Water Profile for Helles using RO Water

[scottyg354]

This is what Beersmith is telling me for additions to treat 10 gallons to roughly match Munich's water profile. I just want some opinions as this will be one of the first batchs I am trying to treat.

11.4g Epsom Salt
4g Calcium chloride
4.1g Baking Soda
5.8g Chalk

Does this sound about right or should I use the rundown Yooper provided in a few posts until I get the hang of goofing with water? I'm not to sure how accurate beersmiths water calculator is.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Probably need to know the "as-is" water profile.

 

[scottyg354]

Reverse Osmosis. So I entered it all 0's because I am pretty sure it wipes everything out.

 

[BigEd]

You don't want to match Munich's water profile for a Helles. When the Munich brewers figured out how to make a light beer in the 19th Century it's almost a certainty that one of the things they did was de-mineralize and lower the alkalinity of the local water. You DO NOT want all that Magnesium and sulphate from the Epsom salt, save that stuff for soaking your feet. Take your RO water and add some Calcium Chloride to bring the Ca+ level up to 60-75ppm and brew your Helles.

 

[tgmartin000]

This is what Beersmith is telling me for additions to treat 10 gallons to roughly match Munich's water profile. I just want some opinions as this will be one of the first batchs I am trying to treat.

11.4g Epsom Salt
4g Calcium chloride
4.1g Baking Soda
5.8g Chalk

Does this sound about right or should I use the rundown Yooper provided in a few posts until I get the hang of goofing with water? I'm not to sure how accurate beersmiths water calculator is.

Definitely not. You're adding a ton of alkalinity. Brewers in Munich would be doing things to that water that we don't know about. Brun water has some styles to target, rather than cities. Select the yellow malty profile and brew away! I think it's like 30 ppm calcium, 5 magnesium, 10 chloride, 5 sulfate. Very soft.