Water Report

I recently found a water report online for my local area, I don't really know much about water, and am trying to get better. Is there anyway you guys can take a look at this report at the following link. I don't really know what I need to be looking for, like what is chlorine listed as? I see my PH is like 8.2. Should I get a filter, and just start filtering all my water? I really appreciate any help I can get.

http://www.mustangwater.com/images/2009_MSUD_CCR.pdf

I'm not an expert on water myself, but I've actually been trying to learn more myself. I had issues with using water with a higher chlorine content (3.3 ppm) to sanitize bottles, which led to an off flavor (though brewing with it was fine). On the report there it's listed as "Chlorine Residual Free" and at 1.5, from my experience, is fine. PH matters, but it's greatly affected by the grains you add to the mash, and 8.2 isn't too far off. Check this out...

http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-1.html

While I go take a look at your report, go download TH's "EZ Water Calculator" from here:
http://www.ezwatercalculator.com/

It's one of the easier calculators to use...

okay... your water report is terrible. First thing I would do is call your water district and ask for a detailed report. They probably have something more specific than the one you've tracked down. The problem is that there are very broad ranges for some of the ciritcal components. Do you have seasons with significant rain or run-off? Does the water district draw from more than one source throughout the year?

My suggestion is to go to Ward Labs and have a water test done. Speciifically, get this test: W-6 Household Mineral Test ($16.50). It tests for the following:
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Carbonate
Bicarbonate
Chloride Sulfate
Nitrate
Electrical Conductivity
Est. Total Dissolved Solids
pH
Total Hardness (Lime)
Total Alkalinity

Ward can be found here: http://www.wardlab.com/

I'd be interested to hear the answers to the questions I posed.

Many of these results are reported on the last page of the document he posted - but, yes, the variance is significant.

Overall this is not a horrible water profile. The total alkalinity is high. This is contributing to the high pH. You will likely run into problems with lighter beers that don't contain a lot of crystal or dark malts. If your mash pH isn't in the optimal pH range of 5.2-5.7, you can add calcium to bring it down. I like to use gypsum (calcium sulfate) to get good pH because it also adds sulfate, which accentuates hop bitterness in my pale ales. With darker beers I don't bother with water adjustment since the dark malts drop pH on their own.

As for chlorine, I've found that a simple undersink charcoal filter does wonders. They strip out the vast majority of chlorine and chloramine. You should be able to find one for about $30 at your local hardware store, and they're easy to install.

I agree with PearsonFam's concern, though, about seasonal variation. Here in Chicago the water tastes funny when it rains hard after a dry spell. The water profile undoubtedly changes temporarily when that happens. I don't know what the climate is in your part of Texas, but if your water source is subject to seasonal flooding or runoff you're gonna see these large variances.

SickTransitMundus said:

Actually, many of these results are reported on the last page of the document he posted.

Overall this is not a horrible water profile.

Click to expand...

Concur that the water isn't that bad, but look at the average/min/max values reported. There are some drastic swings from the min to max values. Also, look at the dates. I mean, 2006??? Really? I'd ask for something more current and detailed. My local water report looks like this: http://www.norfolk.gov/utilities/quality/WQAMB4th10.PDF
and they do water analysis quarterly.

oops... looks like we were responding at the same time there...

SickTransitMundus said:

I agree with PearsonFam's concern, though, about seasonal variation. Here in Chicago the water tastes funny when it rains hard after a dry spell. The water profile undoubtedly changes temporarily when that happens. I don't know what the climate is in your part of Texas, but if your water source is subject to seasonal flooding or runoff you're gonna see these large variances.

Click to expand...

yes, exactly... Some places actually draw from springs when the water table is high and then shift to reservoirs when the springs are no longer viable.

Thanks guys I'll email them and see what I can get out of them.

Update: I took the advise of other on this forum and emailed them telling them that I am a homebrewer, and what all I needed. Hopefully I will get good results!

cool... Good luck. Come back and ask more questions if you need more guidance.

Well, here's what I got in response:

"The 2009 report is the most current report. The 2010 report will go out in July.
If there are any questions, you can contact our Operations Manager, Aldo Zamora. His # is (940)440-9561 extension 109"

NOT what the kind of answer I was looking for. If I do call Aldo, what type of specific questions should I ask him? or should I just say screw it and buy a cheap water filter and just filter all my water for brewing, throw in some ph5.2 buffer and be good?

Deuce said:

Well, here's what I got in response:

"The 2009 report is the most current report. The 2010 report will go out in July.
If there are any questions, you can contact our Operations Manager, Aldo Zamora. His # is (940)440-9561 extension 109"

NOT what the kind of answer I was looking for. If I do call Aldo, what type of specific questions should I ask him? or should I just say screw it and buy a cheap water filter and just filter all my water for brewing, throw in some ph5.2 buffer and be good?

Click to expand...

try to get a TDS range from Aldo... If it's above 250 or so I would consider filtering or using distilled water for brewing.

I'd ask him if the water varies greatly throughout the year. If it does, why? Do they have any historical data from several samples throughout the year?

Basically, you want to know why there are such large swings in the concentrations of key components. Once he tells you why, ask him if he has a way to predict. Tell him why you're interested.