Water
Brewing salt additions
2 g of gypsum and 1 g of calcium chloride in 20 L of reverse osmosis water, and your water gains 37 ppm of calcium, 56 of sulphate and 24 of chloride.
Result
Fill in the values and run the calculation, or try the example.
This is the calculation Krausi uses. Create an account to save it in a recipe or a brew.
Create my accountWhy adjust the salts in your water?
Water makes up more than 90% of beer, and its minerals shape the taste. Sulphate makes bitterness drier and crisper. Chloride rounds out the malt. Calcium helps the mash enzymes, clarification and yeast health.
It is the most underrated lever a homebrewer has. An IPA brewed with very soft water tastes flabby; a pils brewed with hard water tastes harsh. A few grams of salts, weighed to a tenth of a gram, are enough to fix it.
The starting point is your water profile: six values in mg/L, found in your water supplier's quality report or on the label of a bottled water.
How is the profile after additions calculated?
Each salt brings two ions. The tool adds their contributions to the starting profile, relative to the volume of water treated:
ppm added = grams × contribution for 1 g/L / volume (L)| Salt | Contribution for 1 g per litre |
|---|---|
| Gypsum (calcium sulphate) | calcium 232.8; sulphate 557.9 |
| Calcium chloride dihydrate | calcium 272.6; chloride 482.3 |
| Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) | magnesium 98.6; sulphate 389.7 |
| Non-iodised table salt | sodium 393.4; chloride 606.7 |
| Baking soda | sodium 273.7; bicarbonate 726.3 |
Usual ranges to aim for: calcium 50 to 150 ppm, magnesium 5 to 30, sodium below 100, sulphate 50 to 350, chloride 50 to 150.
Worked example
Values entered
- Starting water profile in mg/L: calcium in mg/l (ppm) 0, magnesium in mg/l (ppm) 0, sodium in mg/l (ppm) 0, sulphate in mg/l (ppm) 0, chloride in mg/l (ppm) 0, bicarbonate in mg/l (ppm) 0
- Volume of water treated in litres: 20
- Salts added: grams of gypsum (caso4·2h2o) 2, grams of calcium chloride dihydrate (cacl2·2h2o) 1
Result from the tool
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 36.91
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 0
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 0
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 55.79
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 24.12
- Profil: mg/L (ppm)
- 0
What the tool does not do
- The tool does not calculate the mash pH: it gives a profile, not an acidity.
- Calcium chloride is assumed to be the dihydrate, the form sold to brewers.
- The profile applies to the volume of water treated: treat the mash water and the sparge water in the same way.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find my tap water profile?
In the water quality report published by your water supplier or your local authority. Look for calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulphate, chloride and bicarbonate (hydrogen carbonate), in mg/L.
Should the salts go into the mash or the boil?
Add them to the mash water: that is where calcium helps the enzymes. If you also treat the sparge water, split the dose in proportion to the volumes.
Can I go above 150 ppm of calcium?
Nothing forbids it, but above 150 to 200 ppm the taste turns minerally. If you need a lot of sulphate, check that calcium stays reasonable.
And with the assistant?
Ask Krausi the same question in plain language: he picks this tool, does the calculation and files the result in your project.
I'm starting from reverse osmosis water for my pale ale, 20 L. What if I add 2 g of gypsum and 1 g of calcium chloride?
Your water will have 37 ppm of calcium, 56 ppm of sulphate and 24 ppm of chloride, a sulphate-to-chloride ratio of 2.3, leaning towards hops. Calcium is a little low: go up to 3.5 g of gypsum if you want to exceed 50 ppm.