA's I usually shoot for

Calcium - 125
Mg - 10
Sodium - 25
Cl - 60
Sulf - 300

Why are you adding baking soda and acid? It seems pointless since baking soda raises the pH and the acid lowers the pH.
 
Why are you adding baking soda and acid? It seems pointless since baking soda raises the pH and the acid lowers the pH.

Sodium from the Baking Soda. Not sure that is desirable, but I added it to get it to the range I was shooting for on the Sodium.
 
Sodium from the Baking Soda. Not sure that is desirable, but I added it to get it to the range I was shooting for on the Sodium.

If you just need sodium then add some salt. By using the baking soda you are raising your mash pH and then using acid to bring it back down. By using salt you will be able to use less acid.
 
If you just need sodium then add some salt. By using the baking soda you are raising your mash pH and then using acid to bring it back down. By using salt you will be able to use less acid.

Not really concerned about the amount of acid...we are talking about 4ml with the amount of NaHCO I am using, if I want the mash pH at 5.4.

I guess the real question is, does sodium add anything desirable? Should I just not worry about sodium?

Obviously, I am fairly new to water and just looking at others' profiles to see where I want to be.
 
Ok, so I am a noob here with a potentially stupid question but her goes any how. Is all RO water created equal? does it all have the same chemical makeup? The reason I ask is I have been getting my water from the dispenser at Walmart but I am contemplating putting an RO system in my house (different water source than Walmart) Do I need to have those waters analyzed to find out exactly where they are at chemically?
 
Ok, so I am a noob here with a potentially stupid question but her goes any how. Is all RO water created equal? does it all have the same chemical makeup? The reason I ask is I have been getting my water from the dispenser at Walmart but I am contemplating putting an RO system in my house (different water source than Walmart) Do I need to have those waters analyzed to find out exactly where they are at chemically?

Yes.
 
Ok, so I am a noob here with a potentially stupid question but her goes any how. Is all RO water created equal? does it all have the same chemical makeup? The reason I ask is I have been getting my water from the dispenser at Walmart but I am contemplating putting an RO system in my house (different water source than Walmart) Do I need to have those waters analyzed to find out exactly where they are at chemically?

I am certain there are trace amounts of "stuff" in all of it. I just live by the idea that the differences in RO, distilled, purified, etc. water is probably too small to notice. I religiously check my mash pH against what is expected, but beyond that, treat all that bottled stuff as if it has nothing in it, unless I know that the water does have something in it.

EDIT: but I'm sure others are much pickier about their water than I am. I just will not use my tap water anymore, as it has too much chlorine in it and it absolutely comes through in the beer. And if I'm going to use bottled RO water, I thought I might as well attempt to make it right (or "righter", I suppose).
 
Not really concerned about the amount of acid...we are talking about 4ml with the amount of NaHCO I am using, if I want the mash pH at 5.4.

I guess the real question is, does sodium add anything desirable? Should I just not worry about sodium?

Obviously, I am fairly new to water and just looking at others' profiles to see where I want to be.

Sodium will bring out more flavor. Just like it does with food. I usually add something like a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to my water.
 
Sodium will bring out more flavor. Just like it does with food. I usually add something like a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to my water.

Cool. Thanks.

So, maybe drop the Baking Soda altogether, drop the lactic to what's needed to keep mash pH at 5.4 - 5.5, and add a touch of table salt?
 
I aim for (in order of importance):
pH: 5.3
Sulfate: 200-250
Chloride: 50 range
Magnesium: 15 range
Sodium: 20-30 range
Calcium: whatever it works out at (5-150 range)

Edit: ..., but my goals may be different than yours ;)
 
I aim for (in order of importance):
pH: 5.3
Sulfate: 200-250
Chloride: 50 range
Magnesium: 15 range
Sodium: 20-30 range
Calcium: whatever it works out at (5-150 range)

Edit: ..., but my goals may be different than yours ;)

I am not looking for bitter, more of the hop flavor. Bitter is good...I'm just not overly concerned with it. This beer is going to have almost all late addition hops.
 
In my IPA's I usually shoot for

Calcium - 125
Mg - 10
Sodium - 25
Cl - 60
Sulf - 300

Why are you adding baking soda and acid? It seems pointless since baking soda raises the pH and the acid lowers the pH.
This is usually where I'm around. I've gone down to ~150 ppm sulfate and has high as 400 ppm. All were good. I don't know if I tasted much difference between those 2, but I never brewed the same recipe with different levels.
 
Cool. Thanks.

So, maybe drop the Baking Soda altogether, drop the lactic to what's needed to keep mash pH at 5.4 - 5.5, and add a touch of table salt?

Yep, that is what I would do.

I am not looking for bitter, more of the hop flavor. Bitter is good...I'm just not overly concerned with it. This beer is going to have almost all late addition hops.

I find that the sulfate increases the hop perception. Before I started adjusting my water I could never get the hop flavor and aroma to pop like commercial breweries can. When i started paying attention to my water and adding around 300 ppm sulfates I finally got the hoppiness I was looking for.
 
Yep, that is what I would do.



I find that the sulfate increases the hop perception. Before I started adjusting my water I could never get the hop flavor and aroma to pop like commercial breweries can. When i started paying attention to my water and adding around 300 ppm sulfates I finally got the hoppiness I was looking for.

Good to know. I have been disappointed with my IPA's thus far, but make other styles quite well. I have not brewed an IPA since I started playing with water chemistry. Maybe this one will be the hop bomb I'm looking for.
 
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