[hopfenundmalz]

Gail,

You have a good water source that you can diltue with RO or distilled.  There several programs that will predict for you, as you probably know.  We both know some people who get "City" water (i.e. Detroit) when they can.

Jeff

[gail]

Jeff--have the programs and have diluted with distilled, just not quite the clean outcome I want.  I'll keep reading and "playing" (AKA brewing).  Palmer's RA spreadsheet is the one I've been using over the last year + and that has gotten me much closer, a noticeable improvement.  Maybe I'll have to get some more tips from AABG!  With your water source being Village well, I see why you're using RO and building from there.  Our City water makes fantastic light ambers to stouts with minimal adjustments (OK, so there are some advantages to living in metro Detroit).
Gail

[brewmichigan]

Gail, I live in Flint which gets it's water from the Detroit system and I usually dilute my water with RO to 50% for most beers between 6-13 SRM. I have noticed during the winter though that my mash ph has been lower which would mean my bi-carb values are down and the water has less buffering capability. I brewed a Stout with 100% my water a month ago and the ph is usually spot on but I had to add some CaCO3 to the mash to raise the ph a little. First time I've ever had to do that.

Oh, and I always add about a teaspoon of gypsum to the boil for my IPAs. I don't know my sulfate level but I think it makes the bitterness much more "clean" tasting.

[euge]

Hooray!      Hooray!       Hooray!            

Got my RO unit installed over the weekend. Man that water sure tastes great!

Planning on diluting 50% and brewing a 10 SRM batch this weekend- which I haven't been able to do to my satisfaction in years...

[gail]

Gail, I live in Flint which gets it's water from the Detroit system and I usually dilute my water with RO to 50% for most beers between 6-13 SRM. I have noticed during the winter though that my mash ph has been lower which would mean my bi-carb values are down and the water has less buffering capability. I brewed a Stout with 100% my water a month ago and the ph is usually spot on but I had to add some CaCO3 to the mash to raise the ph a little. First time I've ever had to do that.

Oh, and I always add about a teaspoon of gypsum to the boil for my IPAs. I don't know my sulfate level but I think it makes the bitterness much more "clean" tasting.

The last info I got on our Detroit city water was Spring 2009, sulfates at 31 ppm.  That was from Springwells plant which supplies my area.  I'm pleasantly surprised Flint gets Detroit water.  Jeff is right: our city water is great for most beer styles and stouts need just a little adjustment.  Time to get another city water analysis which should be available soon.  I'm reading another thread about Best vs. Weyermann malts and am wondering if the issues I'm having with lighter SRM beers is really about the malt and not the water (I have diluted and not gotten the clean, malty results I've wanted).  I love this hobby.  So many variables.

[euge]

Drank a couple of gallons of excess Brown-ale I just kegged earlier this week. For the first time I used 25% R/O water to dilute. Even though the beer was only 11 day old it was very good. I designed this beer around the mash water and the RA. There's none of the odd harshness I used to see in some of my other batches even though I'm using pretty much the same ingredients.