Help With Brewing water (Water report enclosed)

[laxsoccerguy]

Hey everyone!

So I just got my water report back from ward labs:

PH 7.9

each ppm:
Sodium 10
Potassium <1
Calcium 17
Magnesium 3
Total Hardness 55
Nitrate 0.3
Sulfate 3
Chloride 15
Carbonate <1
Bicarbonate 56
Total Alkalinity 46
Total Phosphorus .52
Total Iron <0.01


So I really like brewing IPAs, Stouts, Porters and Saisons - I was hoping someone with better knowledge than me can tell me what sort of water I have and any additions or anything I should be doing to it to hit some of the styles that i like. I am still learning!

 

[Braufessor]

you have good water. I pay .39 a gallon for basically your water at walmart. There is no single set of additions that you add to make your water "good" for all beer. But, you have a nice starting point to build on. Check out the water primer, consider learning how to use Bru'n water. Different additions for different styles of beer, but your water is a real nice starting point.

 

[mabrungard]

That is pretty good water. It might not be ideal for those stouts and porters since the alkalinity is quite moderate. You might need to consider adding pickling lime to avoid a too low mash pH. Bru'n Water has the tools to help you figure out how much lime would be needed in a mash. Its typically a teeny amount for a 5 gal batch.

But otherwise, that water is an easy water to adjust for most styles. Maybe a touch of acid or acid malt for those lighter styles like saison and pils.