New brewers often have a myriad of variables to juggle from building recipes, choosing ingredients and supplies, to methods to try. At first it's common for the beer to suffer a bit as these things are worked out. After a few batches a brewer might wonder if there is more that can be done to improve the beer quality, or perhaps there is a lingering off-flavor that doesn't seem to have come from fermentation temps, process issues, ingredients, etc.
It may then be time to check your water for suitability. This is more important for All-Grain brewers who strive to give their enzymes the best environment for doing their job, or who wish to tweak the flavor of the beer in ways simple ingredient changes can't accomplish.
The easiest way is to send a sample of your water off to a professional analysis company and get a report that lists what's in your water. A municipal water report *may* have this information, but they rarely disclose more than the government requires, and they are usually lacking in some key mineral information. On top of that, there is usually a considerable distance between the water supply stations where their tests are performed, and your house, with thousands and thousands of feet of pipes the water must pass through to get to your faucet. It's best to get a sample right from the tap.
The most popular homebrewer water analysis company is Ward Labs. They have very reasonable pricing, and they actually have a water report tailored specifically for homebrewers.
Let me describe how you can get a report from Ward Labs.
First, as I noted before, they offer a test called a Brewer's Test, which is currently priced at about $28. This is very similar to the test which was previously recommended, the Household Complete Mineral Test. They are the same price, but the Brewer's Test provides Phosphorus results instead of Fluoride, and may be more useful.
They sell a "kit" which contains a form you fill out with minimal information, and a sample bottle to fill with your water and return. The kit costs $42 but you don't need their bottle to submit a sample; you can simply use any plastic water bottle sold at gas stations or grocery stores with bottled water in it.
Just pour out the bottled water (or drink it...) and wash the bottle our with some mild soap. Rinse well a few times with tap water. Then fill the bottle with tap water, cap it, tape the cap to prevent it from opening up during shipment, and mail to Ward Labs and include the form you downloaded from the Internet.
Here is a Page of different reports that Ward sells.
Here is a PDF of the Form you will need to send into Ward Labs along with your water sample. It also has instructions for filling a bottle and payment options at the bottom so you won't have to print a copy of this sticky.
A short while after submitting you will receive a water report and an invoice to cover the cost of the test if you did not include a check or pay over the phone.
Cheers!
It may then be time to check your water for suitability. This is more important for All-Grain brewers who strive to give their enzymes the best environment for doing their job, or who wish to tweak the flavor of the beer in ways simple ingredient changes can't accomplish.
The easiest way is to send a sample of your water off to a professional analysis company and get a report that lists what's in your water. A municipal water report *may* have this information, but they rarely disclose more than the government requires, and they are usually lacking in some key mineral information. On top of that, there is usually a considerable distance between the water supply stations where their tests are performed, and your house, with thousands and thousands of feet of pipes the water must pass through to get to your faucet. It's best to get a sample right from the tap.
The most popular homebrewer water analysis company is Ward Labs. They have very reasonable pricing, and they actually have a water report tailored specifically for homebrewers.
Let me describe how you can get a report from Ward Labs.
First, as I noted before, they offer a test called a Brewer's Test, which is currently priced at about $28. This is very similar to the test which was previously recommended, the Household Complete Mineral Test. They are the same price, but the Brewer's Test provides Phosphorus results instead of Fluoride, and may be more useful.
They sell a "kit" which contains a form you fill out with minimal information, and a sample bottle to fill with your water and return. The kit costs $42 but you don't need their bottle to submit a sample; you can simply use any plastic water bottle sold at gas stations or grocery stores with bottled water in it.
Just pour out the bottled water (or drink it...) and wash the bottle our with some mild soap. Rinse well a few times with tap water. Then fill the bottle with tap water, cap it, tape the cap to prevent it from opening up during shipment, and mail to Ward Labs and include the form you downloaded from the Internet.
Here is a Page of different reports that Ward sells.
Here is a PDF of the Form you will need to send into Ward Labs along with your water sample. It also has instructions for filling a bottle and payment options at the bottom so you won't have to print a copy of this sticky.
A short while after submitting you will receive a water report and an invoice to cover the cost of the test if you did not include a check or pay over the phone.
Cheers!
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