Have I messed up 1st AG?

[ianmagson]

Sorry folks, this is gonna get a bit heavy!
I made a Leffe Blond clone as my 1st all grain brew, but I think I placed too much importance on water profile.
Think I messed it up!
I tried all sorts of calculators and web tools to come to an average salt addition. Using Palmers How to Brew as a guide I aimed to go from
32 ppm to 100ppm for Calcium,
7 ppm to 20 ppm for Magnesium,
24 ppm to 100 ppm for Bicarbonate(HCO3),
30 ppm to 130 ppm for Sulfate,
19 ppm to 100 ppm for Sodium and
9 ppm to 100 ppm for Chloride.

So added to the dry grains-
4.2g DLS
1.3g Soda crystals(sodium carbonate)
1.0g Epsom Salts
0.3g Table salt

and to the sparge water-
8.3g DLS
2.6g Soda crystals(sodium carbonate)
1.6g Epsom Salts
0.7g Table salt

Now I kegged 19ltrs and bottled some on 15th Dec.
It doesnt taste THAT bad but does have a definate slippery texture to it!
Is it too early to tell or is this beer gonna have to go down the drain?
I can deliver a bottle locally if anyone dare test it for me for some constructive criticism!
Any comments?

Oh yeah my recipe was -

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 25.00 L
Boil Size: 32.73 L
Estimated OG: 1.069 SG
Estimated Color: 7.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 kg Lager Malt (2.0 SRM) Grain 78.78 %
1.00 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 13.13 %
0.20 kg Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 2.63 %
0.12 kg Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 1.53 %
43.12 gm Aurora (super styrian) [5.80 %] (60 min) Hops 19.6 IBU
22.72 gm Perle [6.90 %] (15 min) Hops 6.1 IBU
0.33 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.30 kg Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 3.94 %
25.00 L Local Water Water
1 Pkgs Belgian Ale (Wyeast Labs #1214) [1 gal Starter made, 2 stage]

Mashed for 45 mins
.......
Phew glad I've got that all off my chest now!

[ianmagson]

Thanks for the reply,
I will mash for 60m next time.
Yes I did use my local water report as a base, but think I have overcomplicated it like you suggest.
Could that amount of soda crystals increase the alkalinity enough to detect it?

[Aleman]

Hi Ian,

Sorry your PM got lost in the last few days.

I'm brave enough to try a bottle, as I don't think that you have messed the salt additions up too much . . ..You may well have overdone it. The problem is that too many authors place too much importance on water treatment, and give too many options for treating it.

The simplest treatment that is effective is to reduce the alkalinity to below 50 (for pale beers) and add calcium to increase that to above 50. The water here in Blackpool, is ok for brewing beers more or less as is . . . although adding calcium is certainly going to be beneficial, a tsp of DLS in the mash is more or less all that is required

DLS contains calcium sulphate (gypsum), calcium chloride, and magnesium sulphate, so pretty much all you need for basic treatment of Blackpool Water.

The Soda Crystals you added will have raised the alkalinity which is not going to help, and the table salt will also have raised the sodium levels.

Anyway PM me if you want to meet up and swap some beer

[ianmagson]

Thanks Aleman, will do that tomorrow.
Off for some celebrations now.
Cheers