Gypsum

[Richee]

Who out there uses gypsum?? Where do you source it from, and how do you use it??

Richee

[denimglen]

I do.

In every mash (so far, probably wouldn't use it in Pils and other soft water beers), 1.25 tsp for a 20ish L batch, brings my water to roughly 70ppm Ca and 153ppm SO4.

I just buy it from Brewer's Coop.

[Stu McKinlay]

I've always purchased it from the homebrew store (in person or online). Used to be in a plastic container (called "burton salts", I think) but the last time I was in a homebrew store - the one opposite Galbraith's - I saw a Brewcraft bag labelled "calcium sulphate".

I'm not sure I'd trust the garden stuff. I'm not sure what other minerals are in it.

I add varying amounts, depending on what I'm brewing. Usually 2-4 teaspoons for 50L of brewing liquor. Wellington is very low in everything (I'd suspect most of NZ is) - we are in between Pilsen and Koln, according to this analysis: http://www.unm.edu/~draper/beer/waterpro.html. Dusseldorf is probably the closest. Perfect for Altbier maybe? Ed certainly made a good one.

Here's some Wellington analysis: http://www.gw.govt.nz/section59.cfm
You probably have a local version too.

Sometimes I just add some tartaric acid (to acidify without the sulphate).

Never really use anything in beers that are darker than amber. So, I suppose, my porters are a bit German-style.

I like Jamil Z's mantra - don't add anything to your beer unless you know what it is there for. Do you think you need it? Why?

[Greig McGill]

This has been a bugbear of mine for ages. The obsessive in me really wants to know what's in my water, but our local council is far less awesome than yours, and their 5 year old water analysis is seriously lacking, and tastes different all over town anyway, so I doubt it's very accurate.

Has anyone paid to have a water analysis done? Who did you use, and how much did it cost?

I agree with Jamil Z, but I'd like to know what my base readings are if at some stage I decide I'd like to play with treating my brewing liquor.

[Horace]

From memory approx $150 - might be less if you only want the usual brewing ones

http://www.hill-labs.co.nz/

[Edward Siddle]

Stu
do you use the tartaric in pale beers where you don't want the sulphate thing (eg. a pils, not that i've ever known you to make one of these!)? and how much?

I'm in agreement about adding stuff here in wellie - beyond amber i don't bother, but when i start to approach black i begin to add calcium carbonate and small amounts of sodium bicarbonate (i've got the calculations at home somewhere). i found that i was getting weird impacts on head retention and stuff in my stouts if i didn't add it - i am assuming that there were pH issues - i never actually did a pH test! but adding salts certainly fixed it.

acid malt is another option for lowering pH in very pale beers. Dennis at Dunedin Malthouse sometimes has it. i've used with good success - and without any need to worry about moral qualms like with the yeast (which i have not used).

[Stu McKinlay]

I've just played with it based on recommendation from Steve Nally. He reckoned I should give it a try rather than adding gypsum. Keep the water soft but correct the pH. I'm not sold on either yet but I think I'd lean a little towards the tartatric for a "quaffer" and gypsum for "style". Pretty much all of Steve's tips have been winners so far.

Yeh, you're right about Pilsners - I purchased a bit of lager yeast over the last couple of years but never get around to brewing them. I've got a decent base of ale growing now (5 kegs by the end of the weekend), so I might get a 34/70 Imperial Porter in before the end of the winter. If it's any good, it'll be in good shape perfect shape for SOBA's NHC 2009 (or, more likely, finished before then!). Before then I'd like to brew a 60/- for my dad's 70th at the end of June.

[Edward Siddle]

it's funny you mention a beer being ready for the 2009....i brewed a strong pale bitter/historical IPA back in early march thinking it would be ready for december (tastes pretty dreadful right now) but now that the comp is in august....no way. it may or may not improve to drinkability, i'm not sure, but the recipe i based it on did say to mature for at least 8 months, and probably a year, so i'm hopeful it'll clean up and be pretty tasty. mainly it needs to dry out. with any luck it'll end up a little bit like the Cropton Old Goat that rumbles have/had recently, though around 7% not 8.

i have a pils lined up in 3 beers time. gotta do a weizen, an oatmeal stout and one more altbier first. then i have to decide whether to go north german with some flaked barley and hallertaus or czech with loads of saaz and maybe some carahell for underlying body. a 3 week old koelsch i opened last night was very green but shows great promise. give it a month in cold conditioning and it should be a stunna! anyway, all that is a bit off topic.

[Richee]

Thanks for the info, yes I was a bit worried about using gypsum from the garden store. Have ordered some from the homebrew shop.

I plan on brewing some bitters/pale ales and understand that Burton-on-trent water is ideal for this! Napier water Ca++ is 22 ppm and SO4-- is 9 ppm, and would be aiming for Ca++ 294 ppm and SO4-- of 801 ppm. Not really worried about the sulphate conc just really getting the Ca up there. Seems that having a low bicarbonate level is also beneficial, think I will boil the mash water before use.

I'm using a programme called Brewater 3.0 to nut it out.

Rich

[Horace]

High sulphate will increase your perception of bitterness in the final product. Some say it gives a harsh bitterness.

Calcium chloride is another option for increasing the permanent hardness/ Ca in the brew with out that harshness.

[denimglen]

Just remember that CaSO4 and CaCl will adjust the pH of your water.

But your water program probably tells you that?

[Richee]

The programme does not tell you the affect on pH. I've got a pH meter I will use to keep an eye on that.

[Tony]

I used to live on Waiheke Island (part of Auckland City), I enquired about having my tank water tested once. I was informed that they perform a test per whatever it is you want to test for. So it ended up being cost prohibitive. I am not sure if there is a generic test for ph, etc. Although you can do that yourself. I was more worried about lead, coli, and fertilisers, chemicals etc.

I read that you use gypsum to 'soften' a beer(water), for the likes of wheat beers, belgian styles and Abbey styles?