Please - Thoughts on my water?

[lebucheron]

I am so sorry, but I'm still clueless about water chem.
We just moved to a place with a well and this is my water report.
Is this good brewing water? Is there something I should do to it to improve it?

thanks guys (and gals)

 

[Yooper]

The bicarbonate is so high that the water needs to be diluted or treated (say, boiled to precipitate out much of the bicarb). The magnesium is way too high as well.

My bicarb level is much lower, and it works great for one beer style (stout) but for the others I had to do something. I ended up buying a RO water system for brewing, but before that I did try boiling to precipitate out the alkalinity, and also lime softening.

I don't know enough about water chemistry to know how to manage the high magnesium, though.

For you, using reverse osmosis water may be the best bet and not the tap water.

 

[Chuckd76]

I've got well water too and have basically given up on using it for brewing. Before we got our softener the water smelled horrible and after I'm too concerned about the salt that is used ending up in my beer. We do have a RO tap but the amount of water wasted (3-4 gallons for every gallon out of the tap) concerns me.
So, in the end I just spend the extra $9 or so and buy bottled spring (sourced from municipal "springs" aka taps) water or in a pinch distilled water.
The spring water works fine for most styles but from what I've read, here and other places, distilled and RO water have nothing in them but H2 and O and need treatment to be effective for brewing.
I could be wrong though and according to SWMBO I probably am.

 

[mabrungard]

Sorry, that is a 'throw-away' water. The magnesium content is far too high for brewing use. Boiling would take care of the excessive calcium and bicarbonate, but not Mg. If it wasn't for that Mg, that would be a usable water.

 

[lebucheron]

Well, bummer. Thanks for saving me lots of time and headaches everyone. RO it is.