Share water profiles you have dialed in.

[Xpertskir]

What are the water profiles you no longer change for a given style.

I'm only about 10 batches into building my own water and am surprised to see how many different opinions there is for ion levels for each style.

 

[Yooper]

I have two pale ale profiles. One is high sulfate, and one is anti-high sulfate.

It's funny, as there is a world of difference but I like them both. It really depends on my goals for that beer.

Here's the profile I used yesterday (the high sulfate version):
Ca- 126 Mg- 8 Na- 3 S04- 237 cl-30 Hc03- 17 (mash pH was 5.4)

This gives me a really nice "bright" hops flavor that really says "pale ale" to me.

For other beers where I want a pale ale but a "softer" hops flavor, I use 100% RO water with just enough CaCl2 and CaS04 to get me to 50 ppm Ca. (50 ppm Ca, S04- 78, Cl 25)

That's pretty much all I do for pale ales- either/or and keep my mash pH around 5.4 or so.

 

[tagz]

Yooper, when you get into the 200-300 range for sulfate does the bitterness become sharp/harsh? I light bright hop flavor in a PA but a smooth bitterness.

 

[DSmith]

I've use these 2 water profiles for the majority (last 25+ batches) of brewing and have been happy. There are times where I use 25-50% of the tap water for mashing only (alkalinity) and that alters the #'s a little.

Anything German Lager or Belgian: Ca: 36 ppm, Cl: 64 ppm, (100% RO water, All brewing water treated, 1/2 g/gal CaCl2)

Anything with hop focus (American, English)
Ca: 64 ppm, Cl: 42 ppm, SO4: 98 ppm (100% RO water, All Brewing water treated, 0.33 g/gal CaCl2, 0.67 g/gal CaSO4)

Acidify the mash with acidulated malt for 5.3-5.5 mash pH at room temperature. Mash pH checked with Hanna 98128 pHep5 meter with 4.01 & 7.01 calibration.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper, when you get into the 200-300 range for sulfate does the bitterness become sharp/harsh? I light bright hop flavor in a PA but a smooth bitterness.

No. But I'm careful to use non-harsh bittering hops (like magnum) and not chinook, for example and plenty of late hops for that great hops flavor!