How to read a water report?

[CliffMongoloid]

Good Afternoon,

I ordered a water report not to long ago and got the email today with the results.

Only problem is i have no idea what i am looking at. I understand the PH, but thats about it.

I have included a screenshot of the report below. Any help reading this would be greatly appreciated.

I wonder what styles of beer this water is best suited for, if any.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The primary minerals of concern to beer brewing are calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity (which can be inferred from bicarbonate). None of these are present within the analysis which you received.

 

[CliffMongoloid]

The primary minerals of concern to beer brewing are calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity (which can be inferred from bicarbonate). None of these are present within the analysis which you received.

Thank you for your reply and that information.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but are you saying thats a good thing? or i will have to add in calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Thank you for your reply and that information.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but are you saying thats a good thing? or i will have to add in calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity?

Send a sample to "Ward Labs" and ask for a brewers water analysis. I believe it is still under $30.

 

[VikeMan]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but are you saying thats a good thing? or i will have to add in calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity?

The fact that they were not on your water report doesn't mean they don't exist in your water. The definitely do. You need to know how much of those things are in your water if you want to be able to predict/control your mash pH and/or if you want to build a specific mineral profiles to affect flavor/mouthfeel.

 

[eric19312]

I'm also on Long Island but in Suffolk. We get good reports from the water authority. I think what you need is on page 8 of the linked PDF:
https://www.mineola-ny.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3481/f/news/revised_2018_awqr.pdf
I would guess this is better than a Ward Labs report as it gives you the average water ions over a year whereas the Ward test will be just a single point in time and never the actual time you are brewing.

The report you got looks like it is from someone that wants to sell you a water softener. Based on the Mineola report for 2019 I think it is highly unlikely you have hard water. Also it looks like the hardness figure they are giving you is a little higher than the max detected by your water authority. Big surprise there right...

edited to add...maybe I read hardness wrong. Still the local water authority report is a good source when it is this detailed I'd use this.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

A water report that shows a broad range of analyticals is not typically a good thing, as it generally indicates that the water is multi-sourced. What it does not indicate is the specific source coming from your tap at any date in time. Therefore you will not know the mineral concentration of your water as delivered.

 

[IslandLizard]

A water/mineral test is a snapshot of that day. Could change next week, next month, or during next season.

Now you've got 550 ppm of TDS (=Total Dissolved Solids), so it's loaded with minerals. But you don't know which ones.
There is also 34.2 ppm Hardness, which is not that bad for most brewing water.

Call your water company and ask for "Quality Control." They should be able to give you the skinny on what minerals and the amounts of them in your water.

Also ask how those numbers fluctuate, weekly, monthly, seasonally.

 

[eric19312]

A water report that shows a broad range of analyticals is not typically a good thing, as it generally indicates that the water is multi-sourced. What it does not indicate is the specific source coming from your tap at any date in time. Therefore you will not know the mineral concentration of your water as delivered.

What would be the value of a Ward Labs report that showed a single point in time given knowledge that the water fluctuates over time?

 

[eric19312]

A water/mineral test is a snapshot of that day. Could change next week, next month, or during next season.

Now you've got 550 ppm of TDS (=Total Dissolved Solids), so it's loaded with minerals. But you don't know which ones.
There is also 34.2 ppm Hardness, which is not that bad for most brewing water.

Call your water company and ask for "Quality Control." They should be able to give you the skinny on what minerals and the amounts of them in your water.

Also ask how those numbers fluctuate, weekly, monthly, seasonally.

His report is 100 TDS
The city report is going to be his best starting point.

 

[IslandLizard]

His report is 100 TDS

Oops, I see.
So it contains some minerals, but it's not loaded with it. That's a good relief!

The city report is going to be his best starting point.

Yup!

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

What would be the value of a Ward Labs report that showed a single point in time given knowledge that the water fluctuates over time?

Until you posted the water report I had no idea that it was multi sourced.