Reading my water report

[Brandon8200]

Just had my water tested from Ward Labs:


pH 9.2


Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 170

Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.28

Cations / Anions, me/L 2.7 / 2.5

ppm

Sodium, Na 17

Potassium, K 3

Calcium, Ca 34

Magnesium, Mg 2

Total Hardness, CaCO3 93

Sulfate, SO4-S 13


Chloride, Cl 22

Carbonate, CO3 4.0

Bicarbonate, HCO3 47

Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 45


Total Phosphorus, P 0.35

Total Iron, Fe < 0.01


I am very new to the water chemistry side of brewing. I usually use RO/Distilled water and add salts as needed. I thought using my city water source at my home would cut down on cost and would be more convenient. I am not sure if this report is good or bad. I brew a wide variety of beer. Will my profile be easily modified by adding salts per my software or am I better off continuing to build from RO/distilled water?

 

[Yooper]

Pretty nice water! You have a medium amount of alkalinity, but nothing to be a problem at all. Some phosphoric acid or lactic acid can easily take care of that. You will want to use some calcium chloride and/or gypsum to add to your calcium for most ales, and to bring up the chloride or sulfate depending on what you're making, but that is very much what you are doing now so it should be problem-free. Of course, if you have municipal water you will need to remove the chlorine or chloramine but that's routine as well.

 

[couchsending]

Great water! Consider yourself lucky

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Is that Great Lakes region water?

 

[Brandon8200]

Silver, yes, the source is Lake Erie. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Also be aware that your Sulphate is actually 39ppm (multiply SO4-S by 3 to get sulphate ppm).