Is my water any good?

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Thundercougarfalconbird

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I got my ward lab report back, I know how to use beersmith's water calculator, but if someone could help me with some estimations to compare calculations I would really appreciate it. Can you tell me if my water is worth using or should I go back to distilled?
What adjustments do I need to get a nice german profile?(Alt, Dunkel, bock. I know pils is really soft and probably doesn't need the same additions)
What adjustments do I need for a dark beer?
What adjustments do I need for a light beer?
I'm brewing an IPA, a saison, and a Flanders red this week. What adjustments would you recommend for this?
Should I adjust my sparge water after mash-in? What do you recommend adding?

pH 8.1
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 133
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.22
Cations / Anions, me/L 2.1 / 2.4

ppm
Sodium, Na 6
Potassium, K < 1
Calcium, Ca 26
Magnesium, Mg 7
Total Hardness, CaCO3 94
Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 2
Chloride, Cl 3
Carbonate, CO3 6
Bicarbonate, HCO3 121
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 109
Total Phosphorus, P 0.80
Total Iron, Fe 0.01

Thanks for your time :mug:
 
I'd look into getting bruunwater. Offhand your calcium is a little low and bicarbs may be a touch high. There is some difference in the water you'd want for an alt or an ipa. Martin b makes it easier to understand and manipulate.
 
How would I go about decreasing my bicarbonate?
Also, any clue if the profiles on beersmith are worth mimicking? I need to hunt down stats for good simple American ale base water.
 
Diluting with RO or DI water is a great way to decrease your alkalinity. I've done that for a long time, and have been happy with the results. I use a little calcium chloride and/or gypsum to get the calcium where I need it.

You can try using brunwater, as well as posting in the Brew Science forum. We have some wonderful water geeks (meant in the most respectful way!) who are helping me to see the light in water chemistry and brewing, and they can help you as well.

In sort, my latest water treatments have been "less is more" and the beer is better for it! I'm not sure you'll find a good "American ale profile" that would work as a one-size-fits-all. But diluting your water with DI or RO water and modest additions of calcium chloride and/or gypsum would work out perfectly with your wate.
 
I actually just installed a filter so that should take care of that right?

Yea, I kinda posted on here with hopes one of the resident chemistry pro's would break things down for me. I have the beersmith calculator, but have been using 100% distilled water with acid malt and CaCl because I am overwhelmed by the chemistry. (And unsure of my goals, I liked to have things explained/shown to me rather than just accepting the information I'm given by a computer program)
 
Yes, but it is really minimal in your system... as far as your goals pick a beer you want to brew and use the ingredients to dictate how you will treat your water. If you are making something with enough dark malts perhaps you don't need to worry so much about adding acid malt. Tell me your grain bill for your IPA. I personally, and man I am NO EXPERT and just a hack but people seem to like my brews (even though their fav. brew is one of Yoopers recipies shhhh) use a spreadsheet I got on here a long time ago and it has served me well, you can find the link in the brew science forum about 2/3 the way down, it prob. should be pinned :) Say's TH's spreadsheet. I use that sheet, put in my grains and for my water that is very like your and depending upon what I'm brewing I adjust my water so the pH is in the target room temperature range and the Cl/SO4 ratio is where it should be for the style. I believe less is more and try not to use more than 2g of any salt to my water... my std. addition is 1.5g gypsum, 1.5g Calcium Chloride, and 1 ml lactic acid to ONLY the mash water... My bicarb is higher than yours and I find 1 mil of acid is easier than acid malt... Again, there are many roads to good beer, this is just mine, RO water built up is probably better but too much effort for me.

EZ Water Calculator 3.0 is now available: http://www.ezwatercalculator.com/
 
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