Can I get input on what you consider to be the deal water profile for wheat beer
1)Ca
2)Mg
3)Na
4)SO4
5)Cl
6)HCO3
7)Alkalinity
start with RO water, equal parts cacl and caso4 to get to 30ppm calcium, using an acid to get into the proper ph range
Id say the above water profile is good for an american or german hefe IMO
I was hoping someone would give me what they consider to be the ideal breakdown, for example:
1)Ca 74
2)Mg 11
3)Na 16
4)SO4 157
5)Cl 21
6)HCO3 170
7)Alkalinity 140
with RO water, HCO3 and alkalinty are not applicable, well they are, they just arent there. Mg and Na are not applicable in my case either, as the CaCl and CASo4 added dont contribute any, so it simplifies things, essentially with RO you can concern yourself with CaCl and CASO4 additions and then using an acidifying or alkalinizing agent to get in the proper ph range.
Are you familiar with Bru’n water for mineral additions?
Yes I am familiar with Bru’n water. They recommend the below
1)Ca 90
2)Mg 11
3)Na 16
4)SO4 82
5)Cl 53
6)HCO3 170
7)Alkalinity 141
If you are starting with RO water, ignore Mg, Na, HCO3 and Alkalinity. Just get your so4 and CL in the right range using calcium chloride and calcium sulfate, and use an acid or base like lactic acid and baking soda to get your mash ph in the right range
This would be the result, seems low on SO4
1)Ca 31
2)Mg 0
3)Na 0
4)SO4 35
5)Cl 30
6)HCO3 0
7)Alkalinity 0
you dont need alot of minerality for a wheat beer, especially So4 which has a drying effect on the palette. If anyting you could add more chlorides.
I don’t think anyone could name an ideal water profile. It really depends on what you want the beer to be like. Do you want it ‘fuller, rounder, smoother’? Then the water profile should favor chloride. Would you rather have the beer be ‘drier, crisper, sharper’? Then the water profile should favor sulfate. Get the calcium to 30-40 (I usually go to 50ppm) and get there using enough CaCl and CaSO4 to reach that number and use more of one of those based on what you want the beer character to be like. My source water has more CaSO4 than CaCl and I prefer my beers smoother, rounder, fuller so I often add CaCl and ZERO CaSO4. For bitters, pale ales and such I will add a bit of CaSO4 but that’s just me.
exactly
also, which wheat beer? wits, american wheats (basically free palate), hefeweizens?
I am brewing two Wheat Beers 1) Hoegaarden clone 2) Allagash White clone
Those are both Belgian styles. When I brew them I don’t spend too much time worrying about the water since it is mostly a yeast- and spice-driven beer. As mentioned above, hit your pH properly and have enough calcium for yeast health and you should be fine.
Hi Jeffy. Care to share your recipe for either or both?
^this right here
Yeah, in this case maybe get the chloride and sulfate around even and wash your hands.
This is off-topic but I find that when I make something darker like a dunkel, a bock, maybe a vienna depending on the recipe, a bit more sulfate is helpful. If the beer is dark and hopped lower, you need the water to add some crispness and dryness to make it so the beer is not muddy. The wheat beers mentioned here will not be overly hoppy (based on the style, that is) so a touch of sulfate could help balance the beer a bit.
Hi Jeff
I mean the grain/hop/etc recipe
It seems I haven’t made a witbier in four years, but it used to be one of my more frequent brews. (I have this thing where I put poblano peppers in it.)
Shoot for an OG of 1.052
45% Pilsner malt
45% flaked wheat
10% oats (from the grocery store)
15 IBUs of cascades (I know it’s not traditional, but I like the citrusy flavor) one addition @ 30 minutes
At 10 minutes, add the zest of two citrus fruits (I like sour tangerines, but that’s because I used to grow them), 1 ounce of chamomile and 1.5 ounces of crushed Indian coriander.
Ferment with 3944 witbier yeast at about 65F.
This makes a good base beer for special additions. I mentioned peppers, but you can also add grape must for an interesting beer.
How and when did you introduce the peppers when you made it?
True story: typically Pablano peppers aren’t hot but I got some around the end of the summer and I cut them in half and was going to throw them on the grill. After I cut them I must have touched my upper lip and it was ON FIRE. I couldn’t believe it. I grilled them and had some with dinner and they were indeed hot. I talked with a ‘pepper guy’ I know and he said that any pepper can occasionally go rogue and be hot.
Peppers are roasted and peeled, then go into the fermenter. You can read more about it in Homebrew Heroes, a very nice book by Denny and Drew.