I'm an extract brewer and I usually use municipal water (adjusted with gypsum and campden) and that works just fine. But a nearby town has several natural mineral water springs that produce waters that have flavor components (almost citrus-y) that I'm thinking might be a nice complement to some beer styles.
I was able to obtain the water profiles for all of the springs. The Calcium and Sulfate levels are pretty much in line with the Burton-on-Trent water profile, and one spring in particular actually has a high level of Lithium (!), but I noticed that the Bicarbonates are astronomical (ranging from 951ppm-2,180ppm!). Is this a total no-go? Or since I'm not mashing would I be okay?
There is one brewery several miles from there that uses water from one of the 7 springs to make an IPA (which I haven't had yet), but I'm not sure if they dilute it with water from another source first. I've read in some places that high alkalinity is okay in darker beers, but not so much in others. Any input would be appreciated.
I was able to obtain the water profiles for all of the springs. The Calcium and Sulfate levels are pretty much in line with the Burton-on-Trent water profile, and one spring in particular actually has a high level of Lithium (!), but I noticed that the Bicarbonates are astronomical (ranging from 951ppm-2,180ppm!). Is this a total no-go? Or since I'm not mashing would I be okay?
There is one brewery several miles from there that uses water from one of the 7 springs to make an IPA (which I haven't had yet), but I'm not sure if they dilute it with water from another source first. I've read in some places that high alkalinity is okay in darker beers, but not so much in others. Any input would be appreciated.