Water Profile ions and anions

[Rommie]

I have a question about my water profiles for the following compounds, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, Sodium.

What compounds are best used in the Mash and which are best in the boil?

I don't have any problems with low pH in my mash, I add lactic acid to my strike water, then add my grain bill and always hit around the 5.4X. For the past year I have done all my water profiles in my boil kettle and add additional lactic acid a flame out to hit pH 5.2. All my beers have been hitting about, pH 4.4 - 4.3 range in my finished beers.

I cold steep all my grains that are 100+ Lovibonds and add them the last 10 minutes of the boil. (I do adjust the water profile). I only add base grains and acid malt for all the mash rests, then add any caramel/crystal type grains at the time of sparging. Any other ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

It is generally well accepted that some nominal concentration of calcium is beneficial to the mash.

It is axiomatic that anions can not be added without also adding cations.

Sodium Bicarbonate primarily has benefit only in the mash. The sole benefit being in raising pH, and that being a benefit only if pH increase is required. But technically it could be used in the boil to introduce sodium ions, if in the boil its pH raising effect is negated by an acid addition.

Sodium is not considered necessary at all, although some feel that it may be a beneficial contributor to flavor in low amounts. Sodium introduced as sodium chloride could be added to the boil.

Calcium Carbonate will not dissolve to a useful degree without taking extraneous measures, and will mainly precipitate out having accomplished close to nothing. It is generally considered useless.

Magnesium is present in abundance in malts, so is not truly needed as a mineral addition.

Final score card:

1) CaSO4 and CaCl2 are beneficial to the mash as sources by which to introduce calcium.
2) Sodium Bicarbonate is beneficial to the mash only if mash pH must be raised.
3) Sodium chloride can be added to either the mash or the boil. Or ignored if sufficient Cl is sourced from CaCl2
4) Magnesium Sulfate is unnecessary.
5) Calcium Carbonate is unnecessary.

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