Got my water report, now im confused what to do

[doug293cz]

I did not know that sodium sulphate was even a thing, or that the it matters which ions came into the soup stuck to which other ions.

I don't think it does matter what anions came in with what cations. What matters is the final concentration of each ion and the ratios of the different ions. I think @cire 's reference is saying that high sodium, plus very high sulfate, and low chloride is not a good combo.

Brew on

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

if you look at ipa profiles all over the web they list higher concentrations of sulfates than that, I would worry more about the total hardness, you can also dilute your water instead of completely replacing it

 

[cire]

I have made good, dark, bitter beers with my soft well water in which I pushed all three (sulphate, chloride, sodium) up to about half the OP's levels, or in the neighborhood of what that article suggests is the maximum, without knowing that I was close to the edge, I guess.

Absolutely, and that will always be good. Many times my water starts with 135ppm sulfate and near 50ppm sodium, to which I add salts and acids, but none that will reach the levels in the water currently under discussion.

A 50/50 mix of that water and RO would make a good starting point,

I have brewed with over 400ppn sulphate several times, but have found such beers take longer to mature, but when they do, they can be exceptional.

High sulfate rarely improves darker ales, which usually benefit substantially from high levels of chloride and sodium.

 

[Frank Nobrega]

It's better than nothing but it lacks two things I prefer in an RO system. An auto shutoff that stops fresh water from continuing to enter the membrane even when the RO output is closed off. Since I like to use a float valve to stop filling my brew kettle, it's the only thing that prevents wearing out the prefilters for no gain and wasting water. That's related to the second thing, the prefilters are single use modules that have to be replaced entirely. The slightly more expensive assemblies use standard, ubiquitous replaceable 10" inserts.

You are correct and I didn't realize that when I bought it. I haven't had to replace filters yet but when it's time I will probably upgrade the system to the one you use. The one I have was easy to install and works quite well given the limitations you mentioned. I only make about 200 gallons of RO in a year and that Amazon gift card I used made it an easy choice. I do have your float valve installed (genius product!) and I try to shut the water off soon after it fills the brew pot but it would be nice to be able to not have to keep an eye on it. Thanks for the reply!

 

[cire]

Water report from Ward Labs. I don't have any softener or filter, this is raw water right from the well. Some of the numbers look ok, and some look high. Some, like sulphate, I don't know if it's acceptable or not.

@Scout, I might have brought a stop to discussions about brewing possibilities with your well water. That wasn't my intention, just wishing to advise that English style ales are generally balanced, rather than extremes made from highly mineralized water. Your water won't make a typical English Ale without reducing the high levels of Sodium and/or Sulphate any more than it will make a Pilsen Lager. However, that doesn't mean it will not make beer.

Might I suggest you brew a simple ale using 95% pale malt with an equal mix of crystal and black malt to counter some of the alkalinity present in your water. Use your water as it is or maybe add a little calcium chloride to ease the dryness the sulfate will provide. Ferment it with an ale yeast at ale yeast temperatures to find what you think.

 

[mabrungard]

Even the water that the OP presented, will make beer. No brewer HAS to perform any water adjustments of any kind. However, if they're wanting good or great results, there is no choice but to adjust their water to better conform to the requirements of the mash and beer style.

The OP's water has ionic content that will make it difficult to brew a wide variety of styles. Incorporating a RO machine into the water treatment is probably the only reasonable alternative for them. As others have mentioned, select a good RO machine and you'll have fewer problems down the road. This article provides some guidance: https://www.brunwater.com/articles/what-ro-system-should-i-buy

 

[Bobby_M]

I've come to the conclusion that it's nice to know what your local water looks like, but you really have to treat it like a snapshot in time. It changes seasonally for many people. When you make and use 100% RO, you know what the water is, period. I don't like unknown variables, especially when you think you know them.