Water report thread 1 Billion. Please give me your thoughts

[Flaviking]

Hey Guys,

Thanks in advance for taking another look at a water report thread. I've read the Water primer sticky and just want to double check what I'm thinking.

Here is my report from Ward labs:

pH: 8.5
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) EST, ppm: 159
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm: 0.26
Cations/ Anions, me/L: 2.1/2.3

All values in PPM:

Sodium, Na: 23
Potassium, K: 2
Calcium, Ca: 18
Magnesium, Mg: 3
Total Hardness, CaCO3: 58
Nitrate, NO3-N: 0.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S: 5
Chloride, Cl: 38
Corbonate, CO3: 6
Bicarbonate, HCO3: 41
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3: 44

After reading the primer, I'm assuming I need to take the following steps:

1) Dilute my tap water for an 8 gallon total water as so. 6 gallon tap: 2 gallons RO/DI to get to the baseline.
2) Depending on the beer:

Blonde/Pils/Heffe: add 1/2 tsp calcium chloride and add about 3% sauermalz to my grist

Roasted malt: do nothing, water should be in range after dilution.

British beers: Add 1 tsp gypsum as well as 1 tsp calcium chloride

For very minerally beers (Export, Burton ale): Double the calcium chloride and the gypsum.

I've been adding Campden tablets to basically all my heated water... 1 tablet for about 3 gallons or so (basically mash and sparge amounts, for each step)

lastly, Maybe a dumb question.. but would a water filter help avoid having to buy the RO water every time?

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

[Ramitt]

I've been adding Campden tablets to basically all my heated water... 1 tablet for about 3 gallons or so (basically mash and sparge amounts, for each step).

1 tab is good for like 20 gallons.

 

[acidrain]

Easiest thing to do is put your profile into an on-line calculator like brewers friend, enter your grain bill and style, then play with the additions...

 

[Flaviking]

1 tab is good for like 20 gallons.

lol.. I realize its overkill... but I've read it doesn't do any harm if you use to much.. So i figure its just easier than trying to cut those tiny pills and basically ending up with powder anyways.

 

[uatuba]

Dude...get the chlorine and heavy metals out and brew your damn beer. I guarantee in a blind taste test you wouldn't be able to tell a difference between the doctored water and the tap water with a simple chlorine/heavy metal treatment.

 

[Flaviking]

How do I get the heavy metals out? boiling?

 

[uatuba]

Just use activated carbon to filter the water, then add campden tablets to neutralize the chlorine or chloramine. I know some people like tinkering with their brew water because it gives them more beer related stuff to do. But I think there are other improvements that will have an actual pronounced effect one can make in his brewing as long as the water is filtered and and dechlorinated for 99% of the municipal water supplies, yours included.