Water quality question (sulphate content)

Hey all,

Was asked to post in this sub forum instead given the content/nature of the question so here it is:

I have searched high and low and can't find anyone on this forum who has really posted anything specific about a higher than desirable sulphate content.

I have a feeling that my municipal water (other than Chlorine content) would be great for my favourite style of beer. IPA/APA. My only concern is actually my sulphate content, and how to deal with it.

Here is the water quality report:

Calcium: 50 ppm
Magnesium: 26 ppm
Sodium: 73 ppm
Chloride: 28 ppm
Sulphate: 223 ppm
Alkalinity (CaCO3): 136 ppm

Any suggestions on how to deal specifically with the sulfate? I could cut it with RO, but it would compromise the rest of the mineral profile. I could add CaCl2 to get my Chloride/Sulphate ratio up, but my Chloride and Calcium content gets all out of whack (210 and 153 ppm respectively).

So.

Any suggestions as to how to deal with it reasonably without compromising the rest of the mineral profile? Or if I'm off base and should use half RO please advise. Would love it if you could point me in the right direction here.

Thanks in advance!!

eh1bbq said:

Hey all,
Here is the water quality report:

Calcium: 50 ppm
Magnesium: 26 ppm
Sodium: 73 ppm
Chloride: 28 ppm
Sulphate: 223 ppm
Alkalinity (CaCO3): 136 ppm

Any suggestions on how to deal specifically with the sulfate? I could cut it with RO, but it would compromise the rest of the mineral profile. I could add CaCl2 to get my Chloride/Sulphate ratio up, but my Chloride and Calcium content gets all out of whack (210 and 153 ppm respectively).

So.

Any suggestions as to how to deal with it reasonably without compromising the rest of the mineral profile? Or if I'm off base and should use half RO please advise. Would love it if you could point me in the right direction here.

Thanks in advance!!

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If it were me, I would go with the half RO option.
YES, it will drop your other minerals by 50% BUT it will drop the sulfate as well.
The sodium could stand to be cut in half anyway.

Then just minimal additions of some basic stuff and you could build them all back up to preferred levels.
I personally do not put much value in the Cl / SO4 ratio (that advice was extruded from this very subforum)

I use the Pale Ale profile from BrunWater (which has the SO4 levels up higher than what would be considered acceptable)
I have had success with this level with some brews and no so much with others

By all means though, cut with RO (does not have to be 50% btw)

Thanks brewkinger. Appreciate the insight. Especially on the ratio. I'll do some more research on that side of things. I was hoping to use just municipal water but if I can't then I can't

eh1bbq said:

I was hoping to use just municipal water but if I can't then I can't

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Oh by all means, you can do that too.....

The only mineral that is questionable (at least for my liking) is the sodium.

The salty flavor can easily become problematic.

Other than that, the rest looks just fine.

Don't worry about the chloride/sulfate ratio. Focus more on your target concentrations of each.

A ratio is meaningless....

2:1 could mean 20ppm to 10ppm, or 400ppm to 200ppm. Both of these are 2:1, but both are undesirable.

A ~50% RO/DI dilution would make your water pretty good for pales and IPA's. You'll cut that sodium and some of the alkalinity, and you can add back your calcium, chloirde, and sulfate through CaCl and gypsum additions.

Thanks very much for the info all! Sincerely appreciate the quick responses and help.

Thanks all for the replies. All of this being said, if my math is correct and my brain is functioning, in theory if I cut 50% with RO or Distilled, I could pretty much make anything I wanted. That's well and good, but what would be best suited given the existing water quality?

Yea, you've got way to much alkalinity, unless you're adjusting with acid, never mind the sodium. Honestly id just use ro, since you'll have to dilute by half. At least.

That water is best suited to styles such as PA or IPA due to the high sulfate. It is not well suited to anything else. The suggested dilution with RO is reasonable. While the sodium is high, its not too high. It won't make the beer salty. The thing I'm most worried about is the somewhat high sodium coupled with the high sulfate. That can create poor flavor.

You really do need to consider dilution or replacement to fix the faults present in that water.

Okay. Thanks again. Given that it IS best suited to do PA or IPA, i would dilute approx 25-50% and adjust up from there. However, if I wanted to brew, say, a porter or a stout, would I still dilute by 50% and go up from there? That seems to make sense to me.

eh1bbq said:

Okay. Thanks again. Given that it IS best suited to do PA or IPA, i would dilute approx 25-50% and adjust up from there. However, if I wanted to brew, say, a porter or a stout, would I still dilute by 50% and go up from there? That seems to make sense to me.

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For a stout, you've got about the right level of alkalinity, maybe a touch high. Starting at 50% dilution should work, though.

Do you live in Regina by chance?

I would personally brew an IPA with that water while only adjusting for pH. One batch, see how it comes out, and decide from there. If successful, try an APA the same way, and decide from there. It's only beer . As martin said, other styles are more problematic but IPA/APA territory is possible. It's just a matter if you like what comes out the other end.

gregwb said:

Do you live in Regina by chance?

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I may....

stpug said:

I would personally brew an IPA with that water while only adjusting for pH. One batch, see how it comes out, and decide from there. If successful, try an APA the same way, and decide from there. It's only beer . As martin said, other styles are more problematic but IPA/APA territory is possible. It's just a matter if you like what comes out the other end.

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Thanks. I am leaning to cutting by 25 or 50% RO and go from there. I may also try a full batch with straight muni water, the addition of a campden shouldn't hit the SO4 content that hard.

eh1bbq said:

I may....

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Nice... We share the same water.

What I've been doing for 5 gallon BIAB batches for a typical beer is 5 US gallons of RO water (I get mine at CO-OP for $2. Canadian tire has the refill stations too for a little bit cheaper) and 3.x gallons of tap water. Then I add 5 or 6 grams of CaCl2 to get close to the balanced profile.

For hoppy beers, I use 2.5 gallons of RO and the rest as tap water. 4ish grams of CaCl2. I haven't been brewing for long but these numbers seemed to work out pretty well using BrunWater and Brewersfriends calcs and have all turned out pretty good up to this point.

gregwb said:

Nice... We share the same water.

What I've been doing for 5 gallon BIAB batches for a typical beer is 5 US gallons of RO water (I get mine at CO-OP for $2. Canadian tire has the refill stations too for a little bit cheaper) and 3.x gallons of tap water. Then I add 5 or 6 grams of CaCl2 to get close to the balanced profile.

For hoppy beers, I use 2.5 gallons of RO and the rest as tap water. 4ish grams of CaCl2. I haven't been brewing for long but these numbers seemed to work out pretty well using BrunWater and Brewersfriends calcs and have all turned out pretty good up to this point.

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You part of ALES at all? I'm looking at joining.

Thanks for the info and reference points. I will be using these

eh1bbq said:

You part of ALES at all? I'm looking at joining.

Thanks for the info and reference points. I will be using these

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I haven't done Ales club yet. Maybe some day...

Dupe