Sulphate levels (excessive) and mash efficiency.

[garage_life]

Long story short I've ended up with an estimated 432ppm sulphate in my latest brew, very hoppy Pacific ale with Pacific jade, Motueka and galaxy. Overlooked the original water sulphate level in the base water.

Apart from the obvious harsh bitterness I had lower than expected mash conversion down about 8%, can't figure out why, pH was on point, temp good etc.

Can this much sulphate effect the mash?

Would have ended up with water profile Ca 131, Mg 27, Na 40, Cl 432. Cl/So4 0.46

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Long story short I've ended up with an estimated 432ppm sulphate in my latest brew, very hoppy Pacific ale with Pacific jade, Motueka and galaxy. Overlooked the original water sulphate level in the base water.

Apart from the obvious harsh bitterness I had lower than expected mash conversion down about 8%, can't figure out why, pH was on point, temp good etc.

Can this much sulphate effect the mash?

Would have ended up with water profile Ca 131, Mg 27, Na 40, Cl 432. Cl/So4 0.46

How many litres was the batch?

 

[garage_life]

How many litres was the batch?

25l post boil.
I've overcarbed a bit and also gone too heavy in the galaxy dry hop, first time kegging, which isn't helping the final product.
Didn't taste as bitey at FG sample before crashing & Galaxy dry additions, was a lot of suspended yeast/trub in the sample though.

*Edit post boil vol incorrect

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Down load John Palmers Water spread sheet, I am sure you will find it helpful, the harshness is from your additions.
Just looking at your figures isn't it the chloride that is in excess? Or have you put them down wrong.
[XLS]
0. Instructions - HowToBrew

 

[MHB]

Someone once brought me some beer to taste (from the US) that was made on mineral water. It tasted as you would expect like beer made on mineral water - very minerally.
Generally to be called a mineral water you need more than 250ppm of total dissolved solids (TDS), over about 500ppm and water is called brackish (where it starts to taste salty) your well over 600ppm.
Personally I don't think its anything you can do much about, it wont improve with age it wont mellow, if you don't like it now you never will. Sorry but its probably best to put it down to being "educational" and move on.

I have done some testing (when working on Calcium Lactate as a brewing salt) starting with distilled water and doing little 500mL mini mashes at rising salt levels, was 0, 50, 100, 250, 500ppm. there was a fair (-10 to 15%) difference between 0ppm and the rest, a small (-5%) (from memory might not be exact but close) difference at 50ppm and then a flat line from 100 to 500ppm. Interesting when you think all the COA's for malts are reported on yield in distilled water.
Admittedly that was a single salt and not Sulphate, but I suspect the saltiness of your water isn't the cause of an 8% drop in conversion. Haven't come across any research that points that way either, but a classic like Burton water is much more mineralised than what you have (see Brewing water analysis) and there is no problem there with conversion, so I'd be looking else ware.
Mark

 

[malt and barley blues]

As WEAL suggests chloride or sulphate?