# Xpa tastes like VB



## mc666 (5/4/19)

I'm fairly new to all grain with only 6 batches under my belt on my 40l guten system. Last brew I did was meant to turn out like a balter xpa instead tasting like a Hoppy at first VB . This brew was my first attempt at water chemistry. I searched for South east water reports (living in Rowville) and came up with a base of 100Ca+2, 15 Mg+2, 5Na+, 105 CI-, 169SO4-2, 13HCO3-. Does this seem right? I filter the tap water with a cheap charcoal filter. Could water be the culprit? Where did I go wrong?
Default

72% efficiency
Batch Volume: 21 L
Boil Time: 60 min

Mash Water: 18.5 L
Sparge Water: 12.22 L
Total Water: 30.72 L
Boil Volume: 25.92 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.047

Vitals

Original Gravity: 1.053
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU (Tinseth): 37
Color: 9.9 EBC 

Mash

Temperature — 65 °C — 60 min
Mash Out — 75 °C — 10 min

Malts (5 kg)

3.8 kg (76%) — Gladfield American Ale Malt — Grain — 5 EBC — Mash
800 g (16%) — Gladfield Wheat Malt — Grain — 4.2 EBC
200 g (4%) — Simpsons Caramalt — Grain — 36 EBC
200 g (4%) — Briess Carapils — Grain — 3 EBC

Hops (100 g)

15 g — Citra 12% — Boil — 60 min
12 g — Amarillo 9.2% — Boil — 10 min
12 g — Centennial 10% — Boil — 10 min
12 g — Citra 12% — Boil — 10 min
12 g — Centennial 10% — Boil — 0 min
17 g — Amarillo 9.2% — Dry Hop — day 3
10 g — Centennial 10% — Dry Hop — day 3
10 g — Citra 12% — Dry Hop — day 3

Miscs

3.49 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
2.59 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Mash
3.49 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash
2.31 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Sparge
1.71 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Sparge
2.31 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Sparge

Yeast

1 pkg — Fermentis US-05 Safale American

Fermentation

Primary — 20 °C — 14 days

Carbonation: 2.4 CO2-vol

Water Profile

Ca+2
100Mg+2
15Na+
5Cl-
105SO4-2
169HCO3-
13


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## wide eyed and legless (6/4/19)

If you think it could be the water additions, get on to Brewers Friend and do your calculations on there.
They have the Cardinia profile on the system, makes it so much easier to adjust your water no matter what you are brewing.


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## pcmfisher (6/4/19)

If that recipe tasted even remotely like VB, give up brewing, I would. 
The only resemblance would be it's amber and wet...…..


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## mc666 (6/4/19)

Thanks weal I checked brewers friend Cardinia profile and i wasn't far off. Digging deeper I found the kitchen scales I used to measure my additions is faulty. Maybe adding to much calcium chloride, calcium sulphate and magnesium sulphate could be the cause.


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## wide eyed and legless (6/4/19)

mc666 said:


> Thanks weal I checked brewers friend Cardinia profile and i wasn't far off. Digging deeper I found the kitchen scales I used to measure my additions is faulty. Maybe adding to much calcium chloride, calcium sulphate and magnesium sulphate could be the cause.


I have fell for the faulty scales trick before, even foolishly knowing it seemed a lot of salts, I very rarely use the epsom salts just stick to sulphate and chloride and a wee drop of acid.


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