Can't find a good water report for my area.

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slayer021175666

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I live in 83687 and all the water reports I can find online only seem to show contaminations. They don't give me a list of mineral composition like calcium, sodium, etc. I'm working on water chemestry for the first time in my 20 plus years of home brewing because I am wanting to brew my first NEIPA. I tested ph with a spa strip and it gave me a reading of 7 but, I'm not sure if that really helps me or not. I looked at a test kit but, it was $129! I'm just wanting a simple and cheap or free way to get water together for the NEIPA. If I like what I brew, I don't want to be stuck buying water from the store everytime, either. Any help is appreciated. Thank You.
 
Can you contact the water company directly? My area also only lists contaminates in the online report, but says that more tests are done on the water and all tests are available by request.

Also I know that various places will test water samples you send them, which will be cheaper than a test kit for a single test. Other people will likely have some suggestions for that.
 
A prepaid brewing water analysis, which includes container and shipping to "Ward Labs" for analysis costs $42. If you provide the container and the shipping their brewing water analysis is (I believe) only $27.
 
Gonna have to do something. I'm surprised that someone else in my area hasn't had a test done and posted the results on the net. I called the local water works and she questioned every word I said. Chloride? Sulfites? Carbonate? Huh?! She had no clue and told me she'd have somebody call me back on monday. We'll see.
Are there any rules of thumb I could follow just to get close or do I really need the exact numbers to brew this NEIPA? My water has been great for every other beer for years now. I just ran into this NEIPA thing and they say the water is important for it.
 
I finally got my water tested by Ward Laboratories. Before this I used the township water report and was pretty close, but getting my own water test done showed me I was off a bit. Brewing a batch with my new water adjustment tomorrow to see if it makes a difference in my beer.

I recommend you bite the bullet and get the test done. No more guess work.
 
I finally got my water tested by Ward Laboratories. Before this I used the township water report and was pretty close, but getting my own water test done showed me I was off a bit. Brewing a batch with my new water adjustment tomorrow to see if it makes a difference in my beer.

I recommend you bite the bullet and get the test done. No more guess work.

I have to admit, my first 10 years of brewing I didn't look at my water report. We moved about a year ago and got one done as part of the inspection and ran it through Bru'n Water. Made a small adjustment and my beer came out crisper and more flavorful...won't make beer without them now!
 
Ok. Is it something I'd have to do all the time or just send off for the test and forget it? I mean, do city water profiles change often or?
 
I would start with contacting your municipal water bureau and ask how many water sources they use, and what their standard treatment regimen entails. Some districts draw water from multiple sources so what shows up at your tap may have varying numbers. If your district uses a single source things become much more comprehensible wrt correlating a Wards test with daily expectations through the year. Otoh, if they're banging between multiple sources, any test you pay for may have a tenuous relationship with daily water characteristics...
Cheers!
 
Are there any rules of thumb I could follow just to get close or do I really need the exact numbers to brew this NEIPA?

Given that you are starting with virtually no relevant information, the only rule of thumb is "If your water tastes good, it's good for brewing." And that's a pretty weak rule of thumb.
 
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