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Lodovico · 11-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Or does a Brita Faucet filter just basically remove chlorine??

I'm using Palmer's water adjusting spreadsheet for the first time and I don't know if I need to factor in the fact that I will be filtering the tap water that I use and if I need to adjust any of the other numbers in my profile because of this.

Anyone?

**Bobby_M** · 11-12-2009, 06:04 PM

One of the members in my club sent a filtered and unfiltered sample to Wardlab and the filter removed very little by way of mineral ions.

Unfiltered:
Sodium (Na) 30
Calcium (Ca) 36
Magnesium (Mg) 11
Total Hardness (CaCo3) 136
Sulfate (SO4-S) 17
Chloride (Cl) 52
Carbonate (CO3) < 1
Bicarbonate (HCO3) 76
Total Alkalinity (CaCO3) 62

tap water was sampled post sediment/charcoal filter.
Sodium (Na) 29
Calcium (Ca) 32
Magnesium (Mg) 11
Total Hardness (CaCo3) 126
Sulfate (SO4-S) 14
Chloride (Cl) 50
Carbonate (CO3) 9
Bicarbonate (HCO3) 70
Total Alkalinity (CaCO3) 72

**KYB** · 11-12-2009, 06:11 PM

Was that with a normal Brita type filter or some other filter? Interesting nonetheless.

Lodovico · 11-12-2009, 06:26 PM

That is more impact on the profile then I would have guessed. That makes building water a little more confusing.

**Bobby_M** · 11-12-2009, 06:53 PM

He used one of those whole house canisters with a 2x10" carbon filter in it. I don't think it makes anything confusing. Just assume it drops your carbonate and hardness by 5-10ppm as a rule.

Lodovico · 11-12-2009, 07:14 PM

When you add Calcium Chloride or Gypsum to your water, does it matter when you add it. Like if I filter my water for the mash and let it sit out the night before I brew, can I add the CC and Gypsum that night or should I wait until the next day when they are heated or what?? I've never adjusted my mash water before.

Thanks.

**Bobby_M** · 11-12-2009, 07:31 PM

It's got to go right into the mash when the pH has been lowered. I dough in, then stir in the salts.

Eigenmusic · 11-12-2009, 08:35 PM

I use http://www.watermillexpress.com/ water and make sure a do a 15-30 minute acid rest at 99F~108F.

So far, there has been nothing unusual about my brews that couldn't be explained by stupid mistakes [old/not enough hops made my hefe taste like a BMC (also overcarbed), demerara sugar for priming make my tripel taste fruity (tasted perfect before bottling), 8-hour mash made my porter more bitter than I'd wanted (but /very/ fulll-bodied, so good in the end)].