Water Hardness?

[McLovinBeast57]

Hey guys,
I'm making the switch to All-grain for my next batch and I'm trying to calculate the pH of my tap water.

The website says the water treatment facility produces a final drinking water at a hardness of "5 to 7 grains"... I'm very new to this, so 5-7 grains means nothing to me at the moment.

Is the pH of my tap water going to be good enough to mash with, without treating it?


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[acidrain]

Yes... and no.
If it's good enough to drink, it's good enough to brew with.
Will it be the best beer you can brew? Probably not. To know for sure, you will have to send in a sample for testing, and then you can tweek your water as needed.
If you're new to all grain, I would put water adjustment pretty far down the list of things you need to do to brew great beer. Learn the basics, acquire the equipment, make some mistakes. Then study water,

 

[McLovinBeast57]

Yes... and no.
If it's good enough to drink, it's good enough to brew with.
Will it be the best beer you can brew? Probably not. To know for sure, you will have to send in a sample for testing, and then you can tweek your water as needed.
If you're new to all grain, I would put water adjustment pretty far down the list of things you need to do to brew great beer. Learn the basics, acquire the equipment, make some mistakes. Then study water,

Sounds good! I wasn't sure how big of a priority it was.. Some people make it a huge deal, some people don't even think about pH. As long as I don't get any off flavors or astringency, I'm fine with it.


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[mabrungard]

5 to 7 grains/gal hardness might mean 35 to 50 ppm Calcium (if all the hardness is only calcium). However, an important fact is that hardness has very little to do with brewing success. The main thing you MUST know about that water is its alkalinity. Alkalinity can screw up your brew quickly.

While the "if its good enough to drink, its good enough to brew with" mantra is correct, it can still leave you with a poor result unless you know how to manage that alkalinity concern I mention above. If that water has much alkalinity, that off flavor/astringency thing could be a definite possibility. Learning to neutralize excessive tap water alkalinity is an easy thing. A little bottle of acid really can make a world of difference to your results. You can learn more about alkalinity on the Water Knowledge page of the Bru'n Water website.

 

[flars]

You may have already planned for this.
Water that goes through a municipal water treatment plant will most likely have chlorine or chloramine or both in it.

 

[MindenMan]

I agree with flars... Is it possible you have become accustomed to the flavor of your water? Chlorine or/and chloramine with make your beer taste like plastic or the way that band-aids smell. This idea might help: go into your bathroom and turn on the showers hot water. Walk out of the bathroom and close the door. Two or three minutes later, walk back in the bathroom, and if you smell anything funky, don't use that water untreated to brew with. This idea may help.

 

[djt17]

While the "if its good enough to drink, its good enough to brew with" mantra is correct, it can still leave you with a poor result unless you know how to manage that alkalinity concern I mention above. If that water has much alkalinity, that off flavor/astringency thing could be a definite possibility. Learning to neutralize excessive tap water alkalinity is an easy thing. A little bottle of acid really can make a world of difference to your results. You can learn more about alkalinity on the Water Knowledge page of the Bru'n Water website.

This...my well water tastes great but my beers didn't. I sent a sample to Ward Labs & found out that my alkalinity is 191. I then diluted with RO water & make great beers. I am now experimenting with lime treatment of my well water. First 3 batches have turned out great.

 

[McLovinBeast57]

This...my well water tastes great but my beers didn't. I sent a sample to Ward Labs & found out that my alkalinity is 191. I then diluted with RO water & make great beers. I am now experimenting with lime treatment of my well water. First 3 batches have turned out great.

Would it be alright to use 100% RO water and then add minerals to that?


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[djt17]

Would it be alright to use 100% RO water and then add minerals to that?


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Yes, see this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brewing-water-chemistry-primer-198460/