Water Chemistry - Please Read This

[bear09]

Hi All.

Water chemistry is something I have wanted to tinker with for some time but its always seemed too complex and I have never had an accurate test on my water so I never bothered. Now this has all changed and here is why/how:

>> I read and re read palmers How to Brew Water Chemistry section about 5 times (seriously).
>> I read and re read Noonan's New brewing Lager Beer Water Chemistry about 3 times (seriously).
>> I Sourced a copy of that Excel water calculator tool and had a fiddle with it just to see how the results changed.

Now for the main part...

>> I found this link on Youtube:

In this link he speaks of a US company named 'Ward Labs' (Google it - it comes up first hit). He speaks of how they doing a 'Brewing water test'. I (on my awesome cheap ass voip phone) called Ward labs immediatley to discuss. I organised a test with them. I sent a 600ml bottle of my tap water over to them (it cost me $40 to send it because it looked like a bomb but it arrived over there in less then one week). They then ran a brewers test on it, sent me the results via email and then billed me a peasly $16.50 US (Which was $15.80 AU!!! :icon_cheers: )

Anyone who lives in Craigieburn, these are the results they gave me (it was formatted much better then this in the PDF that arrived):

pH 7.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 49
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.08
Cations / Anions, me/L 0.5 / 0.5
ppm
Sodium, Na 5
Potassium, K < 1
Calcium, Ca 3
Magnesium, Mg 1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 12
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.2 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S < 1
Chloride, Cl 7
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 12
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 10
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

Now I have an accurate report on my water - Specific to my house and my tap. With the help of the Excel sheet water calculator, the youtube link and ward labs I know now that I am on my way to better beer. It cost me ~$55. I am pretty bloody happy with this I must say. I hope that this can help others out there who are wanting to get better results and more flexibility in the styles they can brew.

Finally, this test confirmed that Melbourne water is BLOODY soft. Im not expert but Id have to say Im happy about this. Surely soft water can easily be made harder but I doubt the converse of this statement is true.

Anyhow questions and comments of course are more then welcome.

Cheers. :icon_chickcheers:

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Soft , looks like they forgot to turn the meter on. No Calcium at all , how could you brew with that ?
GB

 

[bear09]

Soft , looks like they forgot to turn the meter on. No Calcium at all , how could you brew with that ?
GB

Thats why the guys at G&G answer every person that says "I want to start some water chemistry" with "The first thing you will need is Calcium"...

I add calcium carb and calcium sulph first up to every brew.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Thats why the guys at G&G answer every person that says "I want to start some water chemistry" with "The first thing you will need is Calcium"...

I add calcium carb and calcium sulph first up to every brew.

I am amazed by that water profile, where is your water drawn from ?
Our's gets sucked out of the ground and it tastes like it.
GB

 

[BOG]

Here's what I have in Beersmith for my water.

Slightly out of date but close enough to calcualte burton water salts to be added for an ESB.
Units are in parts per million. (PPM)


Name: Sydney Water - Prospect
PH: 7.8

Calcium: 14.5
Magnesium: 5.3
Sodium: 13.0
Sulfate: 10.0
Chloride: 28.0
Bicarbonate: 39.5
Notes: Where Sydney Water has provided a range the unit used is the centre of the range.
Based on Water profile from Prospect. Date Valid June 2007


---------------------------------------------------------------------



BOG

 

[felten]

It's all from protected rainwater catchments, they don't flow through anything to pickup any hardness. At least that's my understanding of it.

 

[tavas]

MPL Labs in Perth can also do water testing testing for drinking water.

 

[brando]

I wouldn't be paying $55 for information that is already publicly available.

Plus, all that $55 gets you is a one-sample report. That is, a report for only one particular point in time. Water contents can change significantly in some areas throughout the year.

Better to contact your local water mob and request water reports for the last four quarters, and take the average of them (unless there is obvious seasonality to the contents).

 

[Wolfy]

Anyone who lives in Craigieburn, these are the results they gave me (it was formatted much better then this in the PDF that arrived):

pH 7.0
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 49
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.08
Cations / Anions, me/L 0.5 / 0.5
ppm
Sodium, Na 5
Potassium, K < 1
Calcium, Ca 3
Magnesium, Mg 1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 12
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.2 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S < 1
Chloride, Cl 7
Carbonate, CO3 < 1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 12
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 10
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

I'm not sure which dam the water in Craigieburn comes from, but it would be interesting to see how those results compare to what is published by the water-company: http://www.southeastwater.com.au/SiteColle...er_Analysis.pdf

 

[DKS]

I wouldn't be paying $55 for information that is already publicly available.

Plus, all that $55 gets you is a one-sample report. That is, a report for only one particular point in time. Water contents can change significantly in some areas throughout the year.

Better to contact your local water mob and request water reports for the last four quarters, and take the average of them (unless there is obvious seasonality to the contents).

Where did you get yours brando?I have found SEQW website to be useless.
Daz

 

[brando]

Where did you get yours brando?I have found SEQW website to be useless.
Daz

I'm in the Redlands, so different supply to Bris city.

Called Allconnex and pressed them (have recieved two quarterly reports so far).

 

[slacka]

Central Coast

 

[Norto]

Barrett and smith pathologists in Penrith can do just about any water test you need, at one point they even helped me get my water tested for radiation. <_<
regards,
Norto

 

[bear09]

I wouldn't be paying $55 for information that is already publicly available.

Plus, all that $55 gets you is a one-sample report. That is, a report for only one particular point in time. Water contents can change significantly in some areas throughout the year.

Better to contact your local water mob and request water reports for the last four quarters, and take the average of them (unless there is obvious seasonality to the contents).

Already have done this to be safe as well. I just wanted a specific value for my water at my place.

 

[BobtheBrewer]

I'm in the Redlands, so different supply to Bris city.

Called Allconnex and pressed them (have recieved two quarterly reports so far).

Care to share? I'm next door in Birkdale, same water. All I see from Allconnex is that I used $47 worth of water and they are charging me $281.

Bob

 

[donburke]

dont know if its right me asking in this post, but does adding salts to your mash make that much of a difference ?

i live in sydney and have always used tap water, i have never added anything to my water

would i benefit from adding anything to my water ?

assuming i knew what i was doing, which i dont, but i can learn, what would improve ?

 

[manticle]

Makes a difference to my palate.

You can brighten your hop profile with calcium sulphate, push malt and accentuate bitterness with calcium chloride and increase efficiency and clarity.

You can also stuff a beer completely up if you overdo it.

You can make good beer without adjusting water,particularly if your water is decent quality to begin with. Judicious use of salts can just aid in making a good beer shine a bit more.

 

[donburke]

Makes a difference to my palate.

You can brighten your hop profile with calcium sulphate, push malt and accentuate bitterness with calcium chloride and increase efficiency and clarity.

You can also stuff a beer completely up if you overdo it.

You can make good beer without adjusting water,particularly if your water is decent quality to begin with. Judicious use of salts can just aid in making a good beer shine a bit more.

definitely warrants some research on my behalf then, thanks

 

[fcmcg]

One of the biggest things for me from last years ANHC was the side by side taste test we did with the same beer , same hop , different water additions....As Manticle said , the hops shine with a bit of water chemistry ...
Do a google for Tony Wheeler and water chemistry..sorry on the iPhone so not doing it for you , buts it's a brilliant and easy to understand article
Cheers
Ferg

 

[haysie]

Do a google for Tony Wheeler and water chemistry..sorry on the iPhone so not doing it for you , buts it's a brilliant and easy to understand article
Cheers
Ferg

This is the one I think Ferg! Is very good albeit very old i.e if you line the water profile up against hmmm? somebody recently had a Melbourne water analysis done, they are chalk n cheese pardon the pun. These days with all the rains, increased dam levels, water being pumped all over the state I would imagine its difficult to say one size fits all.
If I was to get seriously into water treatment, my starting point would be R/O water.