Can someone take a look at my city's water report?

[AQUILAS]

I wasn't sure if this was the appropriate place to post this question, but I couldn't figure which subforum to go into. For my previous brews, I've been taking 5 gallon jugs to the grocery store and filling up at their water stations. As far as I know, that water is treated and RO'd. With this next batch that I'll be brewing today, I'm thinking of using my tap water just to see how it turns out.

Here is a link to the most current water quality report.

Is there anything I should be concerned with? Should I just continue going to the grocery store for my water? I drink from tap from time to time, but I don't think it tastes bad (but then again, I'm probably just used to it from growing up and drinking from water fountains at schools I went to or whenever I'm at a park or something.

 

[g-star]

You shouldn't be brewing with RO water if you're not adding salts and/or acids (recipe dependent). It is difficult to hit the correct mash pH with ion-free water in many cases, and having some calcium is always a good thing for yeast health and beer clarity.

Your water looks pretty good to brew with, alkalinity is a touch on the high side, but that can be mitigated with acid, calcium, and/or magnesium salt additions to lower RA if brewing pale beers. Conversely, you may find that some addition of bicarbonate would be beneficial if brewing something with a highly acidic grist (heavy high lovibond crystal and/or high dried malts).

 

[tagz]

You can definitely use your tap water. You'll have to do some slight adjustments but it's really not too complicated. If you pick up some lactic acid and some Campden tablets you be all set. With those two items you can have perfectly workable brewing water right out of the faucet. If you want to get in a little deeper and start adjusting flavors/mouthfeel, grab some gypsum and calcium chloride.

 

[AQUILAS]

Sorry for the late response. I had completely forgotten about my thread.

But thank you both. It sounds pretty comforting that I can use my water instead of driving to the grocery store.

In regards to treating the water with the extra minerals, when is that stuff added? Now that I'm all grain brewing, do I add the minerals into the mash and then into the boil or do I just add them right into the boil?

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

Sorry for the late response. I had completely forgotten about my thread.

But thank you both. It sounds pretty comforting that I can use my water instead of driving to the grocery store.

In regards to treating the water with the extra minerals, when is that stuff added? Now that I'm all grain brewing, do I add the minerals into the mash and then into the boil or do I just add them right into the boil?

I treat all of my brewing water at the same time, 15 gallons for a 10 gallon batch, and use it for mashing and sparging. Other brewer's may have a different method of adding their seasonings depending on the way of brewing.

 

[AQUILAS]

I treat all of my brewing water at the same time, 15 gallons for a 10 gallon batch, and use it for mashing and sparging. Other brewer's may have a different method of adding their seasonings depending on the way of brewing.

Right on. So treat it just at one go then.

 

[tagz]

You're going to want to treat it pre-mash. Once you start introducing grains off flavors can lock in for the duration.

The lactic acid will help keep your mash pH in the 5.2 range. If your pH gets too high (6.0) during the mash you will extract tannins from the husks that can make the beer very astringent.

The Campden tablets are made of metabisulfite which helps eliminate the chlorine. Chlorine can cause medicinal/band-aid flavors. You don't need very much metabisulfite to get the job done. Alternately you could use a charcoal filter.

Find a water calculator for the lactic acid. Brun Water is a spreadsheet that many people use. You plug in your water profile, batch size, and grain bill. Then you play with the lactic and salt additions until you get what you want. Brewers Friend might be a little more user friendly.

 

[AQUILAS]

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Ahh right on. Thanks for the help!