I am wondering if I should add any gypsum to an IPA that I'm brewing today. My hardness, as well as I can tell from the fish tank test strips I have, is about 250.

American 2 row, Munich, and crystal 60 in the malt.
All the homegrown hops I can fit in the kettle, nugget, cascade, willamette, chinook.
S-05 for the yeasties.

I am looking for this to be a hop bomb and will dry hop with the chinook as they are from the oldest bines and have the piniest aroma. Should I worry about the gypsum? I have only added it to one batch to date and it was early on in my brewing follies so I can't pick out if it did anything.

I am also considering a double sach rest 145 for 40 min and 158 for 20 with the hopes of getting a nice dry ale. Any insights?

Thanks for all the great direction.

my personal opinion/taste is that gypsum will smooth out the hops and make it less dry. That might allow you to add more bitterness; but it seems like you'd instead want more salt and/or calcium chloride-- Aren't those the minerals that accent hop bitterness? (check my homework guys, it's been a while)

Really, you need to get your water tested from wardlab.com. It's probably around $20 nowadays. Only then can you really make a good decision when altering your water.

i've always heard gypsum is for hoppy beer and chloride is for dark beers

BryansBrew thanks for the wardlab.com tip I have dying to know my water profile but didn't know where to go. I went without the gypsum but did the double sach rest.

BryansBrew, I believe you have it backwards. Gypsum will leave a dryer mouthfeel therefore letting the hops come out. Calcium Chloride/ Salt will give a slicker mouthfeel and bring the maltyness to the front.

+1 "Really, you need to get your water tested from wardlab.com. It's probably around $20 nowadays. Only then can you really make a good decision when altering your water."

I'm considering building my water from distilled or RO for each brew

"I'm considering building my water from distilled or RO for each brew "

And that could justify possesion of a still.

I should have checked my tech reference. It's right next to me...

Gypsum is Calcium and Sulfate.

Calcium aids in extraction of bittering principles
and Sulphates lend a dry/sharp character & accentuates hops.

You guys are right. I was thinking Gypsum was more like Chalk/Carbonates. I guess I've been doing too much drywall lately

FYI:
http://kotmf.com/articles/waterchem.php