My first brew with RO water

[jbsg02]

After a few underwhelming brews I am going to try using RO water (from the Glacier machines at Albertsons). I am going to buy some Gypsum and Calcium Chloride online to add to my water. So my question:

How important is magnesium and sodium in water really, just using these 2 salts will have water void of magnesium, sodium, as well as bicarbonates. Will there be enough minerals in the grain to help supplement? Will it not make enough difference to matter? Thanks

 

[ajdelange]

Magnesium and sodium are, in general, unimportant. I qualify that a little because some beers have a definitely salty profile (gose would be an extreme example but to a lesser extent it is, or was, also true of Bass Ale). If the beer you brew doesn't taste salty enough, add enough salt to it that it does, remember how much it took to get that degree of saltiness and scale up to the full length next time you brew.

Lots of homebrewers ease concerns such as yours by mixing in 10% or so of their tap water with the RO. Also bear in mind that the RO unit does not remove 100% of any ion.

Magnesium is required as a co factor for many of the enzymes involved in glycolysis and fermentation so there should be some available. Malt furnishes plenty.

 

[mabrungard]

Using just the CaCl and gypsum will work quite well. You don't really need to add sodium or magnesium to the brewing water, but you can have some desirable flavor impact from those ions when used at low concentrations.

 

[jbsg02]

Okay, thanks guys. I will be trying this in the next couple weeks (I asked for a ph meter or Xmas) and am out of college for winter break

 

[ajdelange]

I thought Garland was in a dry parish.