Brew appropriate for my hard water?

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aamcle

aamcle

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Afternoon all.

I have hard water -

Hard
Hardness Clarke 21.000 Clarke
Aluminium. <4.33 200 µg Al/l
Calcium 72.5 mg Ca/l
Residual Hard
Hardness Clarke 21.000 Clarke
Aluminium. <4.33 200 µg Al/l
Calcium. 72.5 mg Ca/l
Residual chlorine - Total 0.41 mg/l
Residual chlorine - Free 0.33 mg/l
Coliform bacteria 0 0 number/100ml
Colour. <0.570 20 mg/l Pt/Co scale
Conductivity. 604 2500 uS/cm at 20oC
Copper 0.0559 2 mg Cu/l
E.coli 0 0 number/100ml
Iron. <3.75 200 µg Fe/l

What types of beer are a good fit with the water profile?

The 17 p a bottles types are clouding my StarSan so they can't be that soft and I need to get some quality beer brewed :-)

Many Thanks. Aamcle
 
the best tip is what is the local brewers doing such as i have Bank's so mild and bitter would be best for me. Your calcium is similar to mine .
 
Difficult to say without knowing the alkalinity (bicarbonate level). If you have high bicarbonate, your water is suited to stouts and porters, or can be treated away with CRS for pale ales. If you have low bicarbonate, and therefore high sulphate, you are good to go for pale ales.

Recommend you get a Salifert alkalinity test kit to find out.

With the possible exception of authentic Czech Pilsener, I wouldn't say there is any style which needs soft water. Alkalinity is more important and this can easily be treated away.
 
get a Salifert alkalinity test kit from e-bay, Ensure it has a long sell by date and test your water for alkalinity. Now either e-mail or write to your water supplier ( customer service dept) and as for a reading of.
Calcium
Chloride
sulphate
sodium
mangnesium
Alkalinity
if you dont get a good reply from your water company you may have to pay about £ 18 for a report on your supply at.
www.murphyandson.com Paul Taylor is your man at Murphy's and is top class and very helpfull.
He is well worth the money.
happy Brewing
 
Definitely get yourself a Salifert test kit. I have very hard, alkaline water (349 ppm CaCO3 and 6.9 meq/l). I was able to make decent dark beers and strong Belgian ales but if I tried to make any sort of pale beer it had a very unpleasant bitter aftertaste and very low hop flavours. I started using CRS to lower the alkalinity and it transformed my beer.

I'd say if you adjust your water's alkalinity to the appropriate level to the beer style you are trying to make then you can have a decent go at any style you like with the water you have.
 
I forgot to mention when you have the figures from the water analysis put them into the water calculator either on this site or Grahams on the Jims BK website and all will be clear on your additions for your brewing. If you can add minerals weighed out yourself the beer will be better.
 

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