Description
Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) 20g is perhaps best known as the main mineral in the well water of Burton Upon Trent, England, and is widely attributed to be the essential component of the water for pale ale and India pale ale brewing; as such it is the main ingredient in the Burtonising salts for brewing water treatment. It is added by dissolving the Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) in the mashing and sparging water or directly as a powder into the grain bill or mash vessels during mashing.
The positive effects of adding Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) are to reduce wort pH, improve malt extraction efficiency through enhanced amylolytic activity, give a buffering capacity to the wort, balance the hop flavor for highly hopped beers, improve wort clarity, and remove phosphates and proteins in the wort trub.
The amount of Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) required or added depends on the base water Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) content. Brewing water with 150 to 1200 mg/l of Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) is typical but will be varied according to the wort strength and beer type to be brewed.
