Using Salt Sodium Chloride in beer for bitterness

[Pennine]

Hi Caramel and Martin my water report says 18.3 mg Na/l which is very low compared to the max allowed which is 200

I just read up to 250 should be ok and not taste salty, that is a bit surprising to me as I thought my water at 25 was high.
Although it seems that 100ppm changes the beer.

Well now another salt to tinker with. I wonder if adding to the mash would give a different end result than sprinkling some in to the glass.

 

[The Baron]

So 2g would be a reasonable addition for a 23l batch, or find a way to measure 1/40 of that and add to a pint.

Is the sodium making a difference though or is it the chloride changing the ratio?

I do not know ?

 

[The Baron]

I just read up to 250 should be ok and not taste salty, that is a bit surprising to me as I thought my water at 25 was high.
Although it seems that 100ppm changes the beer.

Well now another salt to tinker with. I wonder if adding to the mash would give a different end result than sprinkling some in to the glass.

From the little I have read it is possible to affect the yeast cell walls through osmosis but not massively but to be safe I think I will add at kegging

 

[Sadfield]

Hi Sadfield usually 30-35c as I generally use Kveik for my IPA's

I wonder if it's yeast selection. Perhaps kveik's traditional use in high abv beers lends them to not making beer with a high sensory perception of sweetness. Leaving bitterness more obvious. IIRC they lower ph more than brewers yeast, which adds a perception of thinness.

 

[RichardM]

ChatGPT says

Salt to Reduce Bitterness​

Can I use salt to reduce the perceived bitterness of beer

Yes, you can use salt to reduce the perceived bitterness of beer. Salt is known to enhance the perceived sweetness of food and beverages, which can help balance the bitter flavor of beer. However, it's important to use salt in moderation, as adding too much salt can make the beer taste overly salty or unbalanced.
To use salt to reduce the bitterness of beer, you can add a small pinch of salt to your glass of beer and stir it gently. Alternatively, you can add a small amount of salt to the beer before pouring it into your glass. Experiment with different amounts of salt to find the right balance that suits your taste preferences.
It's worth noting that some beer styles are meant to be bitter, and altering their flavor profile may not be desirable. In addition, if you have high blood pressure or other health conditions that require you to limit your sodium intake, it's important to be mindful of how much salt you are adding to your beer.

 

[Martin Kernick]

From the little I have read it is possible to affect the yeast cell walls through osmosis but not massively but to be safe I think I will add at kegging

At the levels you're talking about the effect on osmotic pressure would be completely negligible.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Bit late to the party on this one but quite interesting to me right now. But on the issue of hop burn, which is what I think the original question is about, then I find with very highly hopped beers then you need to condition them a bit longer and then hop burn does subside. If you’re process is good from an oxygen exposure poo t of view then that additional conditioning doesn’t mean a reduction in hop flavour or aroma too.

Also since my last few hoppy brews have been a revisit of the classic west coast IPA style where there is more bitterness from hot side hop additions, I find the higher base bitterness of the beer masks hop burn anyway so I suspect it’s more of an issue in NEIPA styles where you are trying to avoid any form of bitterness.

 

[The Baron]

At the levels you're talking about the effect on osmotic pressure would be completely negligible.

Yes thats what I read too

 

[dtashmore]

View attachment 84613
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...UQFnoECA8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2aEx1-WaIsh3r2YUlbTXVS

this is very useful information, thanks

 

[The Baron]

View attachment 84613
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...UQFnoECA8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2aEx1-WaIsh3r2YUlbTXVS

Loads of good info on there Sadfield