Water Profile toning down hops?

[SONICYOUTH]

I have had an issue getting a nice hoppy flavor out of my beers, no matter when or how much I add. I did some research and found the water profile for my area. All of the main numbers for water profile (Calcium, Sulfate, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Bicarbonate) are way off the mark from the ever popular "Burton-on-Trent" profile. The only thing I've ever added to my tap water for mashing is 5.2 pH stabilizer. Is it worth the effort go go the extra step and try and amend each of the individual components, or will the impact be minimal on the finished product?

 

[daksin]

It may be worth getting your water tested at Ward Labs, but really, you should be adjusting your water with specific minerals to achieve the correct mash pH, color, and flavor profile- leave the 5.2 out. It's always better to start with softer water and build up (build from RO/distilled or dilute your water with those) than to add minerals to city water. Plus, Burton water may not be the best for your application. Check out Martin's Bru'n Water calculator and do some reading in brew science forum. Martin's a great resource for water chemistry, although the How To Brew online book has a good primer.

Bru'n Water

 

[jessup]

Adding gypsum is a start, but I would visit the brew science/water chemistry section for specifics. IIRC sulfates help the hops shine. You'll need to post your water profile to get an idea of how to adjust accordingly.

 

[Haputanlas]

If your water is high in sulfate, that is really only going to affect the bitterness, not flavor or aroma (too much).

I actually use a balance between chloride and sulfate just like Oscar blues does (1 to 1). I find that my IPAs are more flavorful and less of the back-of-the-tongue bitter that i'm not a huge fan of. Don't get me wrong I love my very bitter beers, I just prefer the hoppy character over straight bitter.

Balance is where it's at.

 

[mabrungard]

I find that creating a hoppy beer that 'pops' requires a substantial yet not excessive sulfate content. Using a water profile with equal concentrations of chloride and sulfate doesn't allow a brewer to bump the sulfate without overdosing the chloride. I find that boosting sulfate to the 200 to 350 ppm range is what it takes to make the beer drier and allow the bittering to be crisp and the hops to shine. You can't take chloride to that range and not have an overly minerally flavor.

If a brewer wants a little more help with helping the bitterness come through in a beer like this, then a minor magnesium content is helpful. Bringing that level to 20 to 30 ppm can be a good flavor impact in a bitter and hoppy beer.

Enjoy!

 

[crushingblackdoom]

I find that creating a hoppy beer that 'pops' requires a substantial yet not excessive sulfate content. Using a water profile with equal concentrations of chloride and sulfate doesn't allow a brewer to bump the sulfate without overdosing the chloride. I find that boosting sulfate to the 200 to 350 ppm range is what it takes to make the beer drier and allow the bittering to be crisp and the hops to shine. You can't take chloride to that range and not have an overly minerally flavor.

If a little more help with helping the bitterness come through in a beer like this, then a minor magnesium content is helpful. Bringing that level to 20 to 30 ppm can be a good flavor impact in a bitter and hoppy beer.

Enjoy!

Thanx dude. That's concise & practical information. I add 1.5-2 tsp. burton salts to Portland Oregon water, its very soft, and I'm pleased w/ the results. Still working out the bugs, tho. I'm fairly new to AG brewing, but I love me some hoppy IPAs!
What/how much would you add to this profile?

Portland Water
Calcium 1.8
Magnesium .75
Sodium 1.6
Chloride 10
Sulfates .5
Carbonates 7.5
Hardness 8.6
Ph 7.2-8.2

Thanx a ton, mang