I have been brewing for a few years and haven't really paid attention to my water before. I used to have town water and my beer always came out good so I never worried about it. I have recently moved to a new house and have well water. Now I am worried the change in water may change the outcome of my beer.
My water report i had done during the home inspection is below. A few questions/concerns I have are:
1: what would make my pH so low? note: i brewed one batch (an IPA) since i have been here, and the mash ph was in the 5's (i used a pH strip with a range of 1-14 so i cant really be more accurate than 5.something) so maybe the pH reading on the test was off? Or maybe my pH swings because of low alkalinity? I also used the pH test strip in tap water and its between 6-7.
2: Using bru'n water it asks for carbonate and bicarbonate levels, neither of which show up on my report. I know these are related to alkalinity, but how important is it for me to have both carbonate and bicarbonate levels exact in bru'n water?
Alkalinity 10.3
Calcium 11.4
Chloride 39.4
Copper 0.15
Hardness 35
Nitrate 2.63
Nitrite Not Detected
pH 5.3
Sulfate 13.6
Iron 0.02
Magnesium 1.59
Potassium 1.28
Sodium 21.3
Any feedback, suggestions, and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
My water report i had done during the home inspection is below. A few questions/concerns I have are:
1: what would make my pH so low? note: i brewed one batch (an IPA) since i have been here, and the mash ph was in the 5's (i used a pH strip with a range of 1-14 so i cant really be more accurate than 5.something) so maybe the pH reading on the test was off? Or maybe my pH swings because of low alkalinity? I also used the pH test strip in tap water and its between 6-7.
2: Using bru'n water it asks for carbonate and bicarbonate levels, neither of which show up on my report. I know these are related to alkalinity, but how important is it for me to have both carbonate and bicarbonate levels exact in bru'n water?
Alkalinity 10.3
Calcium 11.4
Chloride 39.4
Copper 0.15
Hardness 35
Nitrate 2.63
Nitrite Not Detected
pH 5.3
Sulfate 13.6
Iron 0.02
Magnesium 1.59
Potassium 1.28
Sodium 21.3
Any feedback, suggestions, and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!