Bitterness calculations

When I calculate the salt additions for an American IPA in Beersmith using Randy Mosher's IPA water profile & using calculate "best additions" & 100% RO water & then mirror those additions in the EZ water calculator EZ tells me that the chloride to suplhate ratio is 0.41 ("very bitter range").

When formulating the recipe in Beersmith I opted for an .839 IBU/SG (51.5 IBU's) which I intended to be in the top quartile of a slightly hoppy range for this recipe, which has a starting SG of 1.061.

My question is how do I square the very bitter 0.41 EZ calculation with my Beersmith slightly hoppy IBU/SG ratio (or isn't it meant to be squared?).

Given that neither the stand-alone Beersmith water profile calculator or the EZ calculator factor in the actual recipe hops additions I suspect that the chloride to sulphate ratio is only saying that the water has the potential to accentuate hop additions, (in this particular case to a very bitter degree). Am I correct in that view or am I missing something here?.

Thanks for your guidance.

I don't use Beersmith but I've noticed that there's different methodologies employed by the various brewing water calculators. Palmer's is different than EZ Calc. I've heard that dark/crystal malts automatically drop the pH but couldn't find out which did what until I found B'runWater which takes into account the entire grainbill, re: mash acidification. It's my impression that most of these calculators make predictions for malty/balanced/bitter based on 100% base malt. YMMV. Its apparently a learn by doing process that's refined through repetition and empirical data.

spademan said:

My question is how do I square the very bitter 0.41 EZ calculation with my Beersmith slightly hoppy IBU/SG ratio (or isn't it meant to be squared?).

Given that neither the stand-alone Beersmith water profile calculator or the EZ calculator factor in the actual recipe hops additions I suspect that the chloride to sulphate ratio is only saying that the water has the potential to accentuate hop additions, (in this particular case to a very bitter degree). Am I correct in that view or am I missing something here?.

Click to expand...

I used Palmer for a while, and then someone here mentioned EZ, so I tried that.  I think I recall that EZ had a check box that essentially called for doubling the additions in the boil.  Previously I had only added minerals to the mash.  Adding some to boil, I had some of the best hot break ever, so I tinkered, and changed EZ to call for 50% of the mash amount in the boil. 

And yes, I think the water chemistry calculators provide a C:S ratio of the "could be" given that ratio.  Brewer still must add sufficient hops to make it happen. 

Try Bru'n Water.  It's the only one I've found to take actual grainbill into account for accidification. The malt/bitter ranges expressed in the water calcs are potential for 100% base malt. A balance value calculation utilizing (.8*IBU)/(FG*0.82+OG*0.18) (I can't remember the author, but it's the best predictor I've found so far) will give you a better idea of finished qualities based on the recipe. FG can be further refined by taking into account mash temp and amount of crystal malts which will increase FG as a rule since mash temps above 150 and crystals increase amount of unfermentables.

To further clarify the Balance Value, the results of the function are evaluated as follows:
>2 = VERY BITTER
1.37 =BITTER
1.00= BALANCED
0.86 = SLIGHTLY SWEET
0.75 = SWEET
0.66 = VERY SWEET