Gypsum addition

[Mics100]

I'm brewing an English Bitter today and I want it to be quite different to the American pale I brewed last week.
My recipe, and some forums, say to add gypsum to alter the water chemistry. As I don't know the tap water chem, what are the benefits of adding gypsum?
Some research I've done says add to mash to aid breakdown of saccharides; add to kettle to improve bittering; don't add at all because you don't know the water chem; and "relax, have a homebrew."
I'm using all grain, esky mash tun to kettle. 60 min boil.

Should I use it to add to flavour?

 

[Mics100]

According to Yarra Valley Water, the water is "quite soft."

 

[Bridgey23]

Using an English yeast will give you a completely different beer to the APA if you used an American yeast.
If you don't know what your chemistry is I wouldn't add anything.
From my understanding ( which is limited) calcium helps with your mash and with hop flavour.

 

[manticle]

It's a two part thing.

Calcium helps drop mash pH (unless combined as calcium carbonate or hydroxide), yeast function, beer clarification and a bunch of other positive things.

The sulphate end of the salt helps brighten hop bitterness/punch/flavour. I find it makes the hop profile just a bit less muddy.

For UK beers, I either add a blend of calcium chloride (the chloride bit helps accentuate maltiness) and calcium sulphate or just the cal chloride.

There's a bunch of complicated whys and wherefores but just as you don't need to understand every enzymatic detail in order to mash (complicated chemistry, easy process) neither do you need to understand water/mash chem totally in order to be able to season the brew.

However, it's easy to overdo and learning is fun.

Add a couple of grams to mash and boil if you like, read and taste in the mean time and you'll find out whereabouts you sit.

 

[Fourstar]

The water from YVW is as soft as it comes. short of the mild amount of carbonates, its almost as soft as Pilsen.

Without going to heavily into the hows, whys and whats, the two major salts you will ever need (95% of cases) is Calcium Chloride and/or Gypsum. Reserve carbonates (bicarb of soda is easy to work with) for dark beers (if required) or sneaky kettle doctoring of a Dortmunder export. usually add to the kettle unless the mash really needs it (check pH before debating this and/or add dark grain just before sparging/at mashout to avoid pH issues.)

First and foremost, you want calcium in your mash and boil. it assists with enzyme activity, break and yeast health. its an all round winner. Achieved simply with either Cal Chloride or Gypsum. in a 23L batch, 3g in the mash is sufficient to give around 50 ppm of Calcium for your mash needs. Scale these gram amounts based on your usual final volume (Don't be pedantic either, just round the number up).

What i typically do is add the alternate to the kettle at a 2x factor e.g. 6g to the boil for a 23L final volume.

when do i decide to use what and where? Chloride increases mouthfeel and heightens malt flavour. Think of it like adding salt for seasoning a soup, pretty bland until you add salt. I usually reserve this as a large boil addition for malt forward beers (e.g. brown ale, Irish red, Helles)

Sulfate helps hops pop and crates a refined bitterness. basically use for anything hop forward (for me its usually anything which is 40IBU+). again, add to boil and use chloride in the mash.

so what to do? don have gram scales? dont worry.

for hoppy/bitter beers, 1/2 tsp to mash fo Calcium Chloride, 1 tsp kettle Gypum
For malty beers: 1/2 tsp gypsum mash, 1 tsp kettle Calcium Chloride.

Hoppy will give you a 2:3:1 ratio~ of Calcium, Sulfate, Chloride
Malty will give you a 2:3:1 ratio~ of Calcium, Chloride, Sulfate

If you only have one of the salts, just add a pinch to the bash and a pinch to the boil (if total for mixed salts is 15g, add 10 of a Single salt addition so its concentration isn't too out of kilter.)

Happy brewing.

 

[Mics100]

You guys are awesome!

I've added a touch, 3g, to the mash and it's doing its thing now.

I'll tell you how it goes.

I'm doing 5kg pale, 1kg Chrystal 20L. Then 30g Target @ 60, 10g Fuggles @ 20, 10 and flame off. Then dry hop 10g Fuggles.
Safale 04 yeast.
Should be English through and through. It just needs a monocle and a cricket bat.

 

[manticle]

1kg crystal seems an awful lot. Twice the maximum I would use and 4x the usual I would use.

Have you used that much before and enjoyed the results?

If so, ignore me.

 

[Mics100]

Yeah, Brewsmith says its 16% of my grain bill, which is a little higher than normal. Should be a tad sweet