Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

(That's water to the rest of us!) Beer is about 95% water, so if you want to discuss water treatment, filtering etc this is the place to do it!
shepp

Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by shepp » Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:27 am

I hope someone can help?
I know this is quite a complicated subject, which I am starting to learn about in more detail.
Just as a start for my first all grain brew i hope to do on Sunday, I wonder if someone can cast an eye over my local water profile results I just found on my local water companies website.
What would you do to my water as a starting point if you were brewing London Bitter?
Many thanks
Andy

https://www.affinitywater.co.uk/docs/wa ... /TV065.pdf

BenB

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by BenB » Fri Nov 18, 2016 2:24 pm

It's certainly hard water so I wouldn't start brewing lagers! But otherwise it's looking good. You alkalinity is high so your water is well placed for porters, stouts etc. Bitters it should work but the mash pH will likely be a bit high unless you reduce it. I'd keep it simple to begin with- use some CRS to get the alkalinity down. It will have the benefit of boosting the sulphate and chloride amounts also.

I know some people say go for full water adjustment from the beginning, others say do nothing and see what happens. You'll likely get beer either way. I personally think CRS is a good start (possibly with some DLS to boost calcium).

It's a shame they didn't do more test samples for alkalinity. Personally I'd get a Salifert alkalinity kit and double check before using CRS/DLS as per the Brupaks water adjustment website. It's simple and should get you in the ball park.

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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by orlando » Fri Nov 18, 2016 3:26 pm

PM Wallybrew and get him to analyse your water, he will produce a water report for a brewer. Once you know what you are starting with you have a chance of making sensible/accurate adjustments . The thing you always have to test for is alkalinity as in some places this can vary over time and Ben's suggestion of a Salifert kit is a good start. Your alkalinity is very high and even though Stout and Porters could be made as is, with a little adjustment down in the mash, you will still need to get that down a lot, under 30, for the sparge, unless you are a BIAB or full volume GF/BM owner, and if you don't know what they are you don't have to worry.
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AnthonyUK

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by AnthonyUK » Fri Nov 18, 2016 3:31 pm

Hi Shepp.
The process is pretty much the same for any beer which is measure the alkalinity and adjust for correct mash pH.
The adjustment method will determine the 'flavour' profile e.g. what acid is used but I wouldn't worry too much about that as your water is similar enough to London and is really tweaking around the last few percent of improvement.

shepp

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by shepp » Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:02 pm

BenB wrote:It's certainly hard water so I wouldn't start brewing lagers! But otherwise it's looking good. You alkalinity is high so your water is well placed for porters, stouts etc. Bitters it should work but the mash pH will likely be a bit high unless you reduce it. I'd keep it simple to begin with- use some CRS to get the alkalinity down. It will have the benefit of boosting the sulphate and chloride amounts also.

I know some people say go for full water adjustment from the beginning, others say do nothing and see what happens. You'll likely get beer either way. I personally think CRS is a good start (possibly with some DLS to boost calcium).

It's a shame they didn't do more test samples for alkalinity. Personally I'd get a Salifert alkalinity kit and double check before using CRS/DLS as per the Brupaks water adjustment website. It's simple and should get you in the ball park.
Thanks Ben, that's the sort of simple and concise advice I was hoping for at this early stage, I'll order a test kit today.
I am in two minds whether to go ahead with the brew on Sunday or to wait for the test kit then make additions to suit?

Orlando, I think getting Wallybrew to do me a report will be useful to build from i'll take sort that out too. I have a GF so I guess full volume means using full volume of liquor with no sparging,.

Cheers for your input too Anthony, do you think as it's a London bitter, then the liquor can be of a higher alkalinity than say a midlands bitter?

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orlando
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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by orlando » Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:24 pm

shepp wrote: I am in two minds whether to go ahead with the brew on Sunday or to wait for the test kit then make additions to suit?

Go for it, there is no such thing as "wrong", every time you brew you will produce something you like or don't or are indifferent about, that is your guide. Following a "style" guide is not necessarily a bad thing either, as it is at least a signpost on the road to what you are looking for, but in the end the beauty of this game is you can brew beer you like and whether that fits a style or not is only as important as you deem it to be. Now if you want to enter competitions...well that's different!

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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by MTW » Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:52 pm

I test with a Salifert kit and the alkalinity varies from around 60ppm CACO3 to 130ppm in my area, over a year; quite a difference. However, I still made good beer before I ever got the kit. It's definitely a variable you want to control as soon as possible though, even if you don't get into the sulphate/chloride ratios and all that.
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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by Eric » Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:18 pm

You don't want the complications of water treatment for your first AG brew. A dark beer would have been a better choice for alkaline water.

Once you get to grips with your system, getting to grips with water treatment will produce better beers.

Meanwhile get a Salifert kit, your water analysed and read about reducing alkalinity in water with acids.

Enjoy Sunday.
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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by mosquat » Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:24 pm

Yea enjoy it and dont panic, beer will happen :)


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shepp

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by shepp » Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:28 pm

Thanks chaps, I will make the beer and do more research, then add chemicals to my next grain order.
:D

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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by alexlark » Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:31 pm

Enjoy your first all grain brew on Sunday. I was brewing all grain for a year before I moved on to water treatment.

BenB

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by BenB » Fri Nov 18, 2016 11:49 pm

Don't worry too much on the first AG. I screwed my first one up good and proper without worrying about mash pH. My alkalinity is crazy stable. I check it every brew and every time it comes out at 210! Just look at drinkable beer with the first AG as a bonus ;)

shepp

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by shepp » Sat Nov 19, 2016 2:42 pm

I hope this works. :D
I wondered if anybody would be so kind as to cast an eye over the Graham Wheelers Liquor Treatment Calculator, I have just filled in.
I just wanted to see that I have managed to get all my information filled in correctly, taking into account of course that the information may well be not as accurate as is required.

Many thanks
Andy
Attachments
Graham Wheelers Water Chart 2.JPG
Affinity Water Ashford Report 4.JPG
Affinity Water Ashford Report 3.JPG

shepp

Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by shepp » Sat Nov 19, 2016 2:46 pm

Sorry not come out as clear as I hoped.

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Re: Water Profile For Brewing In My Area

Post by Eric » Sat Nov 19, 2016 7:24 pm

That should produce a decent beer. A test using a Salifert kit would allow you to confirm alkalinity after treatment with CRS.
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