Pale & Balanced water profile

A style-based profile for pale beers that want roundness rather than a hard mineral edge — sulfate and chloride near parity, moderate calcium for yeast health and clarity, and low alkalinity so a pale grist reaches mash pH range with only a modest acid addition.

Pale & Balanced — ion concentrations
IonConcentration (ppm)
Calcium (Ca²⁺)80
Magnesium (Mg²⁺)8
Sodium (Na⁺)15
Sulfate (SO₄²⁻)120
Chloride (Cl⁻)100
Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻)40
Alkalinity 33 ppm CaCO₃ Residual alkalinity -29 ppm Hardness 233 ppm SO₄:Cl 1.2 — Balanced

Brewing with this profile

A safe starting point for most pale ales, blondes, and hop-forward lagers. It flatters both malt and hops without pushing either; drift sulfate up or chloride up from here as the beer tells you.

Suits: Pale ale · Blonde ale · Hoppy lager

Brew with this profile →

The calculator loads this target, compares it against your source water ion by ion, and computes the mineral and acid additions to close the gap — with a live mash pH prediction.

Historical city profiles are factual water chemistry compiled from published references (Palmer & Kaminski, Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers, 2013, and the historical brewing literature). Style-based profiles are brewwtr originals derived from published style guidance. Derived values use Kolbach's residual alkalinity (1953).