Recieved My Water Profile back

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schiersteinbrewing

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I got the results of my water profile back. Looks like I'm going to need an RO system or buy RO/Distilled water.

ph 7.7
Sodium 151
potassium 12
calcium 116
magnesium 60
Total Hardness 540
nitrate (NO3-N) 5.9 >x4.43 = 26.134
sulfate (SO4-S) 93 > x3 = 279
chloride 297
carbonate <1
bicarbonate 236
total alkalinity 194
fluoride 1.6
iron .03
 
Sorry for your loss. RO or distilled water are in your future. A minimum of 1 to 1 dilution is required to bring that water's Mg and Na to reasonable levels.
 
In using the various water profile spreadsheets, and beersmith, to get the levels down enough, I have to go to 75% to 100% distilled or RO. My plan is to just use 100% distilled and build my water profile from there.

With in the next year we will hopefully be drilling a water well, maybe it will be better brewing water.
 
I never go to Midland but I do see big "water machines" on many corners in cities in Texas. I think the water is pretty bad for brewing in the whole state, for the most part!

Anyway, the last time I got water from the "water machine" in HEB, it was really cheap- like $2 for 5 gallons or so. It means lugging heavy containers home, but it would be a cheap fix for now. Reverse Osmosis water is perfect for brewing, with some minor additions, or you could use it for dilution for your current water.

I like those "drive up" water machines, so you can fill and put them right in your truck (or car) and not carry them out from HEB or Wal-mart.

Just a thought!
 
where and how much was the water testing? Would like to send mine in eventually.

I sent mine to Ward Labs (www.wardlab.com), it was $27.25 and was pretty quick. I printed and filled out their sample sheet, took a disposable water bottle, rinsed the bottle out several times with tap water, then filled it with tap water, wrote my name and test requested on the bottle, then wrapped electrical tape very tightly around the lid, packaged it and sent it off via USPS (about $8).

I have attached a snapshot of what they sent me to submit a sample.

wardlabsample1.jpg
 
I never go to Midland but I do see big "water machines" on many corners in cities in Texas. I think the water is pretty bad for brewing in the whole state, for the most part!

Anyway, the last time I got water from the "water machine" in HEB, it was really cheap- like $2 for 5 gallons or so. It means lugging heavy containers home, but it would be a cheap fix for now. Reverse Osmosis water is perfect for brewing, with some minor additions, or you could use it for dilution for your current water.

I like those "drive up" water machines, so you can fill and put them right in your truck (or car) and not carry them out from HEB or Wal-mart.

Just a thought!

Only thing coming out of the ground around here worth anything is oil and natural gas, and that business is booming. The cost of drilling a water well here is $30 per foot, water is anywhere from 150ft to 200ft down, and no guarantee you will hit water.

I was a little skeptical on the water coming out of those drive up machines being as you don't know how much they have been used and how often they change the membranes. However, it is the easiest and cheapest option. There is one of those ice and RO machines very close to me, I can get the ice for chilling and water for brewing in the same trip (20lbs ice for $2 and 5gal RO for $2).
 
That water profile really is impressively bad.

Managing my water profiles was one of the more dramatic changes to my beers and the water profile here wasn't that bad to begin with.


Your efforts will be dramatically rewarded, get after it.
 
That water profile really is impressively bad.

Managing my water profiles was one of the more dramatic changes to my beers and the water profile here wasn't that bad to begin with.


Your efforts will be dramatically rewarded, get after it.

I knew it was bad but I had no idea it was that bad until now. We stopped drinking it, even the dog gets bottled water.

You should see what that water does to the your brick, tubs/showers/sinks, pipes and faucets. CLR is our best friend.
 
where and how much was the water testing? Would like to send mine in eventually.

Most water utilities will be glad to send you a report if you ask. No guarantee's, but might be worth a try. The engineer at mine actually added me to her mailing list so I get a copy each time they do a full re test (once a year).
 
Only thing coming out of the ground around here worth anything is oil and natural gas, and that business is booming. The cost of drilling a water well here is $30 per foot, water is anywhere from 150ft to 200ft down, and no guarantee you will hit water.

I was a little skeptical on the water coming out of those drive up machines being as you don't know how much they have been used and how often they change the membranes. However, it is the easiest and cheapest option. There is one of those ice and RO machines very close to me, I can get the ice for chilling and water for brewing in the same trip (20lbs ice for $2 and 5gal RO for $2).

Well, one reason we stay out of Midland (and the surrounding areas) is because of all of the oil trucks on the road- traffic and crowding for sure. A friend told me she can't even find an apartment for rent in Midland under $2000/month!

You could get a cheap TDS (total dissolved solids) meter and check the RO water with that, and make sure it's low. That would be a cheap way to make sure the machine is maintained and working properly. I have a little aquarium test kit that tests Gh and kh, and that works for me to check my RO water but I bet the TDS meter is even cheaper and easier- you could check at the store before you fill your jug up!
 
Yikes!

At least you can buy cheap water and ice. Pricey and inconvenient near me.
I have a ion exchange resin softener setup on my home and it works well. I say the Noonan recommendation NOT to use such a system is not accurate based on my water test results. I also have a under sink RO system with a spigot up on the counter. These systems are inexpensive, but take up room. Mine can hold about 4 gallons, stored in tanks under the sink. For brewing I can use 100% RO that I gather the day before,storing in those plastic water carboys. The tanks regenerate at about 1 gal/hour or so. With the RO and the softened water, I can usually brew up most styles. Wish I could pull a full 5 gallons at once from my system for the RO though.

I think you could probably get a RO setup installed for $300 or less, possibly even $150 if you did some of the work yourself. I forgot what my setup cost.

TD
 
Most water utilities will be glad to send you a report if you ask. No guarantee's, but might be worth a try. The engineer at mine actually added me to her mailing list so I get a copy each time they do a full re test (once a year).

the water report for Pensacola, FL is freely available online from our utilities authority but it doesn't list any of the components a brewer would be interested in. I can tell you the ppm for Tetrachloroethylene and total coliform bacteria all day long but the calcium, magnesium, etc levels are not published.
 
the water report for Pensacola, FL is freely available online from our utilities authority but it doesn't list any of the components a brewer would be interested in. I can tell you the ppm for Tetrachloroethylene and total coliform bacteria all day long but the calcium, magnesium, etc levels are not published.

Have you made any phone calls? You can be assured they have the information you need, now it's just a question if there willing to share. Sounds like the information on the web is more of a PSA to let people know that the water is safe to drink. "Most" people wouldn't care about the mineral content, so why publish it?
 
Have you made any phone calls? You can be assured they have the information you need, now it's just a question if there willing to share. Sounds like the information on the web is more of a PSA to let people know that the water is safe to drink. "Most" people wouldn't care about the mineral content, so why publish it?

I shot them an e-mail but never got a response back. Guess I need to pick up the phone!
 
If was the same here. After several dead emails, I made the call. Ended up talking to multiple uninterested people (assume the same people that never answered my emails....) at the listed phone number before I was given the number to the treatment facility (not listed on there site). After that it's been smooth sail'n (emails are returned as well now that I have the "right" address)
 
If was the same here. After several dead emails, I made the call. Ended up talking to multiple uninterested people (assume the same people that never answered my emails....) at the listed phone number before I was given the number to the treatment facility (not listed on there site). After that it's been smooth sail'n (emails are returned as well now that I have the "right" address)

Your's is the typical response. People in the main office don't know squat about what we are looking for. You need to be talking with the water quality laboratory at the treatment plant to get the data we want. Since I'm an engineer that frequently deals with water utilities, I have an easier way in than most. With the post-9/11 security rules in the water business, some front office people are reluctant to give you information on their treatment side. If phone calls fail and you know where the treatment plant is, a trip to the front gate is worthwhile. They probably won't let you in, but they might give you the right phone number to call if you explain what you are looking for.
 
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