East Lansing water chemistry?

[gmartin]

Does anyone have a water analysis for E. Lansing, Michigan?

It seems the water is very hard and has a pH of almost 10. Mash pH of
first all grain brew w/out treatment was 7.6.

The city of EL doesn't seem to have an analysis on their website (just an analysis of "quality" w/out breakdowns of ions of interest to a brewer...).

I see posts by a number of EL breweres out there, so some of you must be dealing with the problems....

Thanks for any help.

 

[gflore34]

Found a lab, http://www.wardlab.com/default.aspx, they'll test your water at a pretty cheap price. Contacted them, all that's necessary is a sample of your water in clean clear water bottle. Sounded like you'll get the results pretty quickly, think I'm going to give them a shot.

 

[axeman9182]

Found a lab, http://www.wardlab.com/default.aspx, they'll test your water at a pretty cheap price. Contacted them, all that's necessary is a sample of your water in clean clear water bottle. Sounded like you'll get the results pretty quickly, think I'm going to give them a shot.

I see they have several different tests available, does anyone know which one is the most appropriate for a homebrewer to get?

 

[a_potter]

You should be able to call the water dept and get the parameters your looking for. The stuff they put on line is just the consumer confidence report. It doens't really show much unless there was an MCL violation on something. I work for Waterford water and we take samples for thousands of compounds but our CCR only has a couple basics on it. You may also call the MDEQ water lab. Its on ML King Ave. Are you calibrating your meter every day you use it? 7.6 seems way out of whack.

 

[gflore34]

I see they have several different tests available, does anyone know which one is the most appropriate for a homebrewer to get?

For a home brewer the Household Complete Mineral or Mineral Tests are the most appropriate, the items of interest are the flavor ions - Calcium(Ca), Magnesium(Mg), Chloride (Cl), Sulfate (SO4) and Sodium(Na) along with carbonates - Calcium(CaCO3) and Hydrogen(HCO3). Both of the tests will give these concentrations along with pH, Total Hardness and Akalinity.

 

[gflore34]

Sent off my sample today, once I recieve the report I'll try Palmer' nomographhttp://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-3.html to figure which style of beer is best suited to my water.

 

[mabrungard]

Do not use Palmer's information to guide you regarding your water's suitability. That information has been long discredited. While beer color has some influence on the level of alkalinity needed in the brewing water, there are other factors that make a direct and consistent correlation to color impossible.

That water report will help you out significantly, but its only the start. You need to search elsewhere for your brewing water information.

 

[gflore34]

Do not use Palmer's information to guide you regarding your water's suitability. That information has been long discredited. While beer color has some influence on the level of alkalinity needed in the brewing water, there are other factors that make a direct and consistent correlation to color impossible.

That water report will help you out significantly, but its only the start. You need to search elsewhere for your brewing water information.

Thank you for the post, with water report in hand I'll check out Bru'n Water as well, thanks again.

 

[imwill]

Did you ever get that water report back for east lansing?

 

[gflore34]

Did you ever get that water report back for east lansing?

Sure did here's the numbers:

pH 8.8
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 297
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.50
Cations / Anions, me/L 4.8 / 4.8

Sodium, Na 48 ppm
Potassium, K 3 ppm
Calcium, Ca 23 ppm
Magnesium, Mg 17 ppm
Total Hardness, CaCO3 128 ppm
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 (SAFE) ppm
Sulfate, SO4-S 19 ppm
Chloride, Cl 78 ppm
Carbonate, CO3 6 ppm
Bicarbonate, HCO3 71 ppm
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 68 ppm
Fluoride, F 0.87 ppm
Total Iron, Fe < 0.01 ppm
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

Used the Bru'n Water https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/home/files to help with water adjustments in the brewing of an Irish Red Ale

 

[imwill]

Thanks gflore! This will be a lot of help for my upcoming Kolsch.

Much appreciated.

 

[gflore34]

You're welcome, good luck with the Kolsch!

 

[dannedry]

You're welcome, good luck with the Kolsch!

If you don't mind my asking, what do they charge you for that test???

Could be worth sending a sample of my well water to them? I'm in Mason, MI.

Thanks!

 

[gflore34]

If you don't mind my asking, what do they charge you for that test???

Could be worth sending a sample of my well water to them? I'm in Mason, MI.

Thanks!

I don't mind at all, it was $26.50, much cheaper then the options I was exploring at State Labs. Pretty simple as well, took an empty plastic water bottle, rinsed it with my tap water after which I filled it, sealed it with the cap and some tape and sent it off to Ward Labs - http://www.wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/WaterAnalysis.aspx

From what I understand Ward Labs is reliable water analysis resource and a very popular choice among home brewers.

 

[gflore34]

I don't mind at all, it was $26.50, much cheaper then the options I was exploring at State Labs. Pretty simple as well, took an empty plastic water bottle, rinsed it with my tap water after which I filled it, sealed it with the cap and some tape and sent it off to Ward Labs - http://www.wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/WaterAnalysis.aspx

From what I understand Ward Labs is reliable water analysis resource and a very popular choice among home brewers.

By the way with a light colored brew such as a Kolsch at the very least, you'll want to lower the pH of sparge water to 5.7 or so. Doing so will keep the mash pH from rising and avoid drawing off tannins. My last brew, a Blonde, ended with an astringent finish because of my lack knowlegde regarding water chemistry, fortunately, the astringency seems to have lowered with age. Despite it's astringent finish it still managed to score a 24 at the SCABS home brew competition - think I got most of the other BCJP Blonde style guidlines correct.