Just checked my water hardness for the first time

[imark]

When my water is hard I usually give it a good boil the night before. It drops out hardness and you can even add Camden tablet next morning if you've still got a bang of chlorine. It'll drive it off.

[DEMPSEY]

To quote the NHC wiki on this

Calcium is the superhero

After the alkalinity of the water has been adjusted you the amount of calcium should be adjusted to match the beer style to be brewed. Calcium will do a lot of great things, it will,

Interact with carbonates: Carbonates increase PH, calcium lowers PH,
Bind with carbonates forming compounds that will precipitate out of the mash,
Protect the amylases from heat inactivation (falling asleep) when in the mash,
Help form trub in the boil, neutralising protein, so helps hot and cold break,
Aids yeast flocculation by interacting with protein on the yeast cell wall.
It even helps remove excess oxalate on your brewing equipment to help prevent the build up of beer stone!

Lets hear it for CALCIUM.8-)

There are 2 types of calcium sources a brewer likes:

Calcium Chloride: the chloride brings out the malt flavour.

Calcium Sulphate: the sulphate brings out the hoppier flavour.

The amount of calcium in each of these sources varies from 23% in calcium sulphate to anywhere between 27% and 18% in calcium chloride. So by adding one of these you also add more sulphate or chloride, which is fine depending on the type of beer you want.

[delzep]

So how much Calcium Chloride (or Calcium Sulphate) should be added? I left me Gordon Strong book in me locker in work

[DEMPSEY]

Your planning to brew a mild so Calcium Chloride will give you a boost in your Calcium and the Chloride will enhance the malt profile. At a guess your water has about 60 ppm of Calcium atm and you should boost that to 120 ppm. Keep a bit for the boil kettle

[delzep]

Look up the water profile of the beer you want to brew.

Or in summary:
Dark beer: don't add anything
Hoppy beer: a squirt of gypsum

[delzep]

Need to find the 'squirt' button on Beersmith

[imark]

surely you mean a puff of gypsum?!?!

[JD]

A squirt is when you tip the bag over and a load comes out the end.

...as the bishop said to the actress...

[imark]

Not sure if you're on same supply as me but I reckon you are. It's a mix of supplies from ballymore and leixlip. Mine varies from around 40ppm to 250ppm. So I test every brew day.

let me know the next time you test yours and I'll test mine the same day to compare

Back on topic... Just checked mine and it's ~180ppm. Water has been hard around here since the water shortages. Maybe they're blending more leixlip muck in up my way since.

[delzep]

[imark]

Feck off!

[delzep]

You can have some of mine before the charges kick in 

[delzep]

Checked it again today and it was the same - 29ppm

[Greg2013]

Well after several emails looks like i will be able to get Murphys to test my water after all, have to do it off the site though but they are willing no problem. Went for the standard water analysis for £18 stg, waiting to hear back on what to do next re sending sample etc. I don't actually mind paying this money to have it professionally tested this once.  :

[beerfly]

mines about 25ppm