# Brewing Salts



## Gout (8/2/10)

Brewers i am looking for some information on salts and when best to add them

I have done a search but not found the info and most of my beer books dont cover what i am looking for.

I understand the salts and how they effect flav. and the profile of a beer and ph etc however i would like to know when its best to add the salts and their effect on the mash/boil etc.

do you add yours to the HLT and then mash in, add to the mash only? or the boil(assuming they dont effect the mash and ph is not a worry)

currently i only add half of mine to the hlt while it warms to strike, then the other half to sparge. I also do not go over the top with additions (Melbourne water is rather good and soft - i add some gypsum or some Calcium Chloride (yet to use this)


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## Hogan (8/2/10)

I'm using 5.2 in my mash so there is no real need to worry about pH being on target. I do add gypsum and cal.chl and I put one third in the mash and the rest straight into the boil.


Cheers, Hoges.


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## Fourstar (8/2/10)

www.howtobrew.com and look at the reading a water report section.

I add salts to the mash to adjust pH

then salts to the boil to adjust flavour profile/final profile. There are plenty of ways you can do it and i find this the easiest. 

www.howtobrew.com will tell you everything you need to know to get started.


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## Gout (8/2/10)

thanks guys
4* - i have the book in print (assume its basicly the same) and it coveres the salts well however i couldnt find any ref to when its best to add them.

sounds like adding to the mash (given the ph is right - which it always seems to be when i brew (pale ales)) is a good way to go.


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## Fourstar (8/2/10)

Gout said:


> thanks guys
> 4* - i have the book in print (assume its basicly the same) and it coveres the salts well however i couldnt find any ref to when its best to add them.
> 
> sounds like adding to the mash (given the ph is right - which it always seems to be when i brew (pale ales)) is a good way to go.



have a listen to brewstrongs waterganza parts I II and III. that will answer everything about splitting water up into mash additions and boil additions ot achieve your desired water profile.


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## Gout (8/2/10)

thanks mate i will do


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## Kai (8/2/10)

The two biggest reasons to add salts to the mash are to 1) balance the pH and 2) provide Calcium for the conversion process. It's worth mentioning that salts in the mash have a higher efficiency loss (so to speak) with salts being left behind in the spent grain and the leftover mash liquor. So, use enough salts to satisfy points 1 & 2 above, then chuck the rest in the kettle.


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## Stuster (8/2/10)

Kai said:


> So, use enough salts to satisfy points 1 & 2 above, then chuck the rest in the kettle.



Just what I do. After listening to all the Waterganza that Fourstar mentioned I now add more to the kettle, enough that the salt amounts in the kettle should be the same as in the mash. Not really noticed any huge difference but still adding it anyway.


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## Fourstar (9/2/10)

Kai said:


> The two biggest reasons to add salts to the mash are to 1) balance the pH and *2) provide Calcium for the conversion process.*



Yes, i forgot to note that. With Melbournes water being almost devoid of Calcium i add atleast 50ppm of calcium to the mash to aid the conversion process. If you are in Melbourne and use mains water, adding a flat tsp of CaCl2 or CaSO4 to the mash for any light coloured beer will be adventageous for the above reason.

Cheers! :icon_cheers:


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