Local water uses sodium hypochlorite for chlorination

[Bribie G]

With the mini drought here in the Northern Rivers I might have to switch from tank water to council water.

Called into council office in Kyogle, they use sodium hypochlorite for chlorinating, not gas or chloramine. So it would be pretty much the same as "swimming pool chlorine".

The hypochlorite salt is ionised into the hypochlorite ion and Sodium in the water.

Would sodium metabisulphite do the trick? Currently the water supply actually doesn't have much of a chlorine odour compared to previous places I have lived.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Treat it exactly the same as if they'd added chlorine: when chlorine gas is dissolved in water it forms hypochlorite ion anyway.

So yes, SMS will do the trick.

 

[manticle]

Or heating?

 

[Bribie G]

Cheers, I'll get some tabs.
What's the verdict on just leaving the water sitting open overnight? I think I saw something on the forum recently suggesting that that's just a tooth fairy idea.

 

[TidalPete]

I use a carbon filter to get rid of the chlorine.

IF you had a reverse-osmosis setup would you be able to bypass the other cartridges & use the carbon filter by itself?
Just asking! Not sure if that's possible?

 

[twizt1d]

a cheap 2 stage carbon filter is all i use

if i didnt have that id get one of these
http://www.ibrew.com.au/products/in-line-carbon-filter

 

[manticle]

Cheers, I'll get some tabs.
What's the verdict on just leaving the water sitting open overnight? I think I saw something on the forum recently suggesting that that's just a tooth fairy idea.

I think overnight in a wide, open vessel will allow some evaporation of free chlorine if the temp is 20 or more. Not sure it's enough.I don't know if sodium hypochlorite* behaves differently (hence my question mark above) but if not, heating to strike or preboiling is likely sufficient.

*makes me visualise some guy just pouring buckets of domestos in the dam.

 

[Bribie G]

Yeah that's Clarrie, been doing it for 25 years.

I've actually got an RO I bought off Nev in Perth a few years ago and there's probably a fair bit of life left in it, but I'm reserving it for lager brews for this year's comps in case the rains don't come.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

The rains are a'comin' Monday BG.

 

[rude]

Potassium Metabisulphite is probably a better option than the sodium

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Interested to know why you say that.

PMS is widely used in wine but that's because of a weird Euro regulation on Na / K balance. If you don't care about that, SMS is usually cheaper and has a higher % yield of SO2 (K = 39, Na = 23).

Flavour effects would be minimal but would favour sodium if anything (sodium tends to enhance flavour at low levels, many breweries add NaCl to their RO water for this reason).

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Cheers, I'll get some tabs.
What's the verdict on just leaving the water sitting open overnight? I think I saw something on the forum recently suggesting that that's just a tooth fairy idea.

I've aerated water plenty of times to get rid of chlorine. Blasted with a strong aerater. In the past I did that for brew water and if I'm down on rain water in my tanks for my fishies in the Aquapoinics I will fill a 1000lt IBC tank and blast aerate it for a day or two. Its probably rid of chlorine within 12 hours but I give it more.
As for just leaving the lid off to aerate then a week for a 1000lt may do it.

 

[rude]

Interested to know why you say that.

PMS is widely used in wine but that's because of a weird Euro regulation on Na / K balance. If you don't care about that, SMS is usually cheaper and has a higher % yield of SO2 (K = 39, Na = 23).

Flavour effects would be minimal but would favour sodium if anything (sodium tends to enhance flavour at low levels, many breweries add NaCl to their RO water for this reason).

Well got the idea off The Electric Brewery site because of the Na

Na = 23ppm you say well thats not too high if using R/O for certain styles I spose, point taken

Just thought I'de mention it as the other option to SMS

My water has high sodium in it thats why I went that way, now using R/O

 

[mstrelan]

Interested to know why you say that.

PMS is widely used in wine but that's because of a weird Euro regulation on Na / K balance. If you don't care about that, SMS is usually cheaper and has a higher % yield of SO2 (K = 39, Na = 23).

Flavour effects would be minimal but would favour sodium if anything (sodium tends to enhance flavour at low levels, many breweries add NaCl to their RO water for this reason).

This is much cheaper than Campden tablets: https://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=5736

I can't imagine adding 1g/100L to have much effect on flavour.