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Question
Remind me again what exactly gypsum does for the brewing water? Some older recipes say to add gypsum to every batch, but is this necessary or wise? Thanks, john white.
Well John, you can use it to do several things. Gypsum is calcium sulfate.
If your mash pH is too high, you can use gypsum to lower it.
You can also use it to give the hop bitterness an extra crispness.
Always adding gypsum is not a good plan. If you brew with tap water and it is very low in pH or contains a lot of calcium or sulfate then adding gypsum is a terrible idea.
If you are using tap water that is very soft and has a high pH and you are trying to brew an ESB then it is a very good idea.
If you are trying to brew a Czech Pilsner (which is brewed with water that is almost like distilled water) then it is a very bad idea.
If you are an all-grain brewer, the most helpful use is to adjust mash pH to a level that makes the conversion more efficient.
Three things are important. Know what's in your tap water. Know what water is best for the style you're brewing. And know how to adjust your brew water to brew the style you want.
Happy Brewing John!
Chris Bushman
Maltose Falcons
North Hollywood, California
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | very knowlegeable and understandable | ||
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Chris Bushman
Expertise
I've been homebrewing beer and mead for about 15 years. I've made beer trips to the Netherlands, the UK, France, Germany, and Belgium.
Experience
I've brewed a couple of hundred all-grain beers and a few dozen meads. I'm a member of the Maltose Falcon's Homebrew Society, the oldest homebrew club in the US. I've attended the Homebrewers Fantasy Camp at American Brewers Guild.
In real life I am Optical Effects Supervisor and Laboratory Supervisor for a large movie visual effects house in Hollywood. I've been a fireman, a teacher of English in Okinawa, a personal computer tutor.
Other hobbies include orchid culture, koi keeping, photography, sausage making, pickling, and ham radio.
BS Zoology, UC Davis
Member, Society of Motion Picture/Television Engineers http://www.smpte.org/ - Member, American Radio Relay League http://www.arrl.org/ - Member, Quarter Century Wireless Assn. http://www.lockport-ny.com/radio.htm - President, Zen Nippon Airinkai, So Cal Chapter http://home.earthlink.net/~filmlabrat/ - Member, Maltose Falcons Homebrewing Society http://www.westval.com/mfalcons/ - Alumni, American Brewers' Guild http://www.abgbrew.com/
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