Düsseldorf, Germany. Hard water with high residual alkalinity - suited to dark, roasty beers, with a chloride-forward balance that rounds out the malt.
| Ion | ppm |
|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | 90 |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | 12 |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | 45 |
| Chloride (Cl⁻) | 82 |
| Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) | 65 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) | 223 |
| Brewing numbers | |
|---|---|
| Total hardness (as CaCO₃) | 274.1 ppm |
| Alkalinity (as CaCO₃) | 182.9 ppm |
| Residual alkalinity (as CaCO₃) | 111.6 ppm |
| Sulfate-to-chloride ratio | 0.8:1 |
Salts to add to reverse-osmosis or distilled water, calculated by the BrewWaterSolver solver with the most common homebrew salts.
| Salt | 5 gal (18.9 L) | 20 L |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) | 3.10 g | 3.27 g |
| Gypsum (CaSO₄) | 0.68 g | 0.72 g |
| Epsom salt (MgSO₄) | 2.12 g | 2.24 g |
| Chalk (CaCO₃) | 1.67 g | 1.76 g |
| Baking soda (NaHCO₃) | 2.92 g | 3.09 g |
The common salts reproduce every ion within 10%.
Chalk (CaCO₃) doesn't dissolve well directly in mash or sparge water without dissolved CO₂ - slurry it in carbonated water (e.g. sparkling water) before adding it, rather than mixing it into still water or sprinkling it in dry, or the calculated amount may not fully dissolve. How to dissolve chalk with CO₂
Kai Troester's Altbier/Düsseldorf water profile (braukaiser.com), via Brewer's Friend's built-in "Düsseldorf (Altbier)" preset, which independently confirms the exact same six values - Ca 90, Mg 12, Na 45, Cl 82, SO4 65, HCO3 223.