New to All Grain - Please help with water additions

[DustyRusty]

Hello,

Just about complete my all grain set up (been doing extract + grains for years). I've received a water report for my area but I'm struggling to have certainty with regard to the additions.

Here's my report:
Alkalinity as CaCO3 (mg/L) - Median 73
Calcium (mg/L) - Median 23
Chloride (mg/L) - Median 177
Hardness as CaCO3 (mg/L) - Median 71
Magnesium (mg/L) - Median 4.3
Sodium (mg/L) - Median 117
Sulfate (mg/L) - Median 13
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (mg/L) - Median 473
Ph - Median 7.8

For my first brew I'm going for the Raging Irish Red posted on this forum. The closest Brewers Friend target water profile I can find for that style is Edinburgh. But my calcium is low, as are my sulfates. Because it's reasonably high sodium water, if I add gypsum to increase the sulfates I end up doing what Palmer says not too - having both a high sodium and high sulfate level - leading to a harsh taste. Any suggestions as to how to modify this water for a simple Irish Red? And if I moved to lighter beers in the future would I be looking at having to dilute with distilled/RO water?

Thanks for the help

 

[Gnomebrewer]

If I was brewing with that water, I'd cut it 50/50 with RO, then add enough chalk to get the Calcium up to 40 to 50ppm, then add acid to counter the alkalinity (not ideal, but workable).
If you like sulphate in this style of beer, you could add gypsum instead of chalk to raise the Ca++ (probably eliminating the need for acid in the process). This is probably the easiest option.
Or look into Calcium phosphate to raise the Calcium (I've never used it - it's effectively what you're adding if you use chalk + phosphoric acid).

 

[mabrungard]

That water is too mineralized and dilution is a good way to salvage something out of that water source.

 

[DustyRusty]

Just playing around with water profiles in Brewers' Friend. Noticed that Burton on Trent (Historic and Decarbonated) isn't wildly off my water if i added about 5 teaspoons of gypsum. It is:

Calcium 187
Magnesium 41
Sodium 113
Chloride 85
Sulfate 720
Bicarbonate 20

With the gypsum mine would come out as:

Calcium 182.6
Magnesium 4
Sodium 117
Chloride 177
Sulfate 400
Bicarbonate 86

Admittedly it would produce a maltier profile than Burton, but is not wildly off the mark. Also realise it's not exactly the water for the Irish Red I was hoping for. Still trying to get my head around this water thing, but would I be correct in saying that were i to attempt Burton styles, I would have acceptable water?

 

[cire]

There's a way to test your theory. Sodium is a little on the high side.

Dependent upon your recipe, the profile would likely be improved by reducing alkalinity.

Below is the advice given to a brewer by Murphy and Son for Bitters an Pale Ales as a comparison, their suggested mineral levels highlighted in green. The recipient's details and Lab number have been removed for obvious reasons, the figures given are typical for British brewing.