Got my water results from ward labs today. Thoughts?

[HopsAreGood]

So I got my results from ward labs today for my tap water. I want to start using it rather than buying distilled or RO and building from there. I know how to adjust sulfate, chloride, salt, mg, and calcium, but I’m not too well versed with everything else. For those who know more than I do, does anything about this report jump out at you? Any insights or thoughts are much appreciated.

 

[day_trippr]

Sodium and chloride seem high-ish. Was the sample from a water softener?
Otherwise that water looks quite versatile as a base to build upon.

Cheers!

 

[HopsAreGood]

Sodium and chloride seem high-ish. Was the sample from a water softener?
Otherwise that water looks quite versatile as a base to build upon.

Cheers!

The sample came directly from my tap water/kitchen sink. I did not use any sort if softener or anything else to alter the water. I’m not sure what if anything the township does before it gets to my kitchen. Both the salt and chloride are fine with me as usually push them higher in my recipes than whats in the report. But I agree they’re higher than I thought they’d be.

 

[VikeMan]

I want to start using it rather than buying distilled or RO and building from there. I know how to adjust sulfate, chloride, salt, mg, and calcium, but I’m not too well versed with everything else.

Your water is soft and has low alkalinity. If you have been building from distilled water, this won't be be very much different. Do you have something in mind when you say "everything else?"

 

[HopsAreGood]

Your water is soft and has low alkalinity. If you have been building from distilled water, this won't be be very much different. Do you have something in mind when you say "everything else?"

Thank you...I have been building from distilled. I guess the things I was a bit curious about were alkalinity, total hardness, bicarbonate and carbonate...I probably should have specified but this definitely helps. I did a little searching and read something that said 56 ppm total hardness would be considered “slightly hard” but I guess that could also mean “fairly soft”

 

[Jim R]

I played with that water profile in my favorite water profile software. For my favorite American IPA, I would probably add about 1 gm/gal of gypsum (CaSO4) and maybe a little Epsom salt (MgSO4) - 0.5 gm/gal. That is pretty good water and should be pretty easy water to adjust.

 

[VikeMan]

Thank you...I have been building from distilled. I guess the things I was a bit curious about were alkalinity, total hardness, bicarbonate and carbonate...I probably should have specified but this definitely helps. I did a little searching and read something that said 56 ppm total hardness would be considered “slightly hard” but I guess that could also mean “fairly soft”

Bicarbonate and Carbonate contribute to the Total Alkalinity. When you build from distilled water, you're starting with 0 alkalinity. Using your tap water, you are starting off with some alkalinity, but the Ca and Mg in your water is enough to mostly offset the alkalinity, i.e. they react with phosphates from the malt, producing H+ ions, which offset alkalinity.

 

[mabrungard]

That is outstanding water. The sodium and chloride are fine. There is no reason to use RO or distilled water with the quality you have coming out of your tap. You are fortunate.

With the relatively low 'flavor' ion content in that water, there is likely to be a benefit from mineralizing that water for some brews.

 

[HopsAreGood]

That is outstanding water. The sodium and chloride are fine. There is no reason to use RO or distilled water with the quality you have coming out of your tap. You are fortunate.

With the relatively low 'flavor' ion content in that water, there is likely to be a benefit from mineralizing that water for some brews.

Thank you. I typically use distilled and build to the following: (depending on the beer)
Ca: 60-80
Mg: 5-20
Na: 30-70
Cl: 100-200
So4: 50-150
Now I’ll be able to adjust to my liking without having to buy distilled, and the biggest benefit is that my tap water comes out at 127-128 degrees. No more bringing room temp water up to strike temp.

 

[BigEd]

The sample came directly from my tap water/kitchen sink. I did not use any sort if softener or anything else to alter the water. I’m not sure what if anything the township does before it gets to my kitchen. Both the salt and chloride are fine with me as usually push them higher in my recipes than whats in the report. But I agree they’re higher than I thought they’d be.

The Sodium and chloride numbers are not high enough to be of concern. Just a guess but the NaCl might be runoff from salted winter roads into a surface water source.

 

[HopsAreGood]

The Sodium and chloride numbers are not high enough to be of concern. Just a guess but the NaCl might be runoff from salted winter roads into a surface water source.

Definitely possible...I’m in New Jersey and we have plenty of salt trucks that love to get busy whenever there is even the slightest chance of snow. This past winter was however record breakingly mild in terms of snow fall. Either way as I said I almost always build my water to have na higher than 30 and chloride higher than 43, so I’m definitely ok with that.