Help me understand water report?

[Paradigm]

http://www.dover.nh.gov/Assets/gove...y-services/water-quality/waterquality2013.pdf

That's the flier from last year that the town makes public. I'm not sure if this is even what I need. I'm 100% new to any of this water-chemistry stuff. I've read the "primer" sticky and I'm afraid a lot of this stuff is going over my head.

What am I looking for? I've traditionally just bought gallon water, but I swapped to all-grain and that takes a -lot- of water, so I used tap water. My rule was "tastes clean, let's do it."

 

[ajdelange]

I'm not sure if this is even what I need. I'm 100% new to any of this water-chemistry stuff.

No, for the most part it isn't (which is typical for city water reports unless it is a large city). Send a sample to Ward Labs.

I've read the "primer" sticky and I'm afraid a lot of this stuff is going over my head.

The Primer is intended to be followed as one would a recipe. If it is over your head then the prospects aren't good for a deeper understanding of brewing water treatment.

My rule was "tastes clean, let's do it."

That will get you, for the most part, drinkable beer but not always good beer. The Primer will get you better beer. The idea behind the Primer is to get water largely devoid of mineral content and then add what is likely to make a decent beer in most cases.

 

[Paradigm]

The Primer is intended to be followed as one would a recipe. If it is over your head then the prospects aren't good for a deeper understanding of brewing water treatment.

I mean, I'm able to follow it like a recipe. I could make that water easily, it's the "why" is over my head. Not sure about soft vs hard water, why we care about alkalinity, or pH, etc.

I suppose I should have been clearer, the primer doesn't really actually touch on the why.

 

[ajdelange]

No, it doesn't and that's by design. It is intended to get you brewing decent beer while you are figuring out the whys and wherefores.