While I wait for the bits to arrive for my brewry build I've looked up the water report. The good news is that the water quality is reported as excellent, which I wouldn't contest as I like drinking it. The water board do however chlorinate the supply and occasionally you can detect the smell in a cuppa.
The bad news is the hardness, which is reported as Very Hard, and a figure of 452mg/l CaCO3 is given. I knew it was hard of course as it's a constant battle to keep the pans and kettle and the like scale free.
I assume that I have two issues arising from the hard water; scaling up of the pots an pipes, and scum in the brew. Am I going to be fighting losing battle with the corporation pop, and would it be easier to find an alternative supply?
Water treatment 101?
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Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
- Posts: 6132
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:56 am
- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
Re: Water treatment 101?
Hardness isn't the issue as its the level of calcium and magnesium ions in the water! . . .What is the issue is the level of bicarbonate/carbonate!
Burton for example has Hard water (May even be classed as very hard), but brews excellent ales, but that is because the calcium is in conjunction with sulphate and not carbonate. . . it is the carbonate that is causing the scale in your pots and pipes.
In this situation I would recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis system and using 1/4 tap water and 3/4 RO water, which will give you a 4four fold reduction in alkalinity . . .although you might need to go lower than this only by using an alkalinity test kit will you be certain.
Brewniversity article on water treatment
Burton for example has Hard water (May even be classed as very hard), but brews excellent ales, but that is because the calcium is in conjunction with sulphate and not carbonate. . . it is the carbonate that is causing the scale in your pots and pipes.
In this situation I would recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis system and using 1/4 tap water and 3/4 RO water, which will give you a 4four fold reduction in alkalinity . . .although you might need to go lower than this only by using an alkalinity test kit will you be certain.
Brewniversity article on water treatment
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Beardy
Re: Water treatment 101?
According to the latest report on the water board website (q1 this year) Alkalinity is 306 mg/l CaCO3 and sulphate is 136 mg/l SO4. It seems to BA a comprehensive report but I can't see any reference to carbonate or bicarbonate. Of course, as you say, the only way I'll know whats coming out of the tap is to get a test kit, bit it would be nice to have an idea of what, if any, extra kit I'm going to have to allow for. RO doesn't sound cheap, I mean it's got it's own acronym and everything.
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Scroogemonster
Re: Water treatment 101?
crookedeye boy can test your water for you for a very reasonable price.