Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

West Coast IPA MidWest US Water/RA Question

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • West Coast IPA MidWest US Water/RA Question

    I am looking to brew a West Coast influenced IIPA, and am located in Nebraska and I have fairly hard, and fairly Alkaline water.

    The water in Lincoln is approximately (in ppms):

    ph 7.62 - 8

    Ca - 67.4
    Na - 37.7
    Mg - ~15
    Cl - 21.5
    SO4 - 101

    Total Alkalinity CaCO3 - 190ppm
    Total Hardness CaCO3 - 242 ppm

    I think I have an RA of ~134

    The recipe is basically 100% 2-row and a little sugar, and maybe a Hi-Malt Corn Syrup to boost gravity a bit.

    Maybe 90% 2-row, 5% Cane Sugar, 5% HiMalt Syrup. Targeting ~ -40 RA

    So, after brewing for several years, I am now starting to wrap my head around RA. I have learned from trial and error Lincoln's water is really good for Browns and Stouts... Anyhow, I usually add 100 ppm Ca from CaSO4 as well as some Phosphoric Acid to reach 5.2 in the mash. For IPAs I have been adding just 50ppm Ca from CaCl2 to the mash for IPAs, because Lincoln's water can make some really harsh bitterness/astringency without that added Chloride.

    In any event, I am looking to make a ripping WC/IPA at about 1.070/70IBUS and an SRM of ~3-5.

    After looking at a few successful homebrewer's/pro-brewers' water treatments I am not real sure which way to go... I am not really hung up on "certain people's"/famous homebrewers' water profiles, but they are what's on the internet...
    Tasty McDole's water for his IPA/Pales
    Ca- 110
    Mg - 18
    Na - 17
    SO4 - 350
    Cl 50
    HCO3 - 0

    SO4:Cl2 7

    As well as looking into Green Flash's/Russian River's source water and the profiles people are targeting as a clone.
    I don't think I need to get that extreme with the SO4:Cl2 ratio.

    I am finding that if I add 50 ppm ca from CaSO4 and 50 ppm Ca from CaCl2 that I wind up with a SO4 :Cl Ratio of 1.65.
    ppms are around Cl2-120 and SO4-198. Does anyone think these levels, specifically the Cl2 are too high?

    I am looking for a fairly balanced mineral profile, and not overly dry since there isn't any Caramel malts and with the Wpl001, I would expect the beer to attenuate well. I don't want it retardedly dry.

    Going from Palmer's RA spread sheet, I will have about 153ppm Calcium and maybe 20 Magnesium. If I am able to get the RA into the 30s from the salts alone, essentially all I need to do is use Acid (phosphoric) to get the mash down to 5.2?



    Furthermore I am considering adding the 50ppm Ca from CaCl2 and 25ppm Ca from CaSO4, and then add Phosphoric to get to 5.2 in the mash. and then adding the rest - 25ppm Ca from CaSO4 into the entire volume of Wort in the boil.



    Thoughts? Suggestions?
Working...
X