Ok I think I am going to basically go with the Jever boiled profile which works out to:
Ca - 48
Mg - 7
Na - 14
SO4 - 76
Cl - 30
mash pH 5.25
I am confused about bicarb. Here it is -106 from the amount of lactic acid I have to use to get the pH down. Should I be concerned?
I’m not an expert on it but my bicarb number in my source water is 138ppm. The pH of my water is typically around 7.5. I have to add anywhere from 3 to 4ml of lactic acid to my strike water (5 gallons) and that typically depends on the grist and how much CaCl or CaSO4 I have added to the water. I notice that BNW shows a bicarb level in the negatives (as you show) when you add enough acid to get to your desired pH. It’s nothing to worry about. You want to neutralize the bicarb with acid so you can achieve your pH and once you’ve done that, the bicarb (AFAIK) is completely out of the picture. I have asked before if the presence of bicarb has any flavor impact on the beer, head stability issues, etc., but it does not appear to be an issue. It will act as a buffer which makes it difficult to lower the pH. Once you neutralize the bicarb, you still need to get to your desired pH which may then show the bicarb diving into negative territory. If Martin sticks his head in here, I would bet he’d have a much better explanation than I would. Bottom line… neutralize with acid, get to your pH and put bicarb out of your mind. Cheers.
If you want a crisp beer, no bicarbonate. I taste so many Pilsners in competitions that are Muddy. To be honest, I get many muddy Pilsners from commercial breweries here in MI.
The mashing water for a pale beer like Pils is probably going to need an acid dose…even when you start with distilled or RO water. That’s what it takes to get the mashing pH down into a desirable range with such a pale grist.
As pointed out above, sulfate is your key to drying out the finish of your beer. It DOES NOT diminish the flavor or character of noble hops. Use sulfate sparingly to create the finish that you want in your beer. If your beer ends a little too wet or sweet, try a little bit of gypsum in a glass of beer to see if the finish is improved for you. Don’t overdo it since you are dealing with only a glass of beer! Remember, a couple of grams in a 5 gal batch means that it will only take a super teeny bit to equal in the glass.
Sulfate, like acid…is your friend.