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Location:

Ireland

What it does :

The Dublin water profile has a high temporary hardness. It is also known for containing moderately low levels of sulfates. The ratio of sulfates to chloride is 10 which, if not adjusted for brewing, will contribute to a beer that may be extremely bitter for a given hopping rate. The estimated range of beer color that you can brew with this water profile is from amber brown to ruby brown. Representative ion levels for the Dublin water profile are shown below.

What it is:

The city of Dublin is located in Ireland. Dublin was first established as a settlement by the Vikings in the 9th century. It is split into a northside-southside divide by the River Liffey. The smaller Tolka and Dodder Rivers also run through the city. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of water from the Dublin area to understand its suitability for brewing beer.

Vital Statistics

How it works:

For brewing purposes, knowing the ion profile of your water is important for four main reasons:

Treating your source water supply is largely needed only for all-grain brewing, since malt extract manufacturers account for the necessary water chemistry in making the extract for you. However, if you use a large percentage of specialty grains in an extract brew, that may make water treatment necessary.

Dosage:

Use our Water Treatment calculator to compute the types and amounts of additives needed to modify your base water to mimic the Dublin brewing water profile. Knowing the starting ion levels present in your source water supply is important so that you do not overcompensate with additives. You should be able to get this data for your source water from your local water company.

Preparation:

To imitate the Dublin water profile, we recommend that you begin with distilled water. Then, consider selecting from additives like gypsum, Epsom salts, non-iodized canning salt, baking soda, calcium chloride, and chalk. First determine which of these additives, and how much of each, that you need to modify your local water to meet the target Dublin water profile. Then, put these additives in the mash, not the plain base water, or some may not dissolve. Monitor the pH of the mash during these additions to ensure that it remains between 5 to 5.5, which is optimal for desired enzyme activity.

Because of water losses that occur throughout the brewing process, you will need more water than your intended batch size. Use our Water Required calculator to determine how much brewing water you'll need from start to finish of your next batch of beer.