Chloramination

[Martybhoy]

I received a card through my door today saying my tap water is soon to be treat with a process called chloramination: Google tells me that this means Chlorine and ammonia will be added in small doses to disinfect the water.

My water is soft, and the residual chlorine as Cl2 (mg/l) is 0.01.

Can anyone tell what impact chloramination is likely to have on my water? (I have attached a screenshot of my water report if that helps any).

Thanks

 

[dad_of_jon]

I received a card through my door today saying my tap water is soon to be treat with a process called chloramination: Google tells me that this means Chlorine and ammonia will be added in small doses to disinfect the water.

My water is soft, and the residual chlorine as Cl2 (mg/l) is 0.01.

Can anyone tell what impact chloramination is likely to have on my water? (I have attached a screenshot of my water report if that helps any).

Thanks

my commiserations - chloramine as opposed to chlorine treatment survives a boiling of the water. in swansea we've had it for about 5 years? and since then i've noticesed a film on top of cups of tea that wasn't there before. please don't misunderstand the water was still better than that I had on holiday in norfolk (more nitrates in the water I presume) BUT the water in swansea USED to be superb. Chlorine treated water can be boiled to remove the chlorine, so you could use tap water after boiling. With chloramine that is not possible. Boiling will not remove it - campden tablet time I think.

why go to chloramine? - because it's more resilient to stupidity

 

[simon12]

Dad of jon beat me to it, a campden tablet will treat over 100L and whats in that will get boiled out.

 

[Martybhoy]

I can live with that. I think .

A camden tablet the night before and hopefully we're set to go .

 

[Bigcol49]

A camden tablet the night before and hopefully we're set to go .

Hi!
While there is nothing wrong with treating your water overnight, the Campden tablet will neutralise chloramines within a few minutes. The chlorine in the water will be driven out during the boil.

 

[Martybhoy]

Ah. Thanks. Don't know why I thought it had to be overnight.

 

[Bigcol49]

Ah. Thanks. Don't know why I thought it had to be overnight.

Hi!
Chlorine naturally evaporates from water in about 24 hours (according to what I've read), so water left overnight will lose most of its chlorine.
If you have a planned brew, there's nothing hurting to draw your water the day before.
If you haven't planned a brew day and the opportunity arises, then you know that using water that hasn't stood overnight will be OK.

 

[Martybhoy]

Yeah, I must have mixed up chlorine with chloramine.

Anyways, I almost always plan my brews. I've learned that setting up my equipment the night before (sometimes with water in the kettle), saves a lot of time.

 

[scomet]

Chloramine is some bad * (for beer) my advice is to go RO and build your own mineral profiles, folks use Camden tablets which is ok is you don't mind sulphites remaining in your beer!

If you go this route don't get a cheap eBay chinese's system you need one with a genuine Dow-filmtech membrane, the cheap chinese's jobs dont get the Ammonia!!

You can get a good wall mount job for a few hundred $s your beer will shine.....

ps we went to chloramine I went RO ++ = :-}

 

[Martybhoy]

Chloramine is some bad * (for beer) my advice is to go RO and build your own mineral profiles, folks use Camden tablets which is ok is you don't mind sulphites remaining in your beer!

If you go this route don't get a cheap eBay chinese's system you need one with a genuine Dow-filmtech membrane, the cheap chinese's jobs dont get the Ammonia!!

You can get a good wall mount job for a few hundred $s your beer will shine.....

ps we went to chloramine I went RO ++ = :-}

Can you recommend a system/brand? Preferably a portable one (if they exist).

 

[Martybhoy]

Also, how big an issue are sulphites in the water after using a camden tablet?

 

[Bigcol49]

Also, how big an issue are sulphites in the water after using a camden tablet?

Hi!
Post No. 17 here suggests that it isn't something to worry about.

 

[Martybhoy]

Thanks. I think I'll try the campden tablet method first, before I explore reverse osmosis.

I understand the importance of water profiles, but I'm happy to use my tap water with a little treatment for most styles of beer.

 

[Bigcol49]

I think I'll try the campden tablet method first, before I explore reverse osmosis

Hi!
When you do go down the RO route, try diluting your tap water with RO 50/50 and then adjusting the chemistry.

 

[terrym]

Hi!
When you do go down the RO route, try diluting your tap water with RO 50/50 and then adjusting the chemistry.

Colin
Just interested really
Do you run a RO set up? If so how do the economics work out compared to cheap supermaket bottled water? An RO unit looks to cost a minimum of about £100, then you have to fit it, it will require filter changes every so often, and the membrane needs replacing every few years, quite apart from it probably having a finite life anyway.

 

[strange-steve]

You don't have to spend that much on an RO unit, I think mine was about £40 or so. I've had it for a few years now and not had to change the filters yet, the water is coming out about 7ppm tds.

 

[simon12]

Its my understanding that the sulphites in the campden tablets would be removed in the boil if not before in the HLT.

 

[Gunge]

Its my understanding that the sulphites in the campden tablets would be removed in the boil if not before in the HLT.

Furthermore! I'd have thought that the amount of sulphite in (say) 25 litres of water from half a campden tablet would to all intents and purposes be utterly undetectable. And also! Presumably the sulphite becomes 'something else' as a consequence of its reaction with chloramines / chlorine.

 

[Bigcol49]

Do you run a RO set up?

Hi @terrym
No, but I am considering getting a "cheap" portable unit, such as the one that @strange-steve has suggested.
My local supermarket water (Morrisons) is unsuitable for brewing because it is very high in one chemical (can't remember which, though :unsure:).

 

[AdeDunn]

RO was a no brainer for me, as already had a good system, complete with a pressurised storage tank. I spent more on my system though as having multiple aquariums I needed a much higher gallons per day than a cheaper unit gives you. I would point out though, it's the carbon filters and NOT the RO membrane that remove chlorine and chloramine. To make sure the chloramine is totally removed you want a system with 2 carbon stages (unless, apparently, if your carbon stage is a carbon block, rather than granular, as you get increased contact time with these so 1 stage does the job), where if you live in an area where they only add chlorine then you only need 1 carbon stage. https://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/removing-chloramines

Mine is a 5 stage (but with the post filter removed... lol), stage 1 is a 5 micron sediment filter (you will pass out when you see the garbage these remove from tap water...).


(That was after running it for 12 months, taken whilst replacing the filters)

Stage 2 is a granular activated carbon filter, stage 3 is a carbon block filter and stage 4 is the RO membrane itself. The 5th stage was a granular carbon post filter that was supposed to improve the flavour of the water but I got fed up of replacing the thing (I still have the last one I bought somewhere, still in it's wrapper..)... lol My RO membrane is a 150 gallons per day one, but I doubt you'd need something that mental for brewing. lol

Our water is so hard that 50:50 dilution didn't do the job, for very pale ales I've been having to use a 20:9 ratio of RO to tap water.... I just bought some gypsum too so I can start putting some calcium back in there. I still have to use a bit of Campden tablet though, for that 9 litres of tap water I still use....

As to cost, we're not on a meter and I already have to run an RO system, so for me the cost is negligible. If you're on a meter though, try your local aquarium store (phone them first to check they stock it, if they sell marine species though it's almost guaranteed), it's usually something like £5 for 25 litres of RO water.