Adding Salt To Homebrew Beer

Sprinkle a little salt into your homebrew for added flavor.

Many homebrewers overlook the use of a salt as a flavor additive for their beer. Salt is arguably the single most versatile seasoning on the planet; it can be added to soups, sauces, pastas, sandwiches, burgers, chicken, and practically any other food or beverage you can think of. It’s even used in most sodas (check the nutrition label and you’ll see sodium listed). Using salt in your homebrew beer will help bring out the positive flavors while adding a unique element to its natural characteristics.

Benefits of Adding Salt To Homebrew Beer:

• Compliments the sweet flavors of the malt.
• Creates a more palatable aftertaste.
• Great way to balance an overly sweet beer.
• Can make a world of difference in the overall flavor of homebrew beer.
• Inexpensive and easy ingredient to add.
• Doesn’t interfere with the normal fermentation process of the yeast.
• Brews down so there’s no grainy remains left behind.

Check Your Water Report!

Before you begin pouring table salt into your brew, you should first check your water report. Assuming you are using tap water — not distilled water — there’s a good chance that it already contains at least some salt. Most municipal water systems in the U.S. provide customers with a water report each year, revealing levels of sodium, chlorine and various other elements. If you no longer have this report, contact your respective water company to request one.

When you’re reading the water report, you’ll notice the elements are measured in parts-per-million (PPM). Anything less than 10 PPM for sodium is low, whereas anything above 75 is high. Pay close attention to the sodium levels in your water, and if it’s below 10 PPM, add some table salt to your homebrew beer.

Use The ‘Right’ Salt

If you’re going to add salt to your homebrew beer, stick with 100% all-natural salt with no iodine or other additives. Don’t assume that all salt is the same, because it’s not. Some companies add various chemicals, colorings or other additives in an attempt to make their product stand out from the rest. Unfortunately, these additives can negatively impact the characteristics of homebrew beer.

Check the label on your salt to ensure it’s the real deal. As long as it has a single ingredient — salt — it should be safe to use. Start by adding a very small amount to your brew and gradually adding more as you see fit.