NNY water

[8MoreMiles]

Based on my limited reading (https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/water-knowledge), I think I'm in a good position for controlling water in brewing process. I brew across styles so I think I've got some flexibility here.

Water report below:

Ph: 7.5
Na: 7ppm
K: <1
Ca: 15
Mg: 2
Hardness as CaCO3: 46
Nitrate: .1
SO4: 7
Cl: 11
CO3: <1
HCO3: 32
Alkalinity as CaCO3: 27

 

[JohnSand]

I don't study water, I can't tell at a glance. I have checked my water report in BrewersFriend, and it is pretty good. If yours compares well to published standards, brew on!

 

[mabrungard]

That's a good starting point. The mineralization is low enough to not worry about needing to dilute. That alkalinity is fairly low, but will still require reduction for pale beers and supplement for some dark beers.

 

[ajdelange]

You can treat this water as being essentially the same as RO water. The only thing that is at all attention getting is the sulfate which is at 21 mg/L as the ion which some might not like for certain continental beers using noble hops but even for the fussy I don't think 21 is going to be much of a problem. Were it to prove to be so you can cut it in half with a 1:1 dilution with RO but that should rarely be necessary.

We like to see alkalinity below 1 mEq/L (50 ppm) and as you are at about half that you are in good shape in this regard in most cases. This doesn't mean you won't need some acid but most of it will go to combat the alkalinity of the base malt - not the water. If this makes you nervous simply bring the water you are going to brew with to mash pH with the acid of your choice before using it. That will take less than half a mEq/L with alkalinity this low so that you don't have to worry about the acid's anion.