:( Another question on water

[Racedog]

I was originally going to go the route of Crystal Springs spring water, but this seems to be an expense not worth getting into if my water is fine. RO is a possibility, but I don't want to lug a bottle to and from a store.

How is my local tap water.?

Calcium 35 mg/L (ppm)
Sulfate <25 mg/L (ppm)
Magnesium 0.008 mg/L (ppm)
Chloride 6 mg/L (ppm)
Sodium 4.2 mg/L (ppm)
pH 7.8 -8.2
Alkalinity 27 mg/L (ppm)

I hate being a noob, but I guess I have to start somewhere. I'll keep it to this one question until after my first brew day on Saturday. I think I have a good handle on everything else. Wish me luck

 

[mabrungard]

The water report has some errors, so its not possible to be definitive. But, that water looks fine to brew with. The calcium should be boosted slightly into the 40 to 50 ppm range as a minimum. The other ions are well within range and can be boosted as needed for brewing needs.

You do need to follow up on where the errors are in that report. The imbalance in the cations and anions is greater than I am comfortable with. I would not be surprised if the alkalinity value is off.

 

[JaimeTheLimey]

Brewing Water Chemistry Calculator | Brewer's Friend

Just posted this for someone else. This really helped me dial in my water and found that I needed a lot less additions than people had recommended to me.
Probably the best thing I ever did for my water was add a two-pass filtration system. My city water has ridiculous amounts of chlorine though.

 

[Prymal]

You can install a home RO system 75 GPD RO System, atleast that is what I did. Took about 2 hours and $175 the system will produce 3 gallons of water in about an hour so i just fill up my jugs the day before and am good to go.

 

[BeerNut24]

You can install a home RO system 75 GPD RO System, atleast that is what I did. Took about 2 hours and $175 the system will produce 3 gallons of water in about an hour so i just fill up my jugs the day before and am good to go.

I have this system (with the DI) for my aquariums. Have always wondered if it's ok to brew with the RO/DI water?

Don

 

[Prymal]

I am not sure about the DI aspect because I only have the RO hooked up but that part works very well. I went from 120 tds down to 1 tds. I usually add 2 grams of CaCl and 4 grams of Gypsum to bring out the hops and use anywhere between 2 and 4 oz of Acid Malt for RA and PH control.

 

[Homercidal]

First, why would you jump to the conclusion that you need an RO system when you don't have a valid water report? Is there something in your beers that makes you think there is a problem?

As Mabrungard pointed out, there is a discrepancy in the report.

He has advice worth listening to. At this point it looks like you could simply add a bit of this or that depending on your beer style. But you also need to find out what your water is "really" like. There will be a balance of cations and anions (or at least almost). If it's too far out of whack you can bet there is something not right about the report.

Is this a Ward Labs report? Often times the community reports will leave off information, or it will simply be inaccurate for our needs.

 

[Gunrunner]

There is a local brewery around me and I found out they use the city water with no special filtering system. They bring water to a boil and kill the heat and then add cold water to get the right strike temp. When asked they stated that what they did worked and that was the water profile for their beer. I bet 90% of you have had their beer and loved it. So as long as you are not trying to clone something the water you use is going to make that beer unique to your water. The same beer made with two kids of water will taste diferent. If you want a New Castle clone then you need to start with distilled water and add minerals to match the water they use or have them ship you water. Tap water is ok as long as you are not trying to match something unless your clorine levels are way too high.

 

[mabrungard]

There is nothing wrong with what Gunrunner is saying. It CAN work in some cases. The problem is that not all tap water is suitable for brewing or brewing certain styles. His premise is exactly how certain beer styles became associated with certain cities or regions. You can make a great stout in Dublin, but try making a light lager with their water without treatment.

Here in the US Midwest, there are plenty of brewers that can make great stouts and porters with our typically alkaline waters. The picture changes when they try to craft a great pale beer.

I suppose that finding or creating the beer style that suits your local tap water is one way to do it, but I find that brewers do like the ability to brew differing styles. Learning to treat brewing water is a step toward being able to create more than one great beer.