My Ward Labs Water Report (Chula Vista, CA)

[snackson]

I just got emailed my Ward Report:

pH 8.2
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 536
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.89
Cations / Anions, me/L 10.0 / 9.9
ppm
Sodium, Na 95
Potassium, K 4
Calcium, Ca 73
Magnesium, Mg 25
Total Hardness, CaCO3 287
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 71
Chloride, Cl 90
Carbonate, CO3 6
Bicarbonate, HCO3 160
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 142
Total Phosphorus, P 0.01
Total Iron, Fe < 0.01
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

This is after running it through a carbon filter at 1 gpm. After my last brew, I had a huge scale buildup in my E-HLT and HERMS coil. That's what prompted getting the report. I purchased some lactic acid to help lower the PH for my next brew so hopefully that will help.

 

[mabrungard]

Doesn't SD get some of their water from the Colorado River? That looks like the water quality from the river. Not too good for brewing excepting pale ales.

 

[ajdelange]

More interesting here is that this bloke has been given the same carbonate number as the fellow in the other thread even though his alkalinity is about twice (pH's are within 0.1). Also the stated bicarbonate here is about 10 mg/L low as was the other guy's.

 

[snackson]

Yeah, my water is pumped in from elsewhere. We are in a drought right now so we may not be getting good water. I have RO water to drink with, maybe I should start with RO water here and then adjust from there.

 

[chapusin]

Thanks for the report! I'm in Chula Vista as well, so I guess you get your water from the Otay plant.

I've been using RO water but it's getting expensive since I have to get 30 gallons for my mash and sparge so it covers the herms coil in my 15 gal batch, so I got the more beer carbon filter. I thought it would be similar to an RO filter, but only filters chlorine and such, so I either only use it for dark beers or I need to figure out the right salts for this water.

If you plan on using 100% RO water, follow these guidelines:

Baseline: Add 1 tsp of calcium chloride dihydrate (what your LHBS sells) to each 5 gallons of water(RO/Distilled) treated. Add 2% sauermalz to the grist.

Deviate from the baseline as follows:

For soft water beers (i.e Pils, Helles). Use half the baseline amount of calcium chloride and increase the sauermalz to 3%

For beers that use roast malt (Stout, porter): Skip the sauermalz.

For British beers: Add 1 tsp gypsum as well as 1 tsp calcium chloride

For very minerally beers (Export, Burton ale): Double the calcium chloride and the gypsum.

Edit: Used the bru n' water calculator and the brewers friend and they both agreed this water is perfect for brewing ales, an amber beer should land at a ph of around 5.6

 

[helibrewer]

I lived in Coronado and Chula Vista for over 20 years and never did drink that tap water...it just tasted bad to me. I always started with RO down there.

 

[snackson]

I lived in Coronado and Chula Vista for over 20 years

Navy Helicopter Pilot I am assuming? I am an ENC stationed on CVN70 right now.

 

[Stepp2]

Sorry to ask a new ? in an old thread. I'm also brewing in Chula Vista. It seems like the city is split in half as to the water supply. Eastlake from Otay and West from Sweetwater. Im in the Otay service area and was wondering where your report was from???