I am wondering how others approach this. I am familiar with the levels I need, just a little help in getting there. I plan on adding CaCO3 to the mash for 200ppm for pH adjustment, but do I also get the malt friendly Cl- up to 100ppm in the mash? Then for the sparge I assume I still need CaCO3 to offset the roasted grains, but does it have to be up around 200ppm? Obviously(?) I will want to get the Cl- up to 100ppm in the sparge. I guess overall I am asking if I should think about mash and sparge water separately, or pick a profile and treat them both the same?
Do not put alkaline salts into the sparge. This includes chalk and baking soda. You can put gypsum, Epsom salts, table salt and CaCl2 into the sparge to keep the flavor ions the same. No alkalinity in the sparge is so you don't extract tannins in the sparge. For water adjustments: Do you know your base water? Are you adjusting the water profile to what target profile, with additions calculated by a program? Which Program? Do you have a pH meter to check the pH?
Thanks for the reply. I would have really messed that up adding chalk to the sparge. My base water is pretty soft, in mg/L: Ca2+ 6.6 Mg2+ 1.9 SO42- 10 both Na+ and Cl- are 15 and Harness 24.3 and Alkalinity is 18. I know either the alkalinity or hardness is my CO3 and they are so close I just use the 24. I kegged my first hoppy beer using Tasty McDole like adjustments and WOW what a difference. I had SO42- in the 250ppm range. Flabby hoppy beers are what make me look into this in the first place. I used gypsum for that, I stayed away from epsom salt because I do not want to poop my pants anymore than I already do. I brewed a triple using some gypsum and CaCl2, still fermenting. This will be my first dark beer with adjustments. I am using the Brewers Friend online calculator and I have pH strips. I have nailed the mash and sparge pH so far, but they were all pale beers. For the mash I am going to target 200ppm CO3 and whatever Ca comes to from that. For the sparge I think I am going to go for Cl- in the 100ppm range and SO4- below 50, calcium around 100 and I am a little scared to add sodium for some unknown reason. So I guess I approach the mash and sparge water treatments separately, right?
Yes, treat the mash and sparge water separately. The hardness number is determined by the Ca and Mg in the water, and yes that is soft. The alkalinity is determined by the CaCO3. Not familiar with that program. You could download Bru'nwater and have a state of the art water program. Many say that the pH strips need to be corrected, but I don't use strips so I can't remember the correction. I am not a big fan of programs that say to use chalk in high quantities. Chalk does not disolve readily, even in beer with its lower pH. You can try that with a glass of beer. Baking soda disolves better. If you don't want Na in the beer, try to find some slaked lime (pickling Lime at the grocery store - hard to find right now as few are canning).
Thanks for the tip regarding chalk vs. baking soda. I will pick up some baking soda. That will probably help get some sodium in there without adding acutal salt. My aversion to this is completely unwarranted, it just seems weird putting salt in there.
