Water softeners

[bja]

For the last 7 years I've always brewed with my well water. It's relatively hard and contains a moderate amount of iron. The only filtration was a sediment filter to remove rust. So far I've been happy with the way the beer has turned out. No complaints at all.

I just installed a water softener. What kind of an effect should I expect from using the softened water for brewing? Should I just bypass the softener when brewing? Or should I just try it and see what happens?

 

[zach976]

I'm curious about this too. We also have a water softener but I've always bypassed it and ran the water through a carbon filter.

 

[ajdelange]

Hard water contains calcium and magnesium paired with sulfate, chloride and bicarbonate. A residential water softener removes the calcium and magnesium (and, to some extent, iron as well) and replaces them with sodium.

Up until recently the wisdom was that calcium was beneficial for beer (it is) and alkalinity (bicarbonate) was bad (it is) and that sodium was, at best, a don't care and at worst a flavor detractor (which clearly it is as high enough levels). As the good stuff (calcium) is removed to be replaced by potentially bad stuff (sodium) while the other bad stuff (bicarb) is untouched by a water softener anyone who brewed with softened water was deemed a fool. This position is somewhat mitigated these days by the realization that lots of calcium isn't always necessary in general and that its pH reducing effect is usually not very great. But the basic idea still stands.

In a case where there is iron the softener's iron reduction benefit may offset the calcium reduction detriment but in most cases it is better to bypass the softener and treat the water by other means.

 

[mabrungard]

I've seen rare cases where the raw water had low hardness, but also had high iron content (iron only has to be above 0.3 ppm to be tasted in water). Those waters can benefit from using ion-exchange softening since iron is one of those divalent ions the process can remove. If there isn't much calcium or magnesium in the raw water (low hardness), then the treated water may not have too much sodium in it. If the treated water has sodium content of less than about 50 ppm, that water could be a decent option for brewing.

In the case of the OP, it may be possible to use the softened water if that sodium content is still low. If the water tastes salty, you will immediately know that the sodium content is too high since the typical taste threshold for sodium is around 250 ppm. If the water doesn't taste salty, then it may be worthwhile to send a sample of the softened water to Ward for an analysis.

 

[ajdelange]

It would be worthwhile to send a sample off to Ward in any case so you will know what you have to work with (or discard if the answer from Ward isn't favorable). Presumably the softener was installed because of a hard water problem. Hardness is usually substantially 'temporary' (meaning that it is accompanied by alkalinity). In such cases the water often has to be discarded (i.e. processed through an RO system). Where an RO system is necessary with hard water the softener is a big benefit in terms of extended RO system life.

 

[millsbrew]

I agree on sending a sample to ward. My softener was adding a ton of sodium to my water to the point of it being unusable. I now have to use RO water and add salts. Good luck.

 

[mabrungard]

Presumably the softener was installed because of a hard water problem. Hardness is usually substantially 'temporary' (meaning that it is accompanied by alkalinity).

Not really a universal assumption. As AJ knows, hardness is a product of many divalent metal ions including iron and manganese. It is just that the most prevalent hardness-producing ions in drinking water are calcium and magnesium and the definition of 'hardness' in drinking water typically only considers those ions.

However, there are places around the world that can have very soft water that also happens to have iron and/or manganese at objectionable levels. Those waters are ideal for treatment via ion-exchange softeners for residential users.

 

[pvault98]

I have a water softener and I always bypass when brewing or get RO and build it up depending on the style I am making. I have a brewing water test kit from Lamotte and have tested my water with and without the softener and the biggest issue with the softener is it was removing Calcium and Magnesium that I had to add back in and the Sodium levels were way too high for brewing. When I use my own water (as opposed to RO) I run it through a carbon filter for the chlorine and the water is pretty good for brewing, I would advise against using the water from the softener.

 

[wobdee]

My softener was installed to remove iron. I sent a sample to Wards and it came back pretty much mineral free, Na 31 Mg <1 Ca <1 SO4-S 2 Cl 4. I'm turning out some pretty good brews by just adding a little calcium chloride and or gypsum.

 

[ajdelange]

Not really a universal assumption.

That's why I said 'presumably'.
[/QUOTE]

 

[ajdelange]

My softener was installed to remove iron. I sent a sample to Wards and it came back pretty much mineral free, Na 31 Mg <1 Ca <1 SO4-S 2 Cl 4. I'm turning out some pretty good brews by just adding a little calcium chloride and or gypsum.

So your raw water contains about 20 mg/L calcium. That's hardly enough to warrant the installation of a softener. Too bad about the iron. Seems an aerator and sand bed filter (backwashable) should do for that. You wouldn't have to carry those heavy bags of salt down to the basement. But then at 20 mg/L you must not have to do that very often.

 

[wobdee]

So your raw water contains about 20 mg/L calcium. That's hardly enough to warrant the installation of a softener. Too bad about the iron. Seems an aerator and sand bed filter (backwashable) should do for that. You wouldn't have to carry those heavy bags of salt down to the basement. But then at 20 mg/L you must not have to do that very often.

Thanks, I'll have to look into that. Hauling salt into the basement is a pain but its really not that often and I'm still young enough to handle it.

 

[bja]

Well, I brewed a brown ale 2 weeks ago and use 1/2 unsoftened and 1/2 softened for my strike water. I then used all softened water for the sparge. I tried one last night and I honestly couldn't detect anything wrong or even different from the previous batches I've made of this.

This weekend I'm going to brew a pale ale with all softened water and see how it goes.

 

[gotbags-10]

I have a water softener and my water comes out into my two stage sediment and carbon filter. I'm wondering if I should just skip the softener and just use the sediment and carbon filter? My water is very hard though