Water Report Help?

[Brewbro29]

Hey guys,
I'm not very smart with this water chemistry stuff (probably a skill I need to learn for future brewing lol) but I'm planning to slowly educate myself on salt adjustment so I can make the best beer possible.

Anyways, I looked up my city's water report and I'm pretty confused. I'm just curious if there's any useful information in the report or if I should order a Ward test kit.

http://www.geneva.il.us/DocumentCenter/View/531

 

[harebearva]

Not much in that report that's useful other than telling you what contaminants and unwanted water additions are present. Try contacting them directly and ask for a complete water report. Otherwise it's a testing kit or a sample to ward labs.

 

[dudius]

You'll also want something much more recent than at any point last year. You'll want a quarterly report or monthly report. Usually you can call and request one that would be given to a brewery.

 

[Brewbro29]

Okay I'll definitely get an official report. For the time being, should I just use a campden tablet?

 

[ajdelange]

It can't hurt but you might not need it as the report says chlorine and chloramine is not mentioned. Let a glass full of the water stand out over night and then smell it. If there is no chlorine smell then there is no chloramine and you don't need to treat: heating the water for mash will take care of the chlorine.

If you have a pet store in the area you can probably buy simple water hardness and alkalinity tests there or a hardware store might have them. This will give you a rough idea as to the values of the most important parameters.