Southern Maryland Water

[bobo31]

For those that live in southern Maryland and use well water do you have to alter your water? I assume we are all on the same aquifer and have pretty much the same water traits. I have not had my water tested yet, so I am wondering what your conditions might be. My water seems to be hard. Is there a place around here that does free water testing? I have an RO filter so diluting tap water is an option or if need be using only RO water is an option. Since I am new to this hobby I don't have the experience to tell if my water conditions could improve my results.

Off topic, but I saw the Hop Heads are meeting this Saturday. I can't make this meeting but I hope to be at the next one.

Thank you for any advice.

 

[masonsjax]

The only way to know what you have is to test it. Ward labs home brewer test is simple and easy. Put some of your water in one of those thin drinking water bottles but leave a little room to squish it so it slides easily into a USPS flat rate box. Fill out the form and send it to Ward. A few days later they'll email the results and an invoice. Then you plug those numbers into some software like brunwater, EZ water, or Brewer's Friend and see what adjustments you should be making.

 

[budbo]

Depends where, In La Plata we are actually on 3 aquifers 2 are naturally soft water but one is heavily chlorinated, one is harder water but lighter Chlorine, best water I've found to use is the public well on MD 488 in between MD 6 and MD 5. Normally I Run my tap water through a 5 stage filter and add back in salts depending on style.

 

[bobo31]

Thank you for the information. I had no idea ward labs even existed. I will have to take advantage of this. Thanks

 

[Aircrew423]

I'm here in huntingtown and the water seems pretty good, if anyone gets a test done from close by let me know!! Happy brewing!

 

[emyers]

Budbo, how you been man! We should get together for a brew day some time! I got my electric brewery all PID'd up now and been doing BIAB on the side for 15 gal two style brew days.

lol i actually came onto the forums to start just a thread. I just got my water samples back today! I live in Waldorf. From what ive been gathering this isnt bad water for brewing, needs a bit of sulfates for hoppy beers and a bit more magnesium. Correct me if im wrong but the CaCO3 should break down and bump up the Ca ppm once mashed and boiled?

pH 8.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 190
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.32
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.2 / 3.4
ppm
Sodium, Na 10
Potassium, K 9
Calcium, Ca 34
Magnesium, Mg 9
Total Hardness, CaCO3 123
Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 3
Chloride, Cl 3
Carbonate, CO3 < 1.0
Bicarbonate, HCO3 191
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 158
Total Phosphorus, P 0.57
Total Iron, Fe 0.04
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

 

[Bigbeavk]

FYI,
I'm pretty sure the State Health Dept will test our well water for free once a year. Might be worth checking into just to see what kind of data they will provide.

 

[ajdelange]

Correct me if im wrong but the CaCO3 should break down and bump up the Ca ppm once mashed and boiled?

Calcium, Ca 34
...
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 158
...

You are confused by the north American practice of specifying alkalinity in units of 'ppm as CaCO3'. And you are not alone. Total alkalinity of 158 ppm as CaCO3 means that 158/50 = 3.16 mEq of acid would be required to decrease the pH of one liter of this water from 8 to 4.4. As that is only a wee bit more (~10%) than is required to move the pH of that water to mash pH the alkalinity, in mEq/L, is a reasonable measure of the amount of acid your mash (probably helped out by you) needs to supply for the water alone. More will be needed for the base malts.

In potable water most of the alkalinity is attributable to bicarbonate ion. That is indeed 'broken down' (into CO2 gas), or most of it anyway, by mash acid, but the calcium ion is already free. There is no Calcium Carbonate in your water. It's not soluble.

It's too bad that we persist in specifying alkalinity (and hardness)in this way. Doing so is justified by the fact that when nature dissolves 100 mg of limestone in a liter of water using CO2 as the acid the alkalinity and hardness are both approximately 100 ppm as CaCO3.

 

[Jorb]

To update an old, old thread, I recently had my water tested. I'm on a well in St. Mary's county. From what I understand there are two well depths for this area and I'm on the shallower aquifer. My report doesn't look that different from emeyers' report.

Anyway, FYI for any SOMD brewers with well water.