Weizen water profile

Another name for Weissbier - a pale German wheat beer known for its banana-and-clove yeast character.

Target water for Weizen

The target has a sulfate-to-chloride ratio of 0.3:1 (very malty, round, sweet) - the balance that shapes how hoppy or malty the beer tastes.

IonTarget (ppm)
Calcium (Ca²⁺)40
Magnesium (Mg²⁺)5
Sodium (Na⁺)10
Chloride (Cl⁻)80
Sulfate (SO₄²⁻)25
Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻)10

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.

Brewing salt additions from RO water

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).

Salt5 gal (18.9 L)20 L
Calcium chloride (CaCl₂)2.95 g3.12 g
Gypsum (CaSO₄)0.14 g0.15 g
Epsom salt (MgSO₄)0.91 g0.96 g
Baking soda (NaHCO₃)0.19 g0.20 g

Resulting water: Ca 47.2, Mg 5.7, Na 5.7, Cl 78.2, SO4 23.8, HCO3 10.2 ppm. Split the salts between mash and sparge water in the solver if you prefer.

Mash pH for Weizen

With RO water and the salts above, a typical Weizen grist is predicted to mash at pH 5.71, against a target of 5.30 (pale color - lower pH enhances crispness). To bring it down, add about 7.8 mL of 88% lactic acid for 5 gal (8.2 mL for 20 L).

Estimated from the style's typical color (SRM 4) without a real grain bill - enter your recipe in the solver for a sharper prediction, and always check with a pH meter.

Also listed by the Brewers Association as

German-Style Leichtes Weizen, South German-Style Hefeweizen, South German-Style Kristal Weizen - these BA styles use the same water target.

Styles that use the same water

Open Weizen in the solver →