Ward Lab Report - Supposed to be RO water

[dallasd9]

I recently wanted to pay more attention to my Brewing water so I purchased six gallons of water from a local water station that claims this is RO water. So I sent a sample Ward Labs and got the results back today.
Sure doesn't look like RO water to me but I'm no expert. The following are the results from the water test. When I plugged the numbers into the Grainfather App as a new water profile and selected that profile for several different beer style it kept suggesting a different water source or Dilution.

Does this look like RO water?

pH 8.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 506
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.84 Cations / Anions, me/L / 8.4 8.8 ppm
Sodium, Na 103
Potassium, K 16
Calcium, Ca 38.6
Magnesium, Mg 23
Total Hardness,
CaCO3 193
Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 19
Chloride, Cl 56
Carbonate, CO3 < 1.0
Bicarbonate, HCO3 340
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 281
Total Phosphorus, P 0.13
Total Iron, Fe < 0.01 "<" - Not Detected /

Thanks in advance. I think this place is a ripoff.

 

[IslandLizard]

Does this look like RO water?
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 506
Sodium, Na 103 (ppm)
CaCO3 193
Bicarbonate, HCO3 340
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 281

No, you did not buy RO water. If it were, all mineral content should be close to 0 ppm.

Now what they sold you may have started out as RO water, before it was re-mineralized to make it taste better as drinking water. Many of those places that sell water do that. They really need to disclose this, and not try to sell it as RO water.

On a side note, instead of sending a sample to Ward Labs, you could have used a cheap (~$10) TDS meter to verify a water sample's mineral content, or lack thereof.

So, how does it taste?

 

[dmtaylor]

That's not RO water! I'd consider calling the police or local water quality enforcement or something. It's either fraud, or (benefit of the doubt) their equipment is not working properly and they didn't know it.

 

[jdauria]

Guessing that place has not replaced any of their RO filters in a long long time and that water is pretty much tap water for whatever city the place is in. Overall the water numbers are not bad, except for sodium and the alkalinity is high too.

You might be better off buying 5 gallon jugs of RO water at a BJ's or Sam's Club in your area. I have used BJ's in the past, think the brand was Polar Arctic and it was definitely RO water as my TDS meter read 0.00. During Covid, I just signed up with a water delivery company and had the jugs delivered every two weeks, but now I just go to the store and buy 1 gallon jugs of distilled water, since I am only doing 2.5 gallon batches now, just need 5 jugs.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm guessing they are running tap water through an old carbon filter and maximizing profits. I would contact the company running that system and play clueless. Ask them what the mineral content should be. Ask them if it's really RO water because you have dietary/medical needs for low calcium water.

 

[dallasd9]

No, you did not buy RO water. If it were, all mineral content should be close to 0 ppm.

Now what they sold you may have started out as RO water, before it was re-mineralized to make it taste better as drinking water. Many of those places that sell water do that. They really need to disclose this, and not try to sell it as RO water.

On a side note, instead of sending a sample to Ward Labs, you could have used a cheap (~$10) TDS meter to verify a water sample's mineral content, or lack thereof.

So, how does it taste?

It taste ok. And I brewed a lot of beer with it that also taste ok. I'm just trying to up my game by getting closer to the desired target water profile.

Thanks for the feedback

 

[day_trippr]

That looks like RO system waste water

 

[dallasd9]

Guessing that place has not replaced after of their RO filters in a long long time and that water is pretty much tap water for whatever city the place is in. Overall the water numbers are not bad, except for sodium and the alkalinity is high too.

You might be better off buying 5 gallon jugs of RO water at a BJ's or Sam's Club in your area. I have used BJ's in the past, think the brand was Polar Arctic and it was definitely RO water as my TDS meter read 0.00. During Covid, I just signed up with a water delivery company and had the jugs delivered every two weeks, but now I just go to the store and buy 1 gallon jugs of distilled water, since I am only doing 2.5 gallon batches now, just need 5 jugs.

That's what I was thinking. Thanks for the feedback

 

[VTMongoose]

My tap water here in Greenville is significantly better than that. It's certainly water you can brew with, assuming the chlorine and chloramines have been removed, but they were not tested; there's no guarantee.

 

[dallasd9]

My tap water here in Greenville is significantly better than that. It's certainly water you can brew with, assuming the chlorine and chloramines have been removed, but they were not tested; there's no guarantee.

I always treat this water with Sodium metabisulfite to remove any Chlorine or chloramines just to be sure.

Thanks for your feedback

 

[Bobby_M]

Here's the real rub. If you bought it thinking it was RO water, you should be adding minerals back in to get your 50ppm of Calcium and other flavor affecting ratios, etc. and you'd be doubling down on already adequate sulfate and chloride levels.

If you've brewed pale colored beers with that water and hadn't used acid yet, you're in for a major improvement now that you made this discovery. I bet your mash pH has been through the roof.

 

[dallasd9]

Here's the real rub. If you bought it thinking it was RO water, you should be adding minerals back in to get your 50ppm of Calcium and other flavor affecting ratios, etc. and you'd be doubling down on already adequate sulfate and chloride levels.

If you've brewed pale colored beers with that water and hadn't used acid yet, you're in for a major improvement now that you made this discovery. I bet your mash pH has been through the roof.

Exactly. I'm trying to do the right thing but getting ripped off by this place. We are going to have words with the owner.

 

[Jim R]

I pay $5 for 4 gal jugs of RO water at my local big box home improvement store and it always tests almost 0 on my TDS meter. I don't brew that often so it is cheaper to just buy water than buying a RO water system for me.

On the other hand, just knowing your starting point from your water test is the most important thing. I don't know what beer you are brewing and I didn't run your numbers through a brewing water calculator but there is nothing necessarily magical about starting from 0 on everything.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I pay 30 cents/gallon for RO at my local Culligan by prepaying for 250 gallons. A fellow club member tested it a couple different times over the past few years and verified 0 (or very close) with a TDS meter.

 

[mabrungard]

Always check RO water with a TDS meter. That's the easiest way to know if there's a problem and that the water isn't RO quality.

https://www.brunwater.com/articles/tds-meter-do-you-need-one

 

[odie]

where is this place?

 

[dallasd9]

where is this place?

Bandera Texas

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

TDS meters work well. Even an inexpensive handheld unit. Unlike pH meters they are robust and don't need constant calibration.
https://www.buckeyehydro.com/meters-and-controllers/

 

[mac_1103]

TDS meters work well. Even an inexpensive handheld unit. Unlike pH meters they are robust and don't need constant calibration.

And they're small, so you can take one to the store and check the RO water from the dispenser before you buy it.

 

[bwible]

103 sodium. Yikes! I thought my tap water is bad - 57 and I dilute with distilled to lower that.

 

[DuncB]

A good base for a Gose.