How is my water profile and have I interpreted it correctly?

[Matheos]

You can't really taste chloramines (OK, maybe at insanely high levels you could). If your water actually smells and tastes like chlorine than that is because they are actually adding free chlorine to it. The problem with chloramines and brewing is that if not remove they will combine with phenols to form chlorophenols and you definitely don't want to taste/smell those in your beer. They give off smells reminescent of anything from band-aid to burnt rubber which nobody finds particularly appealing in beer or any other drink/food.

Hmm ok. Yea our water does not smell at all, so as the report says, it's low on free chlorine. I would like to reduce the bound chlorine though. Currently looking what options I have from the local brew shop. I found this: Vinoferm Campden Sulfite: Kaliumdisulfiitti Vinoferm Campden 100g.

I have a few questions regarding this, how much per litre? This is not tablets, but powder.

Also, I am unable to do full boils, meaning I often top off in the fermenter with cold water. You guys said that the campden should be added before the boil, as it frees the chlorine which then gets "boiled off" (for simplicity). What in the case where there is no boil?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I have a few questions regarding this, how much per litre? This is not tablets, but powder.

Also, I am unable to do full boils, meaning I often top off in the fermenter with cold water. You guys said that the campden should be added before the boil, as it frees the chlorine which then gets "boiled off" (for simplicity). What in the case where there is no boil?

6.5 to 7 mg/L should be adequate for most chlorine and/or chloramine treated water.

Campden is added to cold water. Its effect in neutralizing chlorine and chloramines is (for all practical purposes) nigh-on instantaneous upon its being fully dissolved.

 

[Matheos]

6.5 to 7 mg/L should be adequate for most chlorine and/or chloramine treated water.

Such small amounts. May be difficult to measure on my kitchen scale with an accuracy of 1g....

Campden is added to cold water. Its effect in neutralizing chlorine and chloramines is (for all practical purposes) nigh-on instantaneous upon its being fully dissolved.

Sorry, I don't know what this translates to in terms of it being a problem that parts of the water is not boiled? I top off quite a lot.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Sorry, I don't know what this translates to in terms of it being a problem that parts of the water is not boiled? I top off quite a lot.

There is no problem associated with the addition of Potassium Metabisulfite to cold water.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Such small amounts. May be difficult to measure on my kitchen scale with an accuracy of 1g....

Yes, you will need a scale which can read with precision to 0.01 gram. They have become very inexpensive.

 

[DuncB]

Brewers friend has some tables or data for householding water additions into teaspoons etc.
Off the top of my head I think a Campden tablet has 298 mg of Sodium Metabisulphate and the tablets can be cut up quite well into quarters with a sharp knife.

So 20 litres of water is 140 mg of campden tablets content ( nearly half ) . Your other option is to add a measurable quantity based on a teaspoon or partial teaspoon to a known volume of water and then you have x / ml of sod met and can then add a volume of this liquid to your water. Don't forget to treat your spare water as well if you sparge.

 

[Matheos]

There is no problem associated with the addition of Potassium Metabisulfite to cold water.

But does it add the step of having to wait for the water to release the chlorine? Like having it out over night? As I understood that this process happened quickly while boiling?

Yes, you will need a scale which can read with precision to 0.01 gram. They have become very inexpensive.

I am not sure how to define inexpensive, but I am not even able to find scales with that kind of precision around here. The ones that have 0.1g precisions are in my wallet not cheap even... :/

Brewers friend has some tables or data for householding water additions into teaspoons etc.
Off the top of my head I think a Campden tablet has 298 mg of Sodium Metabisulphate and the tablets can be cut up quite well into quarters with a sharp knife.

So 20 litres of water is 140 mg of campden tablets content ( nearly half ) . Your other option is to add a measurable quantity based on a teaspoon or partial teaspoon to a known volume of water and then you have x / ml of sod met and can then add a volume of this liquid to your water. Don't forget to treat your spare water as well if you sparge.

Yes with current equipment teaspoon measurement of some sort would be my best bet. I do want a more precise scale though, but currently a lot of things are needed for this hobby, where a pot for example has higher priority If anyone has a good scale on amazon for cheap that ships to Finland I would be interested to suggestions. It just seems very difficult finding proper equipment here...

Will check out the brewersfriend chart if I find it.

EDIT: I have found options. Relatively affordable too. will look into those, but a cheap amazon alternative would have to be CHEAP with shipping in order to justify the shipping costs too lol

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

If I'm reading this (see attached document) correctly, AJ deLange recommends 9.2 mg/L of K-Meta (potassium metabisulfite) as sufficient to remove the absolutely worst case concentration levels of chlorine and/or chloramines which are pushing legal limits. So 7 mg/L should suffice for most levels used by regional water authorities.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

EDIT: I have found options. Relatively affordable too. will look into those, but a cheap amazon alternative would have to be CHEAP with shipping in order to justify the shipping costs too lol

I don't know what is available in Finland, but a search for "jeweler's scale" will likely turn up options. I picked one up on Amazon for around $12 US and I use it about every morning to weigh coffee beans in addition to salts and hops on brew day. At least in the US, I see a number of stores listing them for $15 to $30 US (and much more expensive options).

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Does eBay service your homeland?

 

[Matheos]

I don't know what is available in Finland, but a search for "jeweler's scale" will likely turn up options. I picked one up on Amazon for around $12 US and I use it about every morning to weigh coffee beans in addition to salts and hops on brew day. At least in the US, I see a number of stores listing them for $15 to $30 US (and much more expensive options).

Yea I found now some from some odd store. 0,01g accuracy 200g max... So is not impossible.

Does eBay service your homeland?

Well yea, but isn't ebay full of individual resellers, and it is up to them if they ship or not? Anyway, yes I have ordered from ebay here.

 

[Vale71]

If anyone has a good scale on amazon for cheap that ships to Finland I would be interested to suggestions. It just seems very difficult finding proper equipment here...

If you don't have issues ordering directly from China I can recommend this website:

www.aliexpress.com

All the stuff we buy elsewhere usually comes from there anyway. Being that you're closer to China than most of Europe you should be able to get very affordable rates for shipping. Just kidding, most shipments from China to the EU come through Antwerpen by container ship...

 

[Matheos]

If you don't have issues ordering directly from China I can recommend this website:

www.aliexpress.com

All the stuff we buy elsewhere usually comes from there anyway. Being that you're closer to China than most of Europe you should be able to get very affordable rates for shipping. Just kidding, most shipments from China to the EU come through Antwerpen by container ship...

Your link looks ok but it leaves out the E on click ANyway, found one already which is ridiculously cheap: 4.58US $ 30% OFF|Mini Digital Scale 100/200/300/500g 0.01/0.1g High Accuracy Backlight Electric Pocket For Jewelry Gram Weight For Kitchen|Weighing Scales| - AliExpress Not sure all what to believe in here though. Quality may not always be the greatest I assume

 

[CascadesBrewer]

ANyway, found one already which is ridiculously cheap

That one looks fine. I suspect you can find the same scale with different brand markings selling for 4X the price.

 

[Matheos]

That one looks fine. I suspect you can find the same scale with different brand markings selling for 4X the price.

Haha ok. Well I think we are going to the brewing shop tomorrow, I will get the campden then and I will order this scale. Got some coupon for being a new user too so I almost get the scale for free LMAO. Will just have to wait a bit. Will probably not make it here til next brew day though which is unfortunate, so may have to try to solve the measuring with some other "measures"...