Gypsum Taste.

[Pjam]

My light beers really improve when I add Gypsum. Apart from the fact I can taste it! I get more malt flavour, more hop flavour and this terrible dryness / gypsum taste. Guess the answer is don't use Gypsum ....unless you know different?

 

[nixhaz]

How much do you use?

 

[Pjam]

I did try a teaspoon (about 4 grams) initially but even lowering to about 1/2 a spoon, about 2 grams, i can still taste it!
Thats in the mash on a 23L brew

 

[MyQul]

I did try a teaspoon (about 4 grams) initially but even lowering to about 1/2 a spoon, about 2 grams, i can still taste it!
Thats in the mash on a 23L brew

Get some measuring spoons of one of those drug dealer scales from ebay and keep lowering it until you cant taste it. Perhaps your just sensitive to it?

 

[Pjam]

Yeah could be. I'll give it a go....... any chance it might drop out?

 

[strange-steve]

Try swapping half of it for calcium chloride in your next beer to see if you like the result.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Yeah could be. I'll give it a go....... any chance it might drop out?

What's the starting profile of your water? Are you sure you need to add further gypsum?

 

[Session]

I would agree - I’m not sure why you are adding extra gypsum without knowing what your current water profile is and whether extra gypsum needs to be added... I would recommend using software like BrewFather, Bru’n’water etc to help calculate what you need to add depending on the style of beer you are making and deficiencies in your current water composition.

 

[Pjam]

No profile, just a shot in the dark TBH. My dark beers are good, typical for London water and the initial taste with the Gypsum is excellent ....... then theres the Gypsum aftertaste.

 

[Pjam]

Point taken though. Something is needed and the software would help.

 

[nixhaz]

This is great too! Simple Water Calculator

 

[peebee]

I spent a bit of time messing with gypsum quantities. I'd say you are right; unlike many water additions lots of gypsum (300ppm+ sulphate) really does effect the flavour. Changing malt flavours to something I could recognise as Marsden's Pedigree in my Pedigree clone attempts. But after a short while (3-4 weeks I found) it would start displaying it's "documented" qualities like "dryness" - I described it as like sticking your tongue on a well used blackboard. Quite inappropriate for a relatively low ABV beer (<4.5%), perhaps needs stronger beers (I'll use 300ppm+ in my "Burton Ales" but do not recognise anything obvious from the gypsum).

The sulphurous notes ("snatch") passed me by, but I understand there are a combination of circumstances to bring this out (can't say I've ever noticed it in "real" Pedigree either).

 

[johncrobinson]

I suppose you will get "Plastered more easily"

 

[QED]

I'm just about to order a Murphy's Expert Lab Water Analysis report through BrewUK. Anyone had one of these done before?

 

[Session]

I'm just about to order a Murphy's Expert Lab Water Analysis report through BrewUK. Anyone had one of these done before?

I haven’t - but have had great success calling up the water company who were able to give me all the mean values for my water. If you have a brewery local to you, you might want to give them a shout, I did this in NZ and they were really helpful, giving me all the water values I needed

 

[An Ankoù]

then theres the Gypsum aftertaste.

I thought London water was quite soft, so gypsum additions would be a good idea for bitters and light ales. What is this "gypsum aftertaste" you speak of and "dryness"? Can you describe them a bit more fully?

 

[Pjam]

Oh its a nasty taste. Actually its OK when it first goes down then the aftertaste is metallic dryness that doesnt go away for hours!

 

[An Ankoù]

Oh its a nasty taste. Actually its OK when it first goes down then the aftertaste is metallic dryness that doesnt go away for hours!

That's not gypsum.

 

[Pjam]

Oh right! What would over Gypsum taste like?

 

[strange-steve]

Oh right! What would over Gypsum taste like?

Stir half a teaspoon into a glass of water and taste it. It won't fully dissolve at that concentration but it'll give you an idea of the flavour.