Munich brewing water profile
Munich water is carbonate-rich — nearly 300 ppm bicarbonate against modest calcium — which made pale beer difficult and pushed the city toward the amber and dark lagers it became famous for. The acidity of Munich and darker malts balances the water’s alkalinity in the mash, a pairing of local water and local malt that defined Dunkel and Bock centuries before anyone could explain the chemistry.
| Ion | Concentration (ppm) |
|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | 77 |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | 17 |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | 4 |
| Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) | 18 |
| Chloride (Cl⁻) | 8 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) | 295 |
Brewing with this profile
Reach for this profile when brewing malty amber-to-dark lagers whose grists carry real acidity. Used with a pale grist it will push mash pH high — brewwtr’s carbonate model shows the effect directly — so either the grain bill or an acid addition has to do the balancing.
Suits: Munich Dunkel · Bock · Märzen
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).