Which value to enter????

[BaylessBrewer]

Which of the following values should I enter in Brewers Friend Mash water chemistry calculator for Alkalinity?
Alkalinity, Total
Hardness, Total
Here is a shot of the most recent water report. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1436802172.453535.jpg
Each value entered dramatically changes the amount of Phosphoric Acid (75%) needed to hit a mash ph of 5.4
There is no ppm CACO3 it's listed as mg/l.
Do I enter the values as bicarbonate mg/l or alkalinity as ppm CACO3?
I'm very confused

 

[mabrungard]

You would enter the Total Alkalinity value in the alkalinity field.

Total Hardness is equal to Non-carbonate Hardness + Carbonate Hardness (which is typically equal to: Total Alkalinity). You will notice that the total hardness value is roughly equal to the Non-carb and Alk sum.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Like this? View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1436803026.294827.jpg
It gives the value as mg/l on the report and the calculator asks for it in ppm CaCO3?
Should be 59 not 56. My typo

 

[ajdelange]

It is a weird report in that they list the hardnesses in ppm as CaCO3 but the alkalinity as mg/L. mg/L of what? We have to assume that it is mg/l CaCO3 and putting the number in under that assumption gives, with the other ions, a report that isn't particularly well balanced (6% imbalanced) but isn't too badly balanced either.

OTOH the total hardness is wrong. Based on the given calcium and magnesium levels it is 118 and the permanent (non carbonate) hardness is off too. It is, based on alkalinity, hardness and pH, more like 59 than 82. Lots of labs do total hardness based on titration and the individual calcium and magnesium assays by ICP or AAS. As a result total hardness calculated from Mg and Ca often differs slightly from reported total hardness but usually not this much. Based on this I'd be a little suspicious of this report. Might be worth dropping $25 at Ward Labs.