Water adjustment for Munich Dunkel

[Invertalon]

Hey everyone,

I just start working with my water (Cleveland, Ohio) to bring out the best of my beers. I will be doing a Dunkel Lager and I want the malt to really shine with that one.

Brewing Water:
Ca: 37
Mg: 10
Na: 15
HCO3: 128
SO4: 30
Cl: 20
pH: 7.5
CaCO3: 86

Per my adjustment so far using Bru'n Water (Brown Malty), my add-in's are just a little Calcium Chloride (0.4g mash, 0.5g sparge) and Phosphoric acid in mash and sparge. This will be for a 5.5 gallon batch. This will get me a target of approximately:

Ca: 44
Mg: 10
Na: 15
SO4: 30
Cl: 33
Bicarb: 74

Estimated mash parameters
Mash pH at 5.4
Hardness: 152
Akalinity - 61
RA - 24
SO4:CL ratio - 0.92

Grain Bill
10.5lb Munich Malt
0.5lb Cara-Pils
0.35lb Carafa II

Yeast will be Wyeast 2206

Any thoughts/comments? It's pretty hard to find good Dunkel profile to use for brewing (just water profiles from Munich)... But any suggestions are welcome.

 

[mabrungard]

Munich water is fairly similar to Great Lakes water. Relatively low ionic content with some alkalinity that needs to be neutralized. You could easily use straight tap water with acidification with lactic acid and no other mineral additions and the water would compliment. Your calcium chloride addition is fine too. Do switch to lactic acid since it will add that German nuance that helps beer flavor. You don't need to worry about hitting the flavor threshold with lactic acid since your water has modest alkalinity and not much acid is needed.

PS: I'd be careful with that carafa addition. I've found that only about 1% carafa is sufficient to add color without roastiness. That recipe is likely to have a roasty note. I've been there. Don't worry too much about color, worry more about flavor (lack of roastiness).

 

[Invertalon]

Appreciate that advice!

One flavor I really enjoy (in the Hofbrau Dunkel) is the almost caramel like sweetness... I thought about using a little 40L or 60L in there for flavor (like 0.5lb) or is that flavor strictly from the Munich, perhaps? If so, I will leave it be without and remove the carafa and just do all Munich with a little cara-pils for head retention/body.

Is there a downfall to using Phosphoric acid? I already have some and was just going to use that... I can easily get the lactic acid, but I would like to maybe use the phosphoric first if it won't be any issue. I know you mention the acid giving a flavor, but would it be that significant?

Thanks again!

 

[mabrungard]

The flavor imparted by the lactic acid could only be called a nuance. It would be below the normal taste threshold. The only other effect might be due to lactate ion being a consumable nutrient for the yeast.