[PORTERHAUS]

I usually don't fixate on any water profiles. I carbon filter my tap water, split a campden tablet between the mash and sparge water, acidify my sparge water and adjust mash ph. I typcially don't add any brewing salts, but I figured I would give it a shot with what I'm brewing tomorrow. It will be a Fat Tire-ish beer I'm brewing for a friend. I haven't brewed the recipe in a long time, but figure it could benefit from a better water profile since my water as is, is more suited for Pale Ales, English Bitters, etc. So the extra Calcium should help the beer clear, the boost in Chloride should smooth it out a bit and a pinch of Salt to bring up the Sodium per Bru'n Water helps bring out the malt character in my experience. Also going to need a pinch of Acid to hit a mash ph around 5.4. Sound about right? It's not big adjustments, but sometimes it doesn't take much.

My tested water profile is:
35ppm Ca
12ppm Mg
8 ppm Na
18ppm Cl
24ppm So4

[mabrungard]

Better suited to pale ales and bitters? On some of the English Boards I visit occasionally, they would consider your water almost Pilsen like. They say they prefer much more chloride and sulfate. While I don't agree with the degree some of them mineralize their water, I can say that the Amber profiles are comparatively lightly mineralized. But that profile should be fine for a beer like a Fat Tire.

I don't think you will find much difference in your results between no additional mineralization and the light mineralization of the Amber profile, but its a start. The main importance was that you were focused on bringing pH into the proper range.

When ready, consider boosting sulfate appreciably into the 150 to 200 ppm range for a true pale ale and see the difference that makes. If that meets your tastes, trying 300 or 350 ppm could be considered.

[PORTERHAUS]

Yeah, I guess that was a bad way to put it. Especially here where people know what they are talking about. What I should have said was untreated, I have used my water as is when "I" brew Pale Ales and Bitters. Only adjustments I usually make are adding Baking Soda for darker beers and/or Chloride for maltier beers.

You hit it on the head Martin, I just wanted to start light and see/taste the difference although it might be only slight. I would like to try a more aggressive mineral profile for my next Bitter. That could be why I haven't really noticed any difference when I have adjusted hoppier beers, because it takes much more Sulfte to make that impact.

Boil is about done now, mash ph was pretty close, good boil ph, effeciency was more than I'm used to. I would call it a good brew day. Looking forward to the beer.