Home of the BrewNosers

What's everyone using for a Cl/-SO42 ratio for hoppy beers? I was thinking 1:3 would be a good start (160 Cl/300 SO42). Then add Baking soda to get the ph back up to 5.4.
Or am I over thinking this...and just use a balanced ratio (and adjust ph with acid)
FYI I'm using Brewers Friend mash chem calc.

I'm aiming for a very hoppy Session IPA...IBU around 35

What are you adding for Cl? CaCl? I always thought that was ph neutral. I may be under thinking this, but for my APAs and IPAs I just add gypsum to get my SO4 to around 200-250, and I don't add Cl. I only use that for beers where I want a little extra fullness, but maybe you want that where you're doing a session beer that you may not want tasting too thin or dry. As for ph, I don't generally worry too much about it. I'll add baking soda or chalk as a buffering agent only if I'm using some dark grains. Better ph control is one of those things I've been meaning to start sometime, but I haven't had any issues.

You make better beer than I do Justin so take what I say with a grain of salt. I don't worry about the ratio at all. I follow AJ Delang's advice and I add cacl to get to my min calcium and then a little sulphate if I want it sharper. I tend to have to add acid to bring the pH down the rest of the way though because of the Dartmouth water. I would be leery of adding all that sodium especially if I am using Irish moss as well. The sodium will have the opposite mouthfeel effect as the SO4.

Then again for a hoppy session ale I would probably be trying to emphasize body and mouthfeel so I like going with ~100ppm cl 100~ppm SO4 ~100Na and then lower carbonation from my usual amount.

here is the calc...take a look http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemi ... id=XJRNLXB

here is a second approach http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemi ... id=XWWDQLC

Normally I add some Calcium chloride (5g per 5 gal batch), and adjust ph using Phosphoric acid. hoppy beers will normally get an additional 5g per 5gal batch of Gypsum.

I'm starting to think about the Cl/-SO42- ratio in my hoppy beers...as I normally shoot for 1:1 (balanced).

I also shoot for 5.3ph in light beers, and around 5.6ph for my bigger darker beers

starting to think i'm over thinking this lol....may just use my standard approach (Gordon Strong's approach)

Below are the water profiles I target if this helps you any.
IPA
Calcium: 84.20 ppm
Sulfate: 199.20 ppm
Magnesium: 13.30 ppm
Chloride: 47.60 ppm
Sodium: 13.10 ppm
Bicarbonate: 23.20 ppm

DIPA
Calcium: 110.00 ppm
Sulfate: 350.00 ppm
Magnesium: 18.00 ppm
Chloride: 50.00 ppm
Sodium: 17.00 ppm
Bicarbonate: 0.00 ppm

Keith wrote:Below are the water profiles I target if this helps you any.
IPA
Calcium: 84.20 ppm
Sulfate: 199.20 ppm
Magnesium: 13.30 ppm
Chloride: 47.60 ppm
Sodium: 13.10 ppm
Bicarbonate: 23.20 ppm

DIPA
Calcium: 110.00 ppm
Sulfate: 350.00 ppm
Magnesium: 18.00 ppm
Chloride: 50.00 ppm
Sodium: 17.00 ppm
Bicarbonate: 0.00 ppm

cool...thanks

Looks like your IPA is more like the second calc I posted

http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemi ... id=XWWDQLC