Milwaukee water - AG

[idigg]

Any of you lads from milwaukee? I use milwaukee water and beer seems to turn out well, but takes forever to clear even with whirlfloc. Any recommendations for water treatment for milwaukee tap water? Just looking to make better beer and want to start with my water.

Thanks!
Justin

 

[Reno]

Well, you can usually get a water report from you water company. I would not want to recommend a treatement without that information.

That being said, Calcium is important for floccuation. Use Calcium Chloride for malty beers and Calcium Sulfate (gypsum) for hoppy beers.

Like I said get a water report. But, if the yeast are not floccuating, figure there is little calcium in there and adjust accordingly.

 

[Pumbaa]

Milwaukee has VERY hard water. I never got a water report but I remember when I was running my salt water tanks it was a BEAST to get it down to a useable level.

As for beer I've never ran into a problem and I am over on your side of town (92 and OK)

 

[motobrewer]

don't know exact numbers, but in general its fairly soft. you should talk to the guys at Northern Brewer. i'm sure they know exactly what's in it, and they'll probably hand you a copy of the report. you could also find a report online.

the only time i used mke water was when i made a jalapeno cream ale at my buddy's house. i used 1 gram gypsum and 2 gram calcium chloride. didn't have a problem with clarity.

 

[motobrewer]

Milwaukee has VERY hard water. I never got a water report but I remember when I was running my salt water tanks it was a BEAST to get it down to a useable level.

As for beer I've never ran into a problem and I am over on your side of town (92 and OK)

wait what? according to this, it's not all that hard:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/WaterWorks/files/10FinishedWaterQualityfrPlants.pdf

also I've never known anyone to need a softner on mke water. my buddy lives just north of you.

 

[Pumbaa]

Calcium and iron levels over here are through the roof, just ask my shower heads. Maybe right at the treatment plant and pumping stations that are all right on the lake it's not as hard but pump it through miles and miles of concrete and iron pipes and by the time it gets to the west side of town it's a whole different beast.

To even consider running it though my salt water tanks (when I still had them up and running) I had to run it through a softening process b4 I even considered adding the salts and getting the right levels for it

Do you need a softener? No ya dont need one but I guarantee you also have lime and rust on all your faucets if ya dont stay on top of them.

 

[mabrungard]

Whoa! Milwaukee water is realitively soft as is all water sourced from the Great Lakes. The post from Pumba indicates that they are sourced from groundwater and are probably located in one of the suburbs.

PS: My engineering firm works for the city and MMSD.

 

[Pumbaa]

I'm not on ground water. I'm on city water, BUT at the far edge of it's coverage. The OP is in 'Stallis which is also on the western edge (or getting to it). Water at the pump stations and the plant may be soft BUT by the time it gets here it's definitely not.