Brewers, Don’t Be Afraid of Sulfate

A number of brewers have been indoctrinated into the thought that sulfate is rarely desirable in brewing water. The lore is that the beers will be too bitter, harsh, and the taste of noble hops will be degraded. This discussion will help dispel these notions.

Noted brewing scholar, David Taylor authored a chapter in a recent brewing text that included a mention of the sulfate/chloride ratio. He used the terms "malty" and "bitter" in discussing that ratio. In my opinion, he did a great disservice to the brewing community with that use. An older text, "Malting and Brewing Science", discusses that ratio, however it used the terms "fullness" and "dryness" to describe the effects of those ions.

After reviewing the effect of those ions on my own, I agree much more with the later description. That is especially apparent for the effect of high sulfate where it is not truly enhancing bitterness. In fact, the sulfate content is enhancing the dryness of the finish and that allows the bittering to be more noticeable. But, this is an important point that is applicable to malty beers too. A lack of sulfate can leave the finish of a beer too full or malty, possibly leaving the drinker with a sweet or cloying finish.

Concentrating on including only chloride in a beer can leave the brewer with a beer that does not dry out enough. And one thing I have found in almost every great commercial beer is that they dry out 'adequately' and don't leave the drinker with a cloying palate. Sulfate IS NOT a bad component when it comes to brewing. Just be sure to use it appropriately.

I suggest that providing a minimum sulfate level of around 40 ppm can help many beers (even malty ones) dry out adequately in the finish and produce a more palatable and pleasing beer.

I use 300 ppm sulfate in my hoppy beers regularly. It is the secret to having a hoppy beer that 'pops' as mentioned above. However, that doesn't mean that all drinkers will appreciate that level. I am enjoying a pale ale that I purposely brewed with only 100 ppm sulfate to check the effect. It is a fine beer, but it does lack the pop that I'm used to. I suggest that a sulfate level in the 100 to 300 ppm range will be admired by a wide range of drinkers...you just need to find what pleases you.

Don't be afraid of sulfate!