Water profile.... please help 😖

Belascobrews · Sep 23, 2020

Hi everyone. So with every brew I do I try to learn something new and get that bit better. Iv started looking at water profiles and treatment. Save on using bottled water plastic waste etc. I'm trying to find out what the water profile is in my area so I can treat it to suit certain beer styles. I live in hampshire just outside of southampton. Iv managed to find and down load a southern water report. But it's all abit difficult to understand. I'm a bit dyslexic so some times get confused with essays on water treatment, graphs, spreed sheets etc.

So what is the best way to find out the main information I need ? The report only shows some of what I need? How do I find out the alkalinity etc?? I just want to know what's coming out of my taps and what I'm working with.

Cheers
Pete

Clint · Sep 23, 2020

You could try listing it on here so someone could have a look for you...

Belascobrews · Sep 23, 2020

How hard is your water? 3NA

Nor sure if you can view it . This is the only way I knew how to share it

.

Hope it's some good

Clint · Sep 23, 2020

You need to put your postcode in the water company website...

UKSkydiver · Sep 23, 2020

SO40 3NA?

I don't see a measure for alkalinity specifically, although there is a drop down on the Water Hardness:

Your water is rated as Hard
269 CACO3 mg/l

... which i think is alkalinity or a variant thereof (happy to be told otherwise)

And I've downloaded the PDF which I have attached to this post (not sure where it will end up though)

Belascobrews · Sep 23, 2020

Thanks for replying
Yeh iv got the same pdf but I might be being a bit thick but are some or these not on there
Magnesium
Sodium
Calcium
Sulfate
Chloride.....
From what I have researched these along with alkalinity and the ones you need to put into a water calculator.
I dont think some of them are on this pdf. Also if they are what reading to I use ???

buddsy · Sep 25, 2020

I was recently in the same position as you.

You need:-
Alkalinity Test Kit
Calcium Test Kit
Add half a 1/2 campden tablet to remove chlorine.

This is all in a this thread which is very helpful.

Dont panic about the 53pages you only need to read the fist couple of posts by Steve Strange (if you dyslexia will allow)

My local water report has nothing for Magnesium either so maybe I will have to but a test kit for that too?

Best of luck buddsy

Keruso · Sep 25, 2020

Belascobrews said:
Thanks for replying
Yeh iv got the same pdf but I might be being a bit thick but are some or these not on there
Magnesium
Sodium
Calcium
Sulfate
Chloride.....
From what I have researched these along with alkalinity and the ones you need to put into a water calculator.
I dont think some of them are on this pdf. Also if they are what reading to I use ???

Rather than use my local Portsmouth Water, which needs a heck of a lot of adjustment, I found it is far simpler to use Tesco Ashbeck and build your salt editions from there. The bottle label describes all the substances and concentration levels a homebrewer needs to know.

Galena · Sep 25, 2020

If you want a really accurate water analysis then you could try sending a sample to PHOENIX ANALYTICAL you have just missed his last run and they are about once a month but if you drop him an email he will tell you what to do.

buddsy · Sep 25, 2020

Yes a good plan. I see some of the people online use reverse osmosis water which I think is basically "empty" and build what they need.

buddsy

Belascobrews · Sep 25, 2020

Thanks for your replys guys. I will check out the link. Will also look into getting it tested.
I phoned southern water said they would get back to me...... nothing yet 48hrs later.

I have another issue with my peco bolier will start new post if you can help with that

trueblue · Sep 26, 2020

Galena said:
If you want a really accurate water analysis then you could try sending a sample to PHOENIX ANALYTICAL you have just missed his last run and they are about once a month but if you drop him an email he will tell you what to do.

Could not agree more. Most water company reports are so generic you can only hope that the water coming from your tap is the same. I test with Phoenix once a year but do my own salifert tests before each brew.

Cheshire Cat · Oct 19, 2020

Can anyone recommend a water profile for a Munich Dunkel

Calcium
Sulphate
Chloride
Alkalinity

Thanks

Zephyr259 · Oct 20, 2020

58mg/L Ca; 3mg/L Mg; 32mg/L Na; 10mg/L SO4; 21mg/L Cl; 150mg/L HCO3

Courtesy of Brukaiser, link gives his treatments, recipe and process. Alkalinity will vary depending on your grist.

Alternatively, I'd use the amber or brown full profiles in Bru'n Water which will be much less heavy on the Cl.

I'm starting to wonder if the Bru'n Water profiles are actually all that useful as they seem fairly risk averse with treatment levels. The Dry profiles all seem to be about 2:1 sulfate to chloride, all the other "colour" profiles seem more or less balanced to me.

trueblue · Oct 21, 2020

Zephyr259 said:
58mg/L Ca; 3mg/L Mg; 32mg/L Na; 10mg/L SO4; 21mg/L Cl; 150mg/L HCO3

Courtesy of Brukaiser, link gives his treatments, recipe and process. Alkalinity will vary depending on your grist.

Alternatively, I'd use the amber or brown full profiles in Bru'n Water which will be much less heavy on the Cl.

I'm starting to wonder if the Bru'n Water profiles are actually all that useful as they seem fairly risk averse with treatment levels. The Dry profiles all seem to be about 2:1 sulfate to chloride, all the other "colour" profiles seem more or less balanced to me.

I has been mentioned in several posts before bru'n water are geared for American brewers and with British styles it is what they believe they should be rather than what UK brewers want

Cheshire Cat · Oct 21, 2020

Zephyr259 said:
58mg/L Ca; 3mg/L Mg; 32mg/L Na; 10mg/L SO4; 21mg/L Cl; 150mg/L HCO3

Courtesy of Brukaiser, link gives his treatments, recipe and process. Alkalinity will vary depending on your grist.

Alternatively, I'd use the amber or brown full profiles in Bru'n Water which will be much less heavy on the Cl.

I'm starting to wonder if the Bru'n Water profiles are actually all that useful as they seem fairly risk averse with treatment levels. The Dry profiles all seem to be about 2:1 sulfate to chloride, all the other "colour" profiles seem more or less balanced to me.

Thanks

Petrolhead · Oct 21, 2020

Interesting the water testing by Phoenix, seems a perfect answer. Would like to go the SteveStrange route but really short of time at the moment.

How much do they charge?

Zephyr259 · Oct 21, 2020

Petrolhead said:
Interesting the water testing by Phoenix, seems a perfect answer. Would like to go the SteveStrange route but really short of time at the moment.

How much do they charge?

You can get one from Murphy's via BrewUK.co.uk, costs 35 quid these days.

Galena · Oct 21, 2020

Petrolhead said:
Interesting the water testing by Phoenix, seems a perfect answer. Would like to go the SteveStrange route but really short of time at the moment.

How much do they charge?

£28 when I had mine done a few months ago

trueblue · Oct 22, 2020

Zephyr259 said:
You can get one from Murphy's via BrewUK.co.uk, costs 35 quid these days.

After my own experiences with Murphy's personally I would say avoid. Never heard anyone say a bad word about phoenix.

Water profile.... please help 😖

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