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Author Topic: Post your water report  (Read 195352 times)

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #285 on: September 15, 2014, 06:43:05 pm »
I am on a well system and just this spring I installed an RO system with a 20 gallon tank.  I draw off the RO water and keep it in typical 5 gallon water bottles that I seal up until brew day.  This may have been asked and answered in this thread already, but 19 pages of water reports made me jump in at the end...so the question:

My RO registers about 24-30 TDS on the meter I installed.  Is that low enough to just consider it as being 0 for the water calculators?  Or should I send it in for a test report to get the actual numbers for adjustment?  I use Martin's advanced Brunwater spreadsheet and I am just getting used to doing so (before I was just using bottled water for brewing and adding from the water report from the water delivery company, as necessary).

Any thoughts on TDS in that low range?
The RO I sent to Ward Labs came back at 12 ppm TDS. All of the brewing ions were listed as <1 ppm. Note sure if that answers your question, but that is the datum I have for RO water's TDS.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #286 on: September 15, 2014, 08:20:15 pm »
I guess I can assume that the ppm for any critical mineral is very low or nearly absent and go from there!  Or I can shell out a few bucks to get the water report from Ward's to know more precisely what is being carried over.
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Offline factory

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #287 on: September 16, 2014, 06:20:20 am »
My water report from Virginia Beach, VA.  We get our water from the Moore's Bridges Plant in Norfolk, VA, which in turn, is fed from Lake Gaston.

pH : 7.48
Na: 11.4
Ca: 17
Mg: 5.6
Cl: 16
SO4-S: 35.4
HCO3: 31.6
TA, CaCO3: 26
TH, CaCO3: 66

Pretty nice water. The SO4 might be high for some styles (multiply by 3 so it is 106.2 ppm) but still pretty darned nice.

Because I am new to adjusting my water, why do I multiply SO4 by three?  Is it because it is expressed as a certain value and therefore must be tripled in value to determine the true ppm value?

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #288 on: September 16, 2014, 06:31:41 am »
My water report from Virginia Beach, VA.  We get our water from the Moore's Bridges Plant in Norfolk, VA, which in turn, is fed from Lake Gaston.

pH : 7.48
Na: 11.4
Ca: 17
Mg: 5.6
Cl: 16
SO4-S: 35.4
HCO3: 31.6
TA, CaCO3: 26
TH, CaCO3: 66

Pretty nice water. The SO4 might be high for some styles (multiply by 3 so it is 106.2 ppm) but still pretty darned nice.

Because I am new to adjusting my water, why do I multiply SO4 by three?  Is it because it is expressed as a certain value and therefore must be tripled in value to determine the true ppm value?

I am not a chemist, but here goes. Ward labs reports the Sulfur content, that is what the -S represents. The atomic weight of Sulfur is 32. The atomic weight of Oxygen is 16. So SO4 has a molecular weight of 32 + 4*16 = 96, or 3 times that of Sulfur. Probably more to it, but that works for this old engineer.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline factory

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #289 on: September 17, 2014, 04:54:47 am »
My water report from Virginia Beach, VA.  We get our water from the Moore's Bridges Plant in Norfolk, VA, which in turn, is fed from Lake Gaston.

pH : 7.48
Na: 11.4
Ca: 17
Mg: 5.6
Cl: 16
SO4-S: 35.4
HCO3: 31.6
TA, CaCO3: 26
TH, CaCO3: 66

Pretty nice water. The SO4 might be high for some styles (multiply by 3 so it is 106.2 ppm) but still pretty darned nice.

Because I am new to adjusting my water, why do I multiply SO4 by three?  Is it because it is expressed as a certain value and therefore must be tripled in value to determine the true ppm value?

I am not a chemist, but here goes. Ward labs reports the Sulfur content, that is what the -S represents. The atomic weight of Sulfur is 32. The atomic weight of Oxygen is 16. So SO4 has a molecular weight of 32 + 4*16 = 96, or 3 times that of Sulfur. Probably more to it, but that works for this old engineer.

Thanks!  After looking at my water report again, "Sulfate" is just reported as "Sulfate", not SO4-S.  So I guess I don't actually have to multiply by 3.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #290 on: October 30, 2014, 07:08:34 am »
this is why i installed an RO system.

my well water:

pH                                            8.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 283
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.47
Cations / Anions, me/L 5.3 / 5.4
ppm
Sodium, Na           114
Potassium, K          2
Calcium, Ca            4
Magnesium, Mg       1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 14
Nitrate, NO3-N          0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S          3
Chloride, Cl              3
Carbonate,CO3         6
Bicarbonate, HCO3      297
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3   253
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #291 on: October 30, 2014, 07:14:45 am »
this is why i installed an RO system.

my well water:

pH                                            8.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 283
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.47
Cations / Anions, me/L 5.3 / 5.4
ppm
Sodium, Na           114
Potassium, K          2
Calcium, Ca            4
Magnesium, Mg       1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 14
Nitrate, NO3-N          0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S          3
Chloride, Cl              3
Carbonate,CO3         6
Bicarbonate, HCO3      297
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3   253

High sodium, high bicarbonate. Does the city soften the water? Or maybe there is a baking soda mine in town?
Jeff Rankert
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #292 on: October 30, 2014, 07:18:31 am »
this is why i installed an RO system.

my well water:

pH                                            8.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 283
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.47
Cations / Anions, me/L 5.3 / 5.4
ppm
Sodium, Na           114
Potassium, K          2
Calcium, Ca            4
Magnesium, Mg       1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 14
Nitrate, NO3-N          0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S          3
Chloride, Cl              3
Carbonate,CO3         6
Bicarbonate, HCO3      297
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3   253

High sodium, high bicarbonate. Does the city soften the water? Or maybe there is a baking soda mine in town?

that's my well water-naturally soft, perhaps high concentrations of lime. its a deep well at 375 feet. good thing is no iron.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Hooper

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #293 on: November 02, 2014, 02:42:34 pm »
Houston (Kingwood 01/15/14)

Ward Labs


pH 7.8
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 205
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.34
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.4 / 3.5
ppm
Sodium, Na 19
Potassium, K 3
Calcium, Ca 44
Magnesium, Mg 4
Total Hardness, CaCO3 127
Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 4
Chloride, Cl 17
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 168
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 138
Total Phosphorus, P 0.48
Total Iron, Fe 0.01
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit
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Offline homoeccentricus

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #294 on: November 24, 2014, 09:26:33 am »
Antwerp, Belgium, water:

Sodium, Na 33
Calcium, Ca 63
Magnesium, Mg 7.1
Sulfate, SO4 52
Chloride, Cl 46
Bicarbonate, HCO3 181
pH 8

Since I'm a total newbie: I added these values to http://www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry/, and it all seems within range for a porter/stout, with -37 for Ca2, and -3 for Cl. So I shouldn't add anything for a robust porter then?
Frank P.

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Offline dinoflatulate

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #295 on: December 08, 2014, 05:07:22 pm »
Charleston, SC 2014 YTD

pH
Alkalinity
Turbidity
Color
Total Coliform (P/A)
HPC
Total Chlorine Res.
Temp
Fluoride
Chloride
Conductivity
TDS
Ammonia (Total)
Ammonia (Free)
Ortho-phosphate
Total Hardness*
Ca Hardness
THM
TOC
Silica
Sulfate
Sodium
Aluminum
Copper
Iron
Lead
Manganese
Calcium
Magnesiium
8.5
29
0.31
3

1
3.2
22
0.51
16
188
97
0.57
0.13
1.1
58
46
12
2.2
6.2
27
11
0.09
0.050
0.10
0.001
0.05
20
2.3

Offline 69franx

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #296 on: December 08, 2014, 05:44:31 pm »
Love the name, but that water report is a nightmare to read on a tablet. Minerals first, measurements below, at least on mine
Frank L.
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Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
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Offline flbrewer

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #297 on: January 31, 2015, 07:01:14 am »
Jacksonville, FL 2015 YTD (Water softener w/ charcoal filter installed)

pH-8.1
TDS-461
Cations/Anions- 7.2/7.4

Sodium-165 (ppm)
Potassium-<1
Calcium-1
Magnesium-<1
Total Hardness, CaCO3-3
Nitrate-<.1
Sulfate-58
Chloride-35
Carbonate-<1
Bicarbonate-168
Total Alkalinity-139
Total Phosphorus-.01
Total Iron-<.01

*Based on my limited knowledge so far of water chemistry, I think the high sodium and hardness are based off of the water softener. The pH looks high and I'm guessing I need to add calcium carbonate as a start.

I'm thinking I should have sent in a water sample with bypassed water softener water in it. Thoughts?


Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #298 on: January 31, 2015, 07:47:05 am »
Jacksonville, FL 2015 YTD (Water softener w/ charcoal filter installed)

pH-8.1
TDS-461
Cations/Anions- 7.2/7.4

Sodium-165 (ppm)
Potassium-<1
Calcium-1
Magnesium-<1
Total Hardness, CaCO3-3
Nitrate-<.1
Sulfate-58
Chloride-35
Carbonate-<1
Bicarbonate-168
Total Alkalinity-139
Total Phosphorus-.01
Total Iron-<.01

*Based on my limited knowledge so far of water chemistry, I think the high sodium and hardness are based off of the water softener. The pH looks high and I'm guessing I need to add calcium carbonate as a start.

I'm thinking I should have sent in a water sample with bypassed water softener water in it. Thoughts?

Your water is soft with a total hardness of 3.  ;)

The high Na level is a problem. The Alkalinity is a problem.

I have often seen people say the water in Jacksonville is not so good for brewing. You might find some styles that you can brew with the unsoftened water. RO would be my choice, or dilute with RO. A program like Bru'nwater should help with the dilutions and targets.

Just so you know, I can dilute my water 1 gallon of tap water with 8 gallons of RO with low TDS (3 ppm) and end up with the treated Munich profile Martin had in Zymurgy not too long ago. It made it easy to adjust.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
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Offline dubois141

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Re: Post your water report
« Reply #299 on: February 09, 2015, 06:29:33 pm »
Didn't go through all 20 pages to see if York, PA has been represented yet or not, but here it is:

n/a means it wasn't listed on the report

Link to report (4 pages worth of info):  https://www.yorkwater.com/quality.pdf

pH 8.4
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 142.2
Conductivity - 210.2
Sodium, Na 13
Potassium, K n/a
Calcium, Ca 18.8
Magnesium, Mg 5.95
Total Hardness, CaCO3 85
Nitrate Nitrogen 4.06
Nitrite Nitrogen 0
Sulfate, SO4-S 18.1
Chloride, Cl 24.6
Carbonate, CO3 n/a
Bicarbonate, HCO3  n/a
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 43

Now...where do I begin to plan out my water conditioning for brewing? I have no idea what I'm looking at.