Testing my tap water

[SunsetBrewery]

I finally ordered a brewers water test kit from Wards Labs today. I have really hard water and my water runs though a water softener I've been using my tap water and running it through a 5 micron water filter for my Brewing water. My question is....should I send in the filtered water or just my tap water to have tested?

 

[ajdelange]

Send a sample collected from the softener input. From the results of that test you can trivially compute the parameters for a post softening sample. Not that you would care as you would never brew (probably should never say never) with softened water though you might send it on to an RO system.

 

[mabrungard]

While it is a trivial calculation for AJ or me to back calculate the results of softening, I believe it would be better to have the unsoftened water analyzed. That result will provide you with the actual Ca and Mg concentrations in the water and you can then also 'trivially' calculate what the resulting Na or K concentrations are after softening.

If the tap water is actually hard, the resulting Na or K concentrations are likely to be high. That is likely to make the water far less suitable for brewing.

 

[ajdelange]

It's trivial for anyone - not just the guys with the pointy hats.

Post_softener_sodium = 23*total_hardness_pre/50 mg/L = 23*(Calcium_pre/20 + Magnesium_pre)/12.15

total_hardness_pre is in ppm as CaCO3, Post_softener_sodium is in mg/L as are calcium and magnesium.

Pre_softener_total_hardness = 50*post_softener_sodium/23

total_hardness_pre is in ppm as CaCO3, Post_softener_sodium is in mg/L. Note that if all you have is the post softener data that there is no way to tell how much of the total hardness was calcium hardness and how much magnesium. Also note that these exchangers will remove some iron, manganese, copper, strontium etc. which is just another reason why we want the pre softener analysis as we can just add those terms in when calculating post softener sodium.

 

[SunsetBrewery]

Thanks for the help!!!

 

[SunsetBrewery]

I just moved into my new house & was told by previous owners that the water was hooked up to a water softener. I actually did a little investigating the other day & found out that only the hot water is hooked to the water softener.

 

[mabrungard]

that only the hot water is hooked to the water softener.

I switched my plumbing to that configuration as soon as I moved into my current home. Saves on salt and the hard water isn't that bad to drink. The soft water in the hot circuit helps problems in the laundry, shower heads, and washing machine.

 

[ajdelange]

The soft water in the hot circuit helps problems in the laundry, shower heads, and washing machine.

And the hot water heater be it conventional or tankless especially the latter as you have to flush them with vinegar every so often to get the lime out.

In my brewery only the boiler is plumbed to the water softener.

 

[SunsetBrewery]

Ward Labs received my sample. So I should be getting the report back in a day or so. Thx for all the info. I've read some of your articles, ajdelange, on Brewing water chemistry l. Great info for someone like me who didn't pay attention during chemistry class lol.

 

[SunsetBrewery]

View attachment 391085

Here's my water report from Ward Labs. Everything looked within reason but the bicarbonate is soooo high. Looks like a may be investing in a RO system in the future. As of now I'll buy RO water from store to brew with. Even diluting it won't bring me down enough

 

[ajdelange]

Yes, almost 8 mEq/L calcium hardness and alkalinity is a lot. A whole lot. Not sure I've ever seen anything that wild.