RO Water Parameters

[SoInBrew]

After some different tastes in my last batch, using tap water for brewing, and some reading regarding brewing water, I want to try and start with RO water and build a profile for the next batch. I have a spare RO filter that is new in the box and may as well give it a shot.

I downloaded the Bru'n Water spreadsheet, but not sure where to get the ion numbers (Ca, Mg, Na, etc.) beyond paying for a test. Are there typical numbers for RO water that I should expect? Should they all be zero? What about the DI resin? Do you leave that out and just produce RO?

Thanks

 

[IslandLizard]

Distilled water is totally devoid of any minerals. RO water, as long as the membrane works, is mostly devoid of them, so for either you may put 0 in each ion box. That is unless you use sea water or other high salt/mineral water as your source before RO.

The DI resin doesn't contribute anything.

 

[Broothru]

Distilled water is totally devoid of any minerals. RO water, as long as the membrane works, is mostly devoid of them, so for either you may put 0 in each ion box. That is unless you use sea water or other high salt/mineral water as your source before RO.

The DI resin doesn't contribute anything.

Distilled = 0's across the board, for sure. But for R.O. there are still some stray anions and cations floating around. Here's what I use for a basis when I'm building up from R.O.:

pH = 6.8. Ca = 1.00 ppm. Mg = 0.00 ppm. Na = 8.00 ppm. Sulfate = 1.00 ppm. Cl = 4.00 ppm. Bicarb. = 16.00 ppm.

Can't remember exactly the source for those data but it aligns closely what I've seen from several other sources, all of which came from the Interwebs, so they MUST be true! Anyway, it's the water profile I have built into BeerSmith and it hasn't killed me so far. I use the same number whether the R.O. water comes from the portable unit I take in the RV or whether it comes from the bulk 1 gallon jugs of "purified water" (i.e., R.O. from commercial suppliers) you can get at Walmart. Either way it's better than plugging in zeros.

Brooo Brother

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

What remains in the RO water depends upon what was in the feedwater, and the rejection rate for that particular substance.