Question about Water for first All Grain Batch

Here is the profile: (all in ppm) HAYS, KANSAS!

Calcium 18
Magnesium 17
Sulfate 270
Sodium 210
Chloride 170
CaCO3 (Hardness) 120

Available here: http://www.haysusa.com/2009_CCR_for_200 ... r_year.pdf

I should note that the water here in town tastes like garbage. My first purchase after moving in was a Brita.

From John Palmer's worksheet I estimated that 1 gram of Calcium Chloride ( CaCl2*2H2O ) and 1 gram of Epsom Salt ( MgSO4 *7H2O ) will take care of almost any style of beer I want to make (the worksheet gave me my output as "balanced").

Palmer's worksheet here: http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/Palme ... _ver2d.xls

For my first all grain I'm thinking of making an Irish Red and targeting an SRM of 13. I never worried about the water for extract batches because everyone told me that it wasn't really worth it.

Here are my questions:
1. Am I right in guessing that those two additions will get me into the ball game no matter what type of beer? Anytime I adjust the SRM in his worksheet, I get "balanced" as my output with those two additions.
2. Should I simply purchase bottled spring water for this? I can get 5 gallons of water at Wally World for $2.
3. If i do decide to go with the Spring Water, how can I get a water report of Culligan's in Western Kansas so I can figure out what to add? Just call up the local shop?
4. Instead of buying Culligan water at the store, should I just have them put in a treatment thingee in my apartment? Or should I go with an "on faucet" type filter?

Also, the local brewpub apparently hauls their water in from someplace, though we haven't yet figured out from where. They have a "water truck" explicitly devoted to that.

Can you get cheap distilled or RO water at w.world? Your SO4 is kinda high there, not crazy high but high, you might consider dillution. As far as adding salts, your amounts seem fine... I have to add about 7g of total combined salts to get my water in shape and the brew comes out great.

From Palmer

Sulfate (SO4-2)
Molecular Weight = 96.0
Equivalent Weight = 48.0
Brewing Range = 50-150 ppm for normally bitter beers, 150-350 ppm for very bitter beers
The sulfate ion also combines with Ca and Mg to contribute to permanent hardness. It accentuates hop bitterness, making the bitterness seem drier, more crisp. At concentrations over 400 ppm however, the resulting bitterness can become astringent and unpleasant, and at concentrations over 750 ppm, it can cause diarrhea. Sulfate is only weakly alkaline and does not contribute to the overall alkalinity of water.

I agree with the 1st response. Your sodium and sulfate are too high. Those two together are bad news.

I would use distilled or RO water.

Hays water does taste like garbage.

GO TIGERS Fort Hays State Class of '99

Move her to Olathe Voted best water in the state

Garbage in, garbage out.