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Author Topic: Post your water report  (Read 195790 times)

Offline anje

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #135 on: January 10, 2012, 12:48:54 pm »
The city uses chloramine to treat the water, so I'm a bit hesitant to use it at all, though I do now have a faucet filter.  
Use one campden tablet per 20 gallons of water (less water is fine) to remove the chloramines. 
I read somewhere (possibly Snyder's Brewmaster's Bible?) that campden tablets were best avoided.  Possibly this had to do with sensitivities to sulfites?  Honestly, I'm not fond of my local water anyway, so I'll probably stick with purchased "drinking water" for brewing until I move to an area with better water or move to a house where I can install an RO unit.
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #136 on: January 10, 2012, 02:23:17 pm »
The city uses chloramine to treat the water, so I'm a bit hesitant to use it at all, though I do now have a faucet filter.  
Use one campden tablet per 20 gallons of water (less water is fine) to remove the chloramines. 
I read somewhere (possibly Snyder's Brewmaster's Bible?) that campden tablets were best avoided.  Possibly this had to do with sensitivities to sulfites?  Honestly, I'm not fond of my local water anyway, so I'll probably stick with purchased "drinking water" for brewing until I move to an area with better water or move to a house where I can install an RO unit.

Don't worry about Campden, the sulphur stuff gets driven off during the boil.  For ciders and such, where Campden is used to halt fermentation (obviously post boil), then it could be an issue.
Joe

Offline liquidsky156

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #137 on: January 13, 2012, 04:26:59 pm »
Pretty new to all grain brewing, used arrowhead drinking water in the past, was thinking of using filtered tap.  This is the report from online, Upper valley of El Paso,  TX any advice on the profile would be greatly appreciated: 

pH                                              8.1
Total Dissolved solids =             630
Phenol Alkalinity as CaCO3       3.8
Total Alkalinity as CaCO3          121
Total Hardness as CaCO3         119
Chlorides as Cl                          117
Sulfates as SO4                         189
Fluorides as F                            0.59
Silica as SiO2                             36
Nitrates as NO3                          <0.10
Nitrites as NO2                           <0.05
Phosphates as PO4                   <0.05
Calcium as Ca                            42
Magnesium as Mg                          5.5
Sodium as Na                           <0.020
Manganese as Mn                     0.050

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #138 on: January 13, 2012, 04:31:51 pm »
The city uses chloramine to treat the water, so I'm a bit hesitant to use it at all, though I do now have a faucet filter.  
Use one campden tablet per 20 gallons of water (less water is fine) to remove the chloramines. 
I read somewhere (possibly Snyder's Brewmaster's Bible?) that campden tablets were best avoided.  Possibly this had to do with sensitivities to sulfites?  Honestly, I'm not fond of my local water anyway, so I'll probably stick with purchased "drinking water" for brewing until I move to an area with better water or move to a house where I can install an RO unit.

Don't worry about Campden, the sulphur stuff gets driven off during the boil.  For ciders and such, where Campden is used to halt fermentation (obviously post boil), then it could be an issue.

IIRC campden will not remove chloramines just chlorine. I think your only option with chloramines is boiling adn waiting or a charcoal or RO filter system. I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #139 on: January 13, 2012, 05:03:41 pm »
IIRC campden will not remove chloramines just chlorine. I think your only option with chloramines is boiling adn waiting or a charcoal or RO filter system. I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.
You are correct.  And by that I mean the part where you say you could be wrong :)

Campden removes chloramines and chlorine.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline a10t2

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #140 on: January 13, 2012, 06:00:05 pm »
any advice on the profile would be greatly appreciated: 

You have some calcium, which is good, and the alkalinity is moderate, but the sulphate and chloride levels are out of control. There are some beers in which you might want one or the other to be that high, but not both. So you'll probably want to dilute - possibly heavily - for all beers.

Does the water even taste good? That TDS level is out of control.
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Offline mabrungard

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #141 on: January 13, 2012, 06:41:07 pm »
Regarding the Upper Valley El Paso water report.  Something is totally wrong with the concentrations quoted.  The cations and anions are so far off from balancing that something is just mis-reported.  The Ca and Mg do indicate a hardness of about 119 ppm, so they are probably correct.  The low sodium is surprising, but it could be true.  The alkalinity suggests a HCO3 of about 145 ppm and that's reasonable.  The two ions that stand out as pretty darn high are chloride and sulfate.  Somebody needs to double check those values.

Campden tabs do remove both chlorine and chloramine.  They react to produce teeny amounts of chloride, sulfate, and ammonia (chloramine only) along with a teeny bit of either sodium or potassium in the brewing water.  Not enough to worry about.    

EDIT:  I just checked the water report.  The sodium is 168 ppm, not the near zero posted above.  This water is not very suited for brewing.  The sodium, sulfate, and chloride are far higher than desirable.  Sorry.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2012, 06:45:36 pm by mabrungard »
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Offline liquidsky156

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #142 on: January 14, 2012, 09:45:48 am »
Embarrassed I put the sodium wrong.  .  .  the cut and pasted report for upper valley of el paso(with correct sodium) :

Total Dissolved Solids                630
Phenol Alkalinity as CaCO3        3.8
Total Alkalinity as CaCO3        121
Total Hardness as CaCO3          119
Chlorides as Cl               117
Sulfates as SO4         189
Fluorides as F          0.59
Silica as SiO2             36
Nitrates as NO3          <0.10
Nitrites as NO2                <0.05
Phosphates as PO4       <0.05
Calcium as Ca              42
Magnesium as Mg         5.5
Sodium as Na             168
Potassium as K           3.6
Iron as Fe                       <0.020
Manganese as Mn        0.050
pH                                      8.1

So, my water is not good for brewing... I'm intending to use Arrowhead drinking water (without fluoride) since the spring water looks like its values are all over the place.  Is this a good choice?  Their report can be found here:  

http://www.nestle-watersna.com/pdf/AH_BWQR.pdf

Again, any help is much appreciated.  Thanks guys.  I was going to spend a lot for a filter, but will probably just stick with bought water, cost really isn't a big deal, as long as I'm not setting myself up for failure.  Thanks a lot again for the advice.  

Offline a10t2

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #143 on: January 14, 2012, 10:33:21 am »
I'm intending to use Arrowhead drinking water (without fluoride) since the spring water looks like its values are all over the place.  Is this a good choice?

IMHO the ranges in that report are wide enough that it isn't really useful. RO from the machine at the grocery still will be cheaper anyway, and then you can add the salts you want.
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Offline chumley

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #144 on: January 17, 2012, 09:21:40 am »
Helena, Montana water from the Tenmile Creek WTP:

Calcium 8.1 mg/L
Magnesium 1.3 mg/l
Bicarbonate 35 mg/L
Sulfate 5.9 mg/L
Sodium 5.9 mg/L
Chloride Not available
Alkalinity 28.7 mg/l
Hardness 26 mg/l
pH 7.2 to 7.8

Interesting fact: We have two breweries in town, and I know one of them does not add anything to their water, even though the calcium concentration is pretty low. IPAs, pilsners, it doesn't matter to them.

I always add a little something, such as a half teaspoon of calcium chloride to a bohemian pilsner mash.

Offline beer_crafter

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #145 on: January 17, 2012, 10:46:31 am »
Fairfield CT (Bridgeport Metro Area) Water Report
Water from Aquarion Water Company
http://www.aquarion.com/pdfs/Bridgeport10.pdf

Alkalinity 17
Calcium 8.5 mg/L
Potassium 1.81
Magnesium 2.7
Chloride 20.3
Sodium 13.8
Sulfate 15.8
Total Hardness 32.3
pH 7-7.3

Chlorine is added as a disinfectant. 

I filter my water with a Moen activator charcoal filter, although prior to that, I would simply fill up my brew pots the night before brewing.

I use a combination of Chalk, Gypsum, and CaCl to make sure my Calcium Level is > 50, while keeping my RA appropriate for the color of the beer, and ensuring my Chloride/Sulfate balance is where I desire it (typically balanced).



Offline metron-brewer

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #146 on: January 17, 2012, 10:57:38 am »
White Bear Lake, MN
Tested by Ward Labs after running through charcoal filter:

Sample ID : KITCHEN COLD 2011-10-16
pH 7.6
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 179
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.30
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.0 / 2.9
Following are ppm:

Sodium, Na 9
Potassium, K 1
Calcium, Ca 41
Magnesium, Mg 6
Total Hardness, CaCO3 128
Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 3
Chloride, Cl 22
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 126
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 104
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit
Ron B.
White Bear Lake, MN

Offline Alewyfe

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #147 on: January 18, 2012, 06:06:07 pm »
Roseburg. Oregon ...pumped out of the beautiful North Umpqua. (5 micron and UV filtered)

Ca        8
Mg       1
Na        5
Cl         4
SO4    .03
CaCO3  24
pH       7.4
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Offline Pinski

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #148 on: January 24, 2012, 10:54:53 am »
pH-            7.3–7.6    tested daily at the plant
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) –    60

ppm
Sodium, Na          9.8
Potassium, K         n/t
Calcium, Ca         15    
Magnesium, -Mg         5–9    
Total Hardness, CaCO3      15–18    
Nitrate, NO3-N         n/d
Sulfate, SO4-S           n/d
Chloride, Cl         5
Carbonate, CO3         n/t
Bicarbonate, HCO3      n/t
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3      24

n/t - denotes not tested
n/d – denotes none detected

Clackamas River Water   Oregon City, Oregon
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Offline greatplainsbrewer

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #149 on: February 16, 2012, 05:51:24 pm »
Central Nebraska
Tested by Ward Labs Spring 2011

pH 7.3
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 290
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.48
Cations / Anions, me/L 5.2 / 5.1
ppm
Sodium, Na 11
Potassium, K 6
Calcium, Ca 73
Magnesium, Mg 12
Total Hardness, CaCO3 233
Nitrate, NO3-N 5.3 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 5
Chloride, Cl 4
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 261
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 214
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit