I've always heard that Chicago water was great for dark beers. While I had a general understanding of why, it never translated into adjusting the water for my light and hoppy beers. I finally broke down and decided to play around play with my water. There was a huge improvement in hop flavor. These water modifiers much more affordable compared to other items I have purchased for this hobby. Once you get the basics of your process, recipes and fermentation down, I highly recommend giving water modification a shot.I've always heard that Chicago water was great for dark beer and never gave much thought to adjusting my water for them. I finally broke down after being disappointed by a mild with a muddled flavor and decided to play around play with my water. I found that my chloride levels were close, but not perfect. I brewed an Irish stout that I've made a few times, only this time I added some calcium chloride and I honestly believe this is the best stout I have ever made. The chocolate malt seems to stand out more than I remember in the other batches.