Hi all. I have recently got back into brewing after building a new home and I have really hard water. I used to build my water profiles up from distilled water at my old place, due to the water quality. However. My water is very good quality now and comes from a deep well and it is very expensive to get a water profile done. It is also expensive to homebrew these days, so i am trying to cut down on cost. Do any of you have a quick solution for this? I have a feeling the answers will be to buy a reverse osmosis unit, but money is tight. The beers i make are coming out good, not the greatest especially the hoppy ones and i know it is my water. Anyone have the same experience?
Hard water treatment.
- Thread starter duff-man
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If you don't know what's in your water, you can't know how to treat it properly for brewing. Either get your water tested, get an RO system, buy RO or distilled water, or fly blind.
Brew on
Brew on
fwiw, a Wards "Brewers" analysis is only $35.75 if you send your sample in your own small soda bottle...
https://www.wardlab.com/pricing/
https://www.wardlab.com/how-to/submit-a-water-sample/
Cheers!
https://www.wardlab.com/pricing/
https://www.wardlab.com/how-to/submit-a-water-sample/
Cheers!
BrewnWKopperKat
(Ο_Ο)
Once you know your water profile, you may find that it needs only minor adjustments for malty/dark styles and blending with RO water (50/50?, 25/75) works for hoppy styles. There are techniques for removing things related to hardness as well - Brewing with very hard water - reducing bicarbonate (HomeBrewTalk link) should be helpful.
eta: The previous link mentions Salifert kits which are used for managing water in aquariums. This topic (link and links in the topic) over in HomeBrewForumUK may also be helpful in understanding how to apply the kits to brewing beer. In 2025, the kits may be more expensive than a single Wards water report. OTOH, if ones source water varies, the kits may be an attractive option.
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I am from Ontario. For some reason its hard and expensive to get water analysis. But thanks, nonetheless.
Have you tried adding CRS/AMS, my water is not particularly hard but the Alkalinity is around 100 ppm so I add CRS/AMS to my mash and sparge water. I do know my water profile published by the water company and Brewfather calculator does the rest. As you don’t if you can buy CRS/AMS add some start at 3 ml to the mash and see if the brew improves.
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BrewnWKopperKat
(Ο_Ο)
Since we've started heading down the path of "flying blind" ...
Blending 'no mineral' (RO/distilled) water with tap water is another approach to reducing mineral content / hardness.
Blending 'no mineral' (RO/distilled) water with tap water is another approach to reducing mineral content / hardness.
I too live with great tasting water that happens to be as hard as a mother-inlaw's glare with 350ppm bicarbonate. I personally went with a cheap RO system only because I can hook it up at work and use the city water pressure to run it (my 40-60psi well system was inadequate without a booster).
Otherwise, I had been purchasing RO water from the store when I planned to make anything lighter than a stout.
Though if you've got the ability to plan ahead and the space to keep a giant pot of water sitting out, the links provided by @BrewnWKopperKat can get you down to an alkalinity level easily managed with acid additions.
Otherwise, I had been purchasing RO water from the store when I planned to make anything lighter than a stout.
Though if you've got the ability to plan ahead and the space to keep a giant pot of water sitting out, the links provided by @BrewnWKopperKat can get you down to an alkalinity level easily managed with acid additions.
If you/your family are using this water to drink/shower... you should get it tested. It is not that expensive. Here is the test we use: https://www.buckeyehydro.com/drinking-water-test/
If your water is "really hard," realize that it will adversely affect your water heater, washing machine, dishwasher and pipes as the hardness comes out of solution and forms scale.
Relative to its value, a residential water softener is also not expensive - especially if you can do the installation yourself.
Russ
I have treatment for our water that we shower/drink and use. I did a by pass line to my brew room when i built the house because i didnt want to use the water being treated by the salt system.
I will give this a try. Thanks
If you end up getting an RO system, you'll want to feed it softened water.
Russ
Put the brewing water in a pint mason jar half full and do the same with the softened water. Put 2-3 drops of dish detergent in each and shake. Notice the suds, how large the head and how long they last. If your brew water is close to the other you would have fairly soft water and can proceed from there.
Water hardness is NOT an impediment to brewing. We generally want 'medium' hardness for many brews, but that is largely style specific.
The main concern in brewing water is its alkalinity and that it doesn't have any strong taste or excessive minerality. The rest of it can generally be brewed 'around'. But to brew around your water, you do have to know what's in it via a water test. The alternative is to use RO to strip much of the water's ionic content out to give you a blank slate.
The main concern in brewing water is its alkalinity and that it doesn't have any strong taste or excessive minerality. The rest of it can generally be brewed 'around'. But to brew around your water, you do have to know what's in it via a water test. The alternative is to use RO to strip much of the water's ionic content out to give you a blank slate.
Slightly on a tangent, you mention it is expensive to homebrew these days.
There are many ways to reduce the cost of brewing good beer.
What beers do you like / want to make, this is also relevant with your unknown water profile?
I would investigate lower hopped beers and lower alcohol beers this will dramatically cut your raw material costs.
Buying in bulk, if needs be in collaboration with other homebrewers can also cut overheads.
Using dry yeast, harvesting and saving yeast to repitch after brews can also make a saving.
If you are making very high gravity beers consider a partigyle to produce a low abv smaller volume beer " for free ".
There are many ways to reduce the cost of brewing good beer.
What beers do you like / want to make, this is also relevant with your unknown water profile?
I would investigate lower hopped beers and lower alcohol beers this will dramatically cut your raw material costs.
Buying in bulk, if needs be in collaboration with other homebrewers can also cut overheads.
Using dry yeast, harvesting and saving yeast to repitch after brews can also make a saving.
If you are making very high gravity beers consider a partigyle to produce a low abv smaller volume beer " for free ".
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