Pilsen brewing water profile
The water under Plzeň in Bohemia is astonishingly soft — nearly ion-free, closer to rainwater than to most city supplies. When Josef Groll brewed the first golden lager there in 1842, that emptiness was a large part of the result: with almost no sulfate to sharpen bitterness and no alkalinity to fight, the delicate Saaz hop and pale malt character could stand entirely on their own.
| Ion | Concentration (ppm) |
|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | 7 |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | 2 |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | 2 |
| Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) | 6 |
| Chloride (Cl⁻) | 5 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) | 15 |
Brewing with this profile
Brewing with water this soft demands attention to mash pH — with no buffering from the water, pale grists land close to their own distilled-water pH, and a small acid addition usually completes the job. Calcium is far below the level yeast prefer, so brewers often add a touch of CaCl₂ and accept a slightly less austere profile.
Suits: Czech Pilsner · German Pils · Helles
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).