Calling "Water Experts": A Tale of 2 IPA's...

So I love making 2.5 Gallon batches. I get to try 2x as many recipes, have more variety on hand, come out with some good beer and occasionally some really great beer in the process.

Last month I brewed 2 IPA's because I have a bunch of hops I really need to use up. Identical grain bills (extract + steeping), very similar hop profiles, and nearly identical dry hops (amount + time).

Beer #1 is 7% and 70 IBUS

Beer #2 is 5% and 45 IBUS.

These two IPA's were the first time I used gypsum in my water. All of my IPA's before had a very "muddled" bitterness so I wanted to use 1/2tsp per 2.5 gallons to crisp it up.

Beer # 1 is phenomenal! The best hoppy beer I have ever made, period! I mean I nailed what I was going for and going to rebrew this one again very soon!
Beer #2 is exceptional except for one minor difference that keeps it from being as "rounded" as the other IPA-- in short, it tastes exceedingly more bitter than beer #1--why? I mean it has that Sierra Nevada type bite to it (which I really like), but I am curious why a lower IBU beer with the same water adjustment tastes much more bitter than the higher IBU beer?

My only thought is that its the gypsum?--does the ratio of alcohol:water affect the finished beer when the same amount of gypsum is used?

(oh, and I'm 99.9% sure I added the same amount of gypsum to both batches).

Ideas?

TriggerFingers said:

My only thought is that its the gypsum?--does the ratio of alcohol:water affect the finished beer when the same amount of gypsum is used?

(oh, and I'm 99.9% sure I added the same amount of gypsum to both batches).

Ideas?

Click to expand...

What do your notes say about the gypsum quantity added to both beers?

This stands out as a rather significant area to not be 100% on.

Hard to say without more info on the recipes. Maybe the bigger one had a higher FG, which could offset some of the bitterness. Same yeast?

Rechecking my notes:

Beer #1-- OG 1.064, FG 1.010
Beer #2--OG 1.044, FG 1.008

Both used US-05

I mean, side by side they are very similar--both used 1/2 tsp of gypsum. The only difference is that the little one (Beer #2) is noticeably more bitter. I am wondering if the gypsum alters the perception of IBU's due to the water/alcohol ratio--I ask because I know when I bottle a smaller beer I use less priming sugar because a standard amount for a higher ABV beer makes smaller beers taste like seltzer water.

When did you add the gypsum?

I am not an expert, but I have noticed a similar thing. I treat my water with salts based on the average water analysis for the year round here using a calculator to get a hop forward water. . Low gravity beers do seem to require less for the same volume of water otherwise the bitterness tastes harsher. After many experiments I do the full amount of gypsum for my imperials/double IPAs, 3/4 for IPAs and a little more than 1/2 for 1.053 or less. For my water that's 16/12/9 grams in a 5 gallon batch all added to the mash not the boil. I also add a little Epsom salt to the mash and a touch of baking soda to the boil. FWIW and YMMV of course. I brew 90% IPAs or hoppy PA and some stouts with the occasional malty red or brown ales. Don't do Belgian or the like at all.

Steve da sleeve

TriggerFingers said:

Rechecking my notes:

Beer #1-- OG 1.064, FG 1.010
Beer #2--OG 1.044, FG 1.008

Both used US-05

I mean, side by side they are very similar--both used 1/2 tsp of gypsum. The only difference is that the little one (Beer #2) is noticeably more bitter. I am wondering if the gypsum alters the perception of IBU's due to the water/alcohol ratio--I ask because I know when I bottle a smaller beer I use less priming sugar because a standard amount for a higher ABV beer makes smaller beers taste like seltzer water.

Click to expand...

The IBU/SG ratio is also very important.

In the first beer, with an Og of 1.064 and IBUs of 70, the IBU/Sg ratio is 1.091.

In the second beer, with an OG of 1.044 and IBUs of 45, the IBU/Sg ratio is 1.029.



The IBU/SG ratio is crucial when making beers. A 1.030 beer with 40 IBUs will be undrinkably bitter, while a 1.080 beer with 40 IBUs will be very sweet. It's all about balancing the OG with the amount of bittering.