Water Question

[golfgod04]

So I am a partial mash brewer. My house water is awful so I have switched to 100% distilled water and my brews have tasted better except for my IPAs. I usually add 1 teaspoon of gypsum when I add the steeping grains. I was wondering if someone can help me figure out if I need more additives or if it is just my hops and hop schedule that I need to change. Thanks in advance.

 

[kev211]

What hasnt tasted better about your IPA's? I would suggest trying the Bru'n water spreadsheet. Very helpful and pretty easy to use (especially if using distilled or RO).

Other minerals to add would be Calcium Chloride or Epsom salt (higher sulfates counts in can help accentuate hop flavors, especially in IPA's)

 

[golfgod04]

I can't get my IPAs hoppy enough and figured my water was the issue. the bru'n water thing doesnt have area for partial mash. Ive tried setting it up and it isn't worked. Epsom salt is something I have not tried.

 

[Yooper]

I can't get my IPAs hoppy enough and figured my water was the issue. the bru'n water thing doesnt have area for partial mash. Ive tried setting it up and it isn't worked. Epsom salt is something I have not tried.

One thing to keep in mind is that partial mash brewers may do a partial boil also. If that is the case for you, the issue with "not hoppy enough" may have more to do with the partial boil than any water additives (or lack of).

The reason is that when you boil, say, 2.5 gallons of wort, and then add 2.5 gallons of water, you are diluting your hops and IBUs by 50%. That's ok for many recipe styles, but for an IPA, even if you got a max of 100 IBUs in your 2.5 gallons (unlikely, as the maximum solubility is more like 80 IBUs), then you'd have, at most, 50 IBUs in your final beer. The answer is to use more hops, yes, but also to boil as much volume as you can. That is the biggest help in IPA making.

If you're already boiling 6 or more gallons down to a 5 gallon batch, then we definitely have to look elsewhere for the problem.

 

[golfgod04]

I end up boiling around 5 gallons and barely have to add anything to the fermenter to get up to the desired water amount for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[andrewmaixner]

My IPA profile, for starting with 14.5gal in a full-volume BIAB, resulting in 11gal into the fermentors:

14.5gal RO water
10g Epsom Salt (MgSO4)
6g Calcium Chloride
12g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate)

This gives:
Ca+2 80.7 mg/l
Mg+2 18 mg/l
Cl- 52.7 mg/l
SO4-2 193 mg/l
Alkalinity ppm as CaCO3 2.6
Residual Alkalinity ppm as CaCO3 -65.5


Then I will add another 4g to 8g of gypsum later if the bitterness seems insufficient, which bumps up Ca+ to 114.6 and Sulfate to 274.3.

If you are partial-mashing you can use the appropriate ratio, and then add the rest as you heat to boil.

(This profile was made using EZWater spreadsheet)

 

[Yooper]

I end up boiling around 5 gallons and barely have to add anything to the fermenter to get up to the desired water amount for a 5 gallon batch.

Hmmm, do you get a rolling, fairly vigorous boil? I boil off 1.5 gallons per hour at my house normally, unless it's very humid out but I always boil off at least a gallon per hour.

You do need a rolling boil for proper hops isomerization.

 

[golfgod04]

Hmmm, do you get a rolling, fairly vigorous boil? I boil off 1.5 gallons per hour at my house normally, unless it's very humid out but I always boil off at least a gallon per hour.

You do need a rolling boil for proper hops isomerization.

I get a good boil going, may be it hasnt been vigorous enough? all my other beers come out well (Ive won awards) but the IPAs dont. My pale ales come out fine.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Can you point to what the specific issue is with your IPAs? Can you give us an example recipe and process you use?

Water is certainly a possibility, but not the only one, and depending on what the issue is, it could be many things.

 

[golfgod04]

My IPAs don't come out hoppy enough. I figured the issue was my water and thats why I switched to distilled, that has made my good beers even better except for ipas. ive only added 1 teaspoon of gypsum in partial mash. I always do 60 minute addition of bittering hop, 10 minute addition, and then a 20 minute hop steep once I cool the wort to 175. My next recipe is as follows:
Partial Mash IPA 5 Gallon Recipe

Partial Mash Grain:
4lbs Golden Promise
0.5lbs Crystal 10L
0.5lbs Flaked Wheat
0.5lbs Vienna
1 tsp Gypsum

6.6 Pale Liquid Malt Extract

Hops:
60 minutes 1 ounce Warrior
10 minutes 1 ounce Amarillo
10 minutes 1 ounce Cascade
10 minutes 1 ounce Centennial

Cool wort to 175
2 ounces Amarillo
2 ounces Cascade
2 ounces Centennial

Dry Hop for 5 days
2 ounces Amarillo
2 ounces Cascade