NI water now offer an automated water profile just by typing in your post code!
Water Profile (http://www.niwater.com/water-quality-results)
Thanks. My water is just like me.....moderately hard.
Quote from: Roo on November 12, 2015, 08:34:59 PM
Thanks. My water is just like me.....moderately hard.
That sounds so wrong to these ears ???
Good find, Chris.
-Barry 'slightly hard' McBazza
Great service from niwater.com !!
Just entered my NI Parcel Motel post code and can download the water analysis.
Just need to persuade PM to ship me their water!!
Seriuosly tho', great support from ye're water company!
Need I say owt about our .ie new Water Company?!
Nice one! Moderately hard here too...
I think if you really care about the water chemistry its better to just test you water with the little aquarium kits. There can be considerable variation and the values they are reporting are only averages which may not be very up to date. I tend to use my own results for alkalinity and carbonate and take the average values for sulphate, chloride etc.
Amazing, been struggling on this for a while!
Thanks,
H
:-* :-* :-*
Quote from: steve71ni on November 13, 2015, 11:25:49 AM
I think if you really care about the water chemistry its better to just test you water with the little aquarium kits. There can be considerable variation and the values they are reporting are only averages which may not be very up to date. I tend to use my own results for alkalinity and carbonate and take the average values for sulphate, chloride etc.
Sounds interesting. What sort would you buy?
This a great resource. Were you able to get specific values for
Calcium
Carbonate
Magnesium
are these listed under a different name or combined into other readings?
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,3667.msg45891.html#msg45891
Ciaran, I spoke with them a while back and posted their reply and some test results for BT6.
Q_M
Cheers Andy, yea I decided to just email them directly for the extra detail. I've updated that thread for BT8 so hopefully that helps someone else.
Bangor has soft water. Who'd have known
BT36 is moderatley hard. i got a full report a few weeks ago. bit of faffing about but they sent it across.
I emailed them asking specifically about elements of concern for brewing - they got back to me the same day. Brilliant service. What does strike me though is that these are annual results - as such I guess they are ball park figures to be used as a starting point, and must change - especially after the downpours of late! I would be interested to know if anyone tests their water more regularly, and what kits are used?
Yeah I test my water before each brew using the Salifert aquarium kits, one for calcium and one for alkalinity. These are the most important values, you can then make sure the mash pH will be in the right area and adjust the Ca level to where you want it by adding CaCl2 or CaSO4. Both these salifert kits are available on eBay.
Hello all,
Just wanted to find out if anybody could recommend any of the bottled waters from supermarkets around Belfast etc, for various beer stales? Eg IPAs and American PAs, When using all grain. Which ones hav the closest target water profile etc?
Cheers
I've used both Tesco's Ashbeck and Asda's Eden Falls water but I do water adjustments using BeerSmith.
Asda Eden Falls:
Calcium | 11ppm |
Magnesium | 3ppm |
Sodium | 9ppm |
Sulfate | 9ppm |
Chloride | 12ppm |
Bicarbonate | 30ppm |
Tesco Ashbeck:
Calcium | 10ppm |
Magnesium | 2.5ppm |
Sodium | 9ppm |
Sulfate | 10ppm |
Chloride | 12ppm |
Bicarbonate | 9.5ppm |
Pretty good that you can get that level of detail on the labels (or did you need to email each of them for info?)
cheers, maybe give one of those a try then.
typically for an IPA , and a black IPA, what sort adjustments might i need? can i wait untill measuring themash PH?
Quote from: Ciaran on September 12, 2016, 04:01:42 PM
Pretty good that you can get that level of detail on the labels (or did you need to email each of them for info?)
Asda have those details on their website but there a little bit of working out for the Tesco one.
Ok here quoted profiles for lidl's carrick glen and my offices water cooler water just EAU.
Calcium seems much higher for these compared to tesco/asda and bicarbonate of the scale with the carrick glen, but would that be good for dark ales?
Also got report of tap water.
Just EAU:
Calcium 92ppm
Magnesium 1ppm
Sodium 7ppm
Sulfate
Chloride 14ppm
Bicarbonate
Ph. 7.5
carrick glen:
Calcium 80
Magnesium 23
Sodium 18
Sulfate 31
Chloride 20
Bicarbonate 293
Tap water. Classed mod soft
Calcium 33
Magnesium 5
Sodium 13
Sulfate 45
Chloride 18
Bicarbonate 81
So can I clarify as I'm not great on the water treatment options
Calcium - flakes from homebrew store
Magnesium - also from homebrew store
Sodium - standard salt
Sulfate - are these the Epsom salts
Chloride - homebrew store
Bicarbonate - standard bicarb soda in any shop
I basically want to get all the possible additions for water treatment. I'm sure I got the above horrendously wrong
It's a little bit more complicated than that. The ions are formed in compounds so it's about get the balance right. You can't get chloride on its own but you can get table salt (sodium chloride NaCl) or calcium chloride (CaCl) but obviously they contribute sodium and calcium respectively.
Try using this calculcator http://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-water-target-profiles/
I've also attached an example of the calculator from BeerSmith which I've found to be pretty useful for this.
that Beersmith tool looks great so i guess you check the supermarket options etc for one that is a close match to your target water then enter them both and make the additions needed.
Does anyone no a source for target profiles for specific beer types- as opposed to areas?
also in the meantime as a quick fix, if i check the mash ph pre boil and its too low, or too high - whats best way to raise it or lower it? can you change it post boil? for my first few brews will probably keep it simple if pos.
cheers.
A few notes (https://gcbrewers.wordpress.com/adding-water-profiles-to-beersmith/) with some different profiles (https://gcbrewers.wordpress.com/beersmith-water-profiles/), e.g. Light & hoppy, light & malty, balanced (from brewersfriend calculator)
Remember to add your local / bottled water details.
I have r.o water at home. So if I want to replicate a profile I just add each addition as all minerals will be at zero?
Quote from: auralabuse on September 13, 2016, 05:14:00 PM
I have r.o water at home. So if I want to replicate a profile I just add each addition as all minerals will be at zero?
Essentially yes. If you are using RO water then all you need is gypsum (calcium sulphate), calcium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate. You don't need to worry about magnesium, the mash adds more than enough.
If you use RO then you set up your water as RO and then all you do is add one of the water profiles to your recipe and beersmith will add the necessary salts to your recipe. ;)
Here is me using RO water and using Edinburgh Water,the recipe adds the salts needed