A malty, reddish Irish ale with gentle caramel sweetness and restrained, balanced hop bitterness.
The target has a sulfate-to-chloride ratio of 0.7:1 (malt-leaning, balanced) - the balance that shapes how hoppy or malty the beer tastes.
| Ion | Target (ppm) |
|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | 80 |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | 8 |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | 20 |
| Chloride (Cl⁻) | 110 |
| Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) | 80 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) | 50 |
Water target is a strong practical fit for the style family. Use as an RO starting point, then verify mash pH from the actual grist.
Salts to add to reverse-osmosis or distilled water to reach this target, calculated by the BrewWaterSolver solver with the most common homebrew salts (calcium chloride, gypsum, Epsom salt, chalk and baking soda).
| Salt | 5 gal (18.9 L) | 20 L |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) | 4.18 g | 4.41 g |
| Gypsum (CaSO₄) | 1.67 g | 1.76 g |
| Epsom salt (MgSO₄) | 1.36 g | 1.44 g |
| Chalk (CaCO₃) | 0.02 g | 0.02 g |
| Baking soda (NaHCO₃) | 1.19 g | 1.26 g |
Resulting water: Ca 84.1, Mg 8.1, Na 20.2, Cl 109.5, SO4 78.3, HCO3 49.9 ppm. Split the salts between mash and sparge water in the solver if you prefer.
With RO water and the salts above, a typical Irish Red Ale grist is predicted to mash at pH 5.57, against a target of 5.35 (gold/amber color - crisp but rounded). To bring it down, add about 4.1 mL of 88% lactic acid for 5 gal (4.4 mL for 20 L).
Estimated from the style's typical color (SRM 11) without a real grain bill - enter your recipe in the solver for a sharper prediction, and always check with a pH meter.
Irish-Style Red Ale - these BA styles use the same water target.