Gypsum additions

[crowds]

For my first AG Im going to use Asda Smart Price for my liquor (plan on using tap water but need to get a report first)
I have read that a teaspoon of Gypsum in both the mash and boil can help with this water.
But I just want to check with regards to the mash, If I should split this teaspoon between the initial mash and the sparge (Batch in my case) or just add it all to the first mash ?

Cheers
Jim

[jubby]

For my first AG Im going to use Asda Smart Price for my liquor (plan on using tap water but need to get a report first)

That's a good idea.

This is the Asda water composition (C/O chrisx1)

Sodium 7
Potassium 0.7
Magnesium 1.9
Calcium 32.5
HCO3 44
Chloride 9
Sulphate 44.5

So if you are brewing a bitter/pale ale etc, you need around 200ppm (or mg per litre) of calcium. The water has 32.5 mg/l in it already, so you need to add about 170mg/l. You can add it in the form of Gypsum as you suggest, or Calcium Chloride. Gypsum (Sulphate) increases hop flavors and Calcium Chloride increases malty flavors. The ratio of Sulphate to Chloride which is just over 3:1 in the Asda water is a little high in my opinion, so i may be tempted to add some Calcium Chloride as well as Gypsum to reduce the ratio a bit. Total quantities of Sulphate and Chloride is not an issue it's the ratio that's important.

Anyway, getting back to your original question. work out how much brewing liquor you will be using in the mash and treat (just add the powders to the grain) to bring the calcium levels up to about 200. Do the same with the sparge liquor, or add your Gypsum/Calcium Chloride to the boil. I would add slightly more Calcium Chloride than Gypsum to help balance the liquor for a standard bitter but if you want drier hoppier beers, go with just Gypsum.

Having said all that, I have never used Asda water so all of the above is based on theory. You may want to have my opinion verified before you go ahead (i would if i were in your position) but one thing you definitely need to do is raise calcium. If you wanted to keep it simple, I would go with a teaspoon in the mash and a teaspoon in the boil.

[crowds]

Thanks jubby,
I went for the simple option for now. I will improve my technique as my confidence and knowledge grows.
Thats interesting about the gypsum bringing out the hop flavours.
Hanging my nose over the airlock gives me a huge hoppy hit !

I going to have to sort out a profile of my tap water for the next brew I think... the Kitchen was covered in asda smart price bottles

Thanks Again

Jim

[rick_huggins]

Although I CRS my liquor; I add half a camden tablet, 1 Tsp of Gypsum, 1 Tsp of Epsom salts to it and get a mash PH5.2

I then add another Tsp of Gypsum to the boil and am happy with my results.

Hardly a scientific approach but it works for me

[escapizm]

HI

Top post on the Asda water, it’s all i use. I can’t see me using tap as the water treatment thing scares me...

In layman terms for pale ale using Asda water for a 23 litre brew length and 36 litres of water to begin with for losses etc how many "teaspoons" of calcium chloride and/or gypsum would you advocate?

I’m doing another tomorrow a st peters clone so another pale ale, last week wad first time id used gypsum and I added tsp to the grain before I batch sparged then another tsp to the sparge liquor (1/2 in each with a 2 sparge technique).

Thanks

[jubby]

HI

Top post on the Asda water, it’s all i use. I can’t see me using tap as the water treatment thing scares me...

In layman terms for pale ale using Asda water for a 23 litre brew length and 36 litres of water to begin with for losses etc how many "teaspoons" of calcium chloride and/or gypsum would you advocate?

I’m doing another tomorrow a st peters clone so another pale ale, last week wad first time id used gypsum and I added tsp to the grain before I batch sparged then another tsp to the sparge liquor (1/2 in each with a 2 sparge technique).

Thanks

You could put the Asda water composition into GW's calculator (click on hints & tips - calculators - Grahams water calculator) and select the brewing liquor of your choice. Remember to check the HC03 box for alkalinity. (44Hc03 = 54CaC03)

I can tell you what I would use in mg. Teaspoon measurement is a bit hit & miss.

Based on GW's calculator: For 36 litres, 10g Gypsum, 8g Calcium Chloride. You can increase the gypsum for a drier profile (about 14g) or decrease for sweeter (about 8g)
The alkalinity is a tiny bit on the high side, but i would say it's fine. If you add CRS, it buggers up the Sulphate/Chloride ratio slightly, although the calculator will deal with that if you wanted to add it.

Good luck with your brew tomorrow.

[escapizm]

HI thanks for reply, would I add those to the grain of the sparge water?

[jubby]

You can whizz it up with a little water using a hand blender and add it to your water or measure out the required quantities and add them dry to the grist before adding water and add the rest to the boil.

[escapizm]

Chris-x1, id heard and use the "1 in the grain, 1 in the boil" technique for gypsum, do i not need to bother with the calcium choride?

[jubby]

Chris x1 wrote:

But, you don't need 200 ppms of calcium,

Fair point Chris, should have avoided the use of need, but I did use the word around also, to cover any variations. I agree that there should not be figures set in stone as far as water treatment goes, but there needs to be ballpark figures. I think that once you have added the necessary minimum for an efficient brewing process, it's all very subjective as it depends on personal tastes. (which is sort of agreeing with what you said i think )

[Aleman]

Chris-x1, id heard and use the "1 in the grain, 1 in the boil" technique for gypsum, do i not need to bother with the calcium choride?

varying between different amounts of calcium sulphate and calcium chloride

You can try 1/2 tsp gypsum 1/2sp CaCl2 in the mash and the same in the boil . . . Or 1 tsp of calcium chloride in the mash and 1 tsp gypsum in the boil

[GBH]

Thanks jubby,
I went for the simple option for now. I will improve my technique as my confidence and knowledge grows.
Thats interesting about the gypsum bringing out the hop flavours.
Hanging my nose over the airlock gives me a huge hoppy hit !

I going to have to sort out a profile of my tap water for the next brew I think... the Kitchen was covered in asda smart price bottles

Thanks Again

Jim

Yeh I know that feeling well, as well as feeling like a plum with kids pointing at the man whose trolley is full of 2Ltr Asda Smartprice Bottles
lol
Moved on to treating my tap water, seems to be ok so far although I did think that Asda Smartprice water gave a nice smooth mouthfeel to the beer.