Chloride is used to bring out the maltiness and sweetness of beer. Contributing to a more sophisticated beer when balanced correctly with other minerals in your water profile.
What is the role of Chloride in brewing?
The main effect of Chloride is that it will add perceived maltiness to the beer. For any beer that wants a high perceived maltiness, and a fuller finish, chloride should be emphasized over sulfate. For example, porters may use high levels of chloride when making a water profile.
Chloride does not directly impart malt flavor into the beer, but makes it easier to perceive any malt flavor that is already present.
A negative of Chloride is that it can create a salty flavor when used above 300 ppm. And above 500 ppm it can harm yeast fermentation and make the water unusable for brewing. But if the levels of Chloride as too low, then the beer may feel “thin”.
Chloride amounts in your brewing water
Chloride has a wide range of accept concentrations based on the style of beer you are wanting to brew. With concentrations starting as low as 10 ppm and ranging up to 150 ppm.
For beers that want to emphasize bitterness such as pale ales, chloride concentrations should be kept low, around the 10-20 ppm levels. This will be enough to keep the beer from tasting thin but will focus on Sulfate and the perceived bitterness of the beer.
If a beer is aiming to be balanced, it will be between 30-60 ppm. This will need to be balanced with Sulfate to keep the Sulfate/Chloride ratio approximately 1.
For beers that are more malt forward, concentrations of 100-150 ppm are typically used, with some brewers going up to 200 ppm. This will focus on the sweetness of the beer and is best for styles like stouts and porters.
Sulfate/Chloride Ratio
While Chloride does heavily affect your brew, the ratio of Sulfate to Chloride also has a large impact. A low ratio (0.4-0.6) may make the beer very malty, while a high ratio (4-9) will be more bitter.
Many brewers will use RO or distilled water to be able to create this balance with brewing salts and additives.
How to Measure Chloride Levels
The best way to measure chloride levels in your brewing water will be to use the Craft Pro In-Lab Test Kit.
This kit will let you analyze any liquid sample at our EPA-Certified lab and give you exact concentrations of Chloride, Sulfate, and every other critical parameter you need to know for your brewing profile. Along with calculations for Residual Alkalinity and your Sulfate/Chloride Ratio.
How to adjust your water’s Chloride levels for brewing
Reverse Osmosis Systems
The most common recommendation to remove Chloride will be with a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. This works by forcing your water through a semi-permeable membrane, which sets your water profile to zero. Removing all the minerals from it.
It is still important to test your water after it’s been RO filtered because it can affect the acidity and depending on the filter, it may not actually filter out everything. You still need to know exactly what you are starting with.
The way most brewers use RO water is by getting it as close to zero as possible, then building up their water profile to meet their needs.
Diluting
If you want to simply reduce your water’s Chloride levels but not entirely remove it, one option is dilution. This involves using RO or distilled water to lower the concentration. For example, if your current water has a concentration of 200 ppm and you are wanting to lower it to 100 ppm, you’d cut it 1:1 assuming your other water source has 0 ppm.
This is a great method but every parameter in your water source will be changed, not just Chloride. So, make sure you test all your parameters after diluting to make sure they are still within acceptable ranges.
How to increase your water’s chloride levels
Chloride is typically added into water with the use of brewing salts. There are several compounds you can use based on what other minerals you are wanting to add to your water profile.
Calcium Chloride is commonly used since Calcium is commonly desired in brewing water and the combination is highly water soluble. This can be used as a solid or a liquid form.
Magnesium Chloride is also commonly used if magnesium also needs to be added into the water.
Occasionally table salt can be used in brewing if there is a small amount of sodium needed for the water profile. Table salt is technically sodium chloride so it will add chloride and sodium. But very small amounts should be used to avoid creating a overly salty profile.
Conclusion:
Chloride and the Sulfate to Chloride ratio can help bring out a beer’s natural maltiness and sweetness. Getting these minerals in the right amount can help you perfect a beer’s water profile.
