[egg]

Please can someone tell me what figure to use from the Brewersfriend Mash Chemistry calculator in treating liquor with CRS, down to a certain ppm CaCO3, testing along the way as I add it, before entering the actual ml that turned out to be required (rather than a theoretical amount), and adjusting the other salts accordingly for the desired profile? I don't trust the strength of the CRS, and experience has shown I often need less than expected, when heading for a certain ppm CaCO3.

I'm preparing 36L brewing liquor for a Lagunitas IPA clone tomorrow, though I'm not truly Burtonising it; I daren't shoot quite that high on the minerals.  Targeting 100ppm Ca with just 60 Chloride to 180 Sulphate.

[mabrungard]

The supporter's version of Bru'n Water includes CRS calculations. I'm not sure how you would include that in other software other than doing it by hand.

Since the ratio of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid is fixed in CRS, I don't think you'll be happy with the resulting chloride content if you are targeting elevated sulfate content. With only CRS, to produce 180 ppm SO4, you are going to end up around 120 ppm Cl. That is a bit high for taste. Those ions do lend to a minerally taste when present together at somewhat higher levels than this.

If you like minerally, go for it. If you don't, you'll need to find another way.

[egg]

Thanks for the reply, Martin.  I'm using gypsum too, and have dihydrate at hand if I need it.  I'm just trying to work out a way to use the profile I've created in BF, but add the CRS first (in case of variation in strength) to deal with the carbonates, then return to BF, enter the actual ml used, and tweak the other salts to get the rest of the profile in line.  For that though, I need to know the level of alkalinity BF is seeking to achieve in the liquor.  I'm looking in the region of 6g gypsum and maybe 1g of dihydrate in 36L for our water, based on 18ml CRS at default strength, to hit the levels I stated.  Maybe all the information I need is there on BF; I'm just still enough of a liquor treatment novice to be missing something.

Our tap water is starting with 100ppm CaCO3, around 50 Ca, 28 Chloride, 48 Sulphate.

I should probably invest some time learning my way around your own worksheet...