Carbonate Hardness

[johnrm]

Looking for pointers to deal with the Carbonate Hardness/Alkalinity of water.
I've got a Salifert kit and measured 4.22meq/l or 211mg/l
I was looking at CRS to pull this figure down.
HBW don't have it listed.
HBC are out of stock
I've read that slaked lime can do the trick
Where might one get such stuff?

@Will_D, hows that water testing lab coming along?!

[DEMPSEY]

CRS will do the trick. As you you it,it will slightly increase the chloride and sulphate levels. If you know what current levels you have then you can decide if the increases are fine. For most of our water this is so.
Phosphoric acid can be used to lower carbonates as well and it does not add sulphate or chloride.

[johnrm]

My issue is that I can never seem to get it any time I look for it with the local suppliers.
I can boil the crap out of my liquor but that s only going to clog up elements.
I would prefer to attack this chemically.

[Will_D]

@Will_D, hows that water testing lab coming along?!

I am still waiting on a Sulphate test kit ( costs about 80 squidlings or so) then I should be able to offer some water analysis.

Regarding Carbonate hardness - if you are in a low Magnessium area (most of .ie ) then Carbonate hardness can be removed by boiling your water first. This will reduce any amount of calcium bicarbonate hardness to about 50 ppm!

Do not bother adding acid to improve your water

[johnrm]

Have a look at the attached Will.
Thoughts?

[Will_D]

Basically it says very little:
Chlorine: Fairly Low but easily removed by boiling or adding a campden tablet to the liquor
pH: A bit high (pure H2O is 7.0) but the mash should drop this down to the desired 5.2 ish
Sulphate: At 13 ppm very low!

I'm afraid that this is a typical water works "look NO nastys in our water" sort of report - This is essential for public health and even more so for well water analysis!

What we as brewers really need are:

Ca, Mg, Carbonate hardness, Sulphate.

Less so is pH (easily tested with cheap pH papers) and Chlorine (most of our city TW is over chlorinated so remove it!)

HTH!

[johnrm]

So if these lads don't do that where do we go to do it?
Were you were gearing up for this?
Can this gas chromatograph you're getting off Santa do this?

[Will_D]

We don't really need a €3K GLC machine for this!

As you have a test kit and have recorded the high'ish level of KH just put tap water into your kettle and boil it for a few mins.

Now let it cool and recheck the KH should be between 50 and 60.

So yes you will get a little "fur" on the element:

Remove it with citric acid solution.

You can also use vinegar but it smells a bit well "vinnegary"!
Tablespoon of CA in 500 ml of hot water , add to kettle, boil and rinse once or twice!
This stuff works a treat on shower heads and water drip stains in the bath etc.

For a HLT or a big kettle then just up scale the amounts

[johnrm]

I'll try that.
Too late for thinking straight!
Cheers Will.

[johnrm]

@Will...
Checked KH again... (Using Salifert test kit)
Pre Boil 204mg/l
Post Boil 56mg/l

I acquired a bottle of CRS and made up a representative sample but the Indicator KH Indicator changed immediately and could not get a reading.

Next Brew (Weiss) I'm going to boil before the Mash.

[Will_D]

I acquired a bottle of CRS and made up a representative sample but the Indicator KH Indicator changed immediately and could not get a reading.

Would be interested what the pH of the CRS treated water is.

The KH test is a simple alkali/acid titration type test so if there is ANY acidity present you will get an immediate change!

[johnrm]

Next brew (Weiss) is getting pre-boiled.
In the following brew I will use CRS.
I need to figure Gypsum to add Calcium.

[DEMPSEY]

Weiss is not a hoppy beer so I would go for calcium chloride for my calcium as the gypsum is calcium sulphate.