Thoughts on Blonde Ale Water Profile

[Thesomeguy]

Ok, so I have done a bunch of research and a lot of "google searches" and cant find a tried and true water profile for a blonde. I have received a report from ward labs for my water and discovered that for Mashing I need to Dilute the crap out of it. I will attach images of my water profile from Ward labs as well as screen shots of the Bru'n Water profile I am using.

I have read that you want to keep all ions low. Looking at the built profile for my blonde ale sadly I cant seem to bring my sulfate levels down anywhere near the desired profile levels so I shot to at least equal out my sulfate/Chloride ratio as I am looking for as balanced as I can get but not opposed to a hop forward flavor. I also am trying to get my calcium levels up which is why I added so much calcium Chloride. Now I know looking at the levels everything is green but I am not sure if that is appropriate for this beer so I am looking for input from the experts.

Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment on this, Water seems to have been one of the harder items for me to wrap my head around

 

[Hermit]

You don't want a lot of 'character' from the water for this style. Just do what you need to get the mash pH dialed in and you should be good. Calcium chloride if you prefer malty, gypsum if you prefer hoppy.

 

[ajdelange]

Ok, so I have done a bunch of research and a lot of "google searches" and cant find a tried and true water profile for a blonde.

Five gallons of RO water with half a tdp of CaCl2 should do as a starting point.

I have received a report from ward labs for my water and discovered that for Mashing I need to Dilute the crap out of it.

47 X 3 = 131 mg/L SO4-- isn't a lot of sulfate to some drinkers butg if you want a low mineral beer and the softness and smoothness low sulfate grants really dilution with RO or DI water is about the only option.

I will attach images of my water profile from Ward labs as well as screen shots of the Bru'n Water profile I am using.

Don't worry too much about profiles. As noted above a very simple profile will serve as a starting point. You can always add sulfate in later brews if you find you like it based on tasting a beer brewed without to which you have added small amounts in the glass.

I have read that you want to keep all ions low.

While many drinkers feel that way not all do.

Looking at the built profile for my blonde ale sadly I cant seem to bring my sulfate levels down anywhere near the desired profile levels..

Don't become a slave to profiles except in the broadest sense. Just dilute down with RO until the sulfate is under 20 and then back-supplement the calcium (and you don't need 50 mg/L) with CaCl2.

...so I shot to at least equal out my sulfate/Chloride ratio as I am looking for as balanced as I can get but not opposed to a hop forward flavor.

You have been given the erroneous imnression (as so many have) that you can 'balance' high sulfate by adding chloride. You can't. The effects of sulfate and chloride are not atipodal. See https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=526109.

I also am trying to get my calcium levels up which is why I added so much calcium Chloride.

15 - 20 mg/L is plenty despite the general advice that 50 is required.

 

[mabrungard]

Oh! Yes that water does have a good bit of sulfate. I agree that dilution is desirable if you are aiming for water that lets the beer shine through. At 130 ppm sulfate, I'm concerned that the resulting Blonde will be too drying.

The sodium content isn't excessive, but if you do want to explore more sulfate laden brewing liquor, I'm concerned that the high sulfate and somewhat high sodium may clash from a flavor perspective. It may not be a problem, but you should understand that its possible.

 

[Thesomeguy]

Thank you for the responses.
Dilution was my plan, in the screen shots of the current water profile I am actually diluting with 100% RO for mash, but was not diluting the Sparge water. Should I consider diluting my sparge water as well? Reading what ajdelange has said I am not as worried about equaling out my chloride/sulfate ratios but for some reason (assuming its calculating in the sparge mineral additions) My sulfate will not come below that 80 ppm range.

 

[ajdelange]

Sodium sulfate is pretty neutral in taste.

 

[ajdelange]

Should I consider diluting my sparge water as well?

Yes, absolutely. If you have decided you don't want sulfate you don't want it from your sparge water any more than you want it from the mash water.

My sulfate will not come below that 80 ppm range.

If you dilute 1:1 with RO sulfate is cut in half; 2:1 gives a third of the original concentration etc.

 

[Thesomeguy]

Ok here comes my next question. As I play with Bru'n water I am adjusting my sparge dilution if I am using RO or Distilled water as my dilution I am noticing that the "Final Alkalinity" jumps up instead of down as I would assume it would with my current tap water. I literally set it at 100% for Mash and 100% for sparge and my final alkalinity actually increases to ~35 ppm CaCO3.. where as when I set sparge to 75% dilution with RO it sits at <19 ppm as CaCO3.

Can someone please explain to me where I am getting my thinking backwards, I thought my water was pretty alkaline as it was and to strip it down to RO should bring the Final alkalinity down, or is RO/ distilled more Alkaline.. I have a long way to go to fully understand water chemistry.

 

[mabrungard]

Sounds like you have an alkaline mineral addition to your water. I just checked the program and setting both sparge and mash water to 100% dilution does not cause the final alkalinity to rise. Check your inputs.

 

[ajdelange]

If you dilute with RO or DI water there should be no change in alkalinity picked up by a typical spreadsheet or program. If you have one that considers the alkalinity of the water itself (yes, pure water has a small, alkalinity) and you have acidified that water to less than the alkalinity reference pH then adding DI water will increase the alkalinity. If you add DI or RO water in a normal spreadsheet and alkalinity goes up you are either doing something wrong or there is a problem with the spreadsheet/calculator.