Sulfate
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Sulfate (SO42-) is an ion naturally present in water and juice.
Sulfate should not be confused with Sulfite or Sulfide.
Sulfate can make the hop bitterness more assertive, astringent, or dryer.[1][2] Anecdotally, 50ppm is considered to be the minimum level to affect flavor. At high levels (especially over 400ppm) it reduces the quality of the bitterness and will taste minerally, and unpleasant. Many brewers prefer to avoid sulfate entirely (particularly in lagers) because sulfate "ruins" the soft noble hop character in these styles. Levels above 500ppm should probably be avoided.
Brewers may wish to add sulfate to the brewing water in the form of calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate, depending on whether calcium or magnesium are desired. Sulfate is also a product of the metabisulfite salts used for low oxygen brewing.
High sulfate levels and dark beers are "not particularly a good marriage". The effects are a drying and astringent finish.[3]
Esslinger suggests to maintain sulfate below 150ppm due to the dry bitterness.[4]
Sulphate ions (SO4 2-, m. wt. 96.07); sulphate is the major counter ion to calcium and magnesium ions in permanently hard water. The ion contributes a drier, more bitter flavour to beers that should be balanced by appropriate amounts of chloride ions.[5] Acceptable sulphate concentrations are in the range 10–250 mg/litre.
Ions of SO4 2− impart dryness/astringency to beer and also increase the bitterness palate and after-palate, even at constant iso-humulone levels.1,16,18,19 Again, these effects become more pronounced as the concentration increases from 200 to 400 mg/L.[6]
Sulfate is generally held as the dryness ion. In the UK, sulfate is the ion favored in ales whereas chloride is favored in lagers. It is thought to enhance hop bitterness and provide a dryer finish. Some believe sulfate acts in tandem with chloride and the dryness/sweetness balance of the beer is affected by the ratio of the two ions. [7]
Sulfate ion has a dry and bitter effect on the palate.[8]
Sulfates positively affect protein and starch degradation, which favors mash filtration and trub sedimentation. However, if the levels are too high, it may result in poor hop utilization (bitterness will not easily be extracted). Sulfates can lend a dry, crisp palate to the finished beer, but if used in excess, the finished beer will have a harsh, salty, and laxative character. The composition of the beer type or beer brand plays an important role in the taste threshold value (TTV). The TTV of CaSO 4 in a German lager is 430.5 mg/l, while in wheat beer it is 114.04 mg/l ( Schoenberger et al., 2002). Sulfate is absorbed by yeast cells during fermentation (Kunze, 2004 ).[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ Palmer, J. and Kaminski, C. Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers. Brewers Publications, 2013.
- ↑ Eumann, M. and Schildbach, S. "125th Anniversary Review: Water sources and treatment in brewing." J. Inst. Brew., 2012, vol. 118, pp. 12-21.
- ↑ Fix, George. Principles of Brewing Science. 2nd ed., Brewers Publications, 1999.
- ↑ Krottenthaler M, Glas K. Brew water. In: Esslinger HM, ed. Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; 2009.
- ↑ Briggs DE, Boulton CA, Brookes PA, Stevens R. Brewing Science and Practice. Woodhead Publishing Limited and CRC Press LLC; 2004.
- ↑ Taylor DG. Water. In: Stewart GG, Russell I, Anstruther A, eds. Handbook of Brewing. 3rd ed. CRC Press; 2017.
- ↑ Howe S. Raw materials. In: Smart C, ed. The Craft Brewing Handbook. Woodhead Publishing; 2019.
- ↑ Comrie AA. Brewing liquor—a review. J Inst Brew. 1967;73(4):335–346.
- ↑ Montanari L, Mayer H, Marconi O, Fantozzi P. Chapter 34: Minerals in beer. In: Preedy VR, ed. Beer in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press; 2009:359–365.