NEIPA Water

[Mrobson]

I started testing my water for Calcium and Alkalinity after reading the write up on this forum.

I’ve got a NEIPA planned as a future brew but I’m struggling with the Sulphate:Chloride ratio.

It seems this has a major affect on the finished beer. I’ve read the more advanced post on water treatment but I still can’t get my head around what adjustments, if any I need to make to my water.

I normally use the calculator off this site for my adjustments and it has worked every time for me.

According to Yorkshire Water my ‘mean’ levels are,

Mg - 8.41
Na - 18.32
SO4 - 120.5
Cl - 31.55

If my maths are right that gives a rounded average of 3.25:1 (SO4:Cl)

My Calcium ranges from 80-115 and Alkalinity from 73-131.

Can some one please point me in the right direction regarding additions to achieve a cracking NEIPA?

Thanks in advance!

 

[stz]

Add 0.37g per litre of total brewing liquor calcium chloride and no calcium sulphate direct to the mash. Treat all liquor with 80% lactic at a rate of 0.185ml per litre or 0.33ml of AMS/CRS.

 

[Mrobson]

Would I be right in saying that the ratio would now be 1:2 (ish) with the calcium being 100ppm (ish) plus whatever ppm on the day of the brew?

Just trying to figure it all out.

Thanks

 

[stz]

Oh man. I'm going to have to get a book out. Calcium chloride in good (dry) condition 1g/L gives 482.3ppm chloride and 272.6ppm calcium. If your water is already 31.55ppm and 80ppm then 0.37g/L gives an increase of 178.451ppm chloride and 100.862ppm calcium. This gives you roughly 2:1 chloride to sulphate (200ish:100ish) and a healthy (100-200ppm) amount of calcium. Treat all brewing liquor. There is a degree of concentration due to evaporation in the boil, but if your system is normal it isn't worth worrying about. 10-20% is neither here nor there. The acid addition is real thumb in air stuff. If you test you can work out the point where your rA is exhausted to give 0-10ppm rA, but from experience it'll be enough to get it below 30ppm and it won't do a lot of harm if it is a little too much.

 

[Mrobson]

I appreciate the reply mate. It’s slowly starting to sink in, slowly! aunsure....

Thanks!