Treating Water With a High Alkalinity for Brewing

(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!
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lordnoise

Post by lordnoise » Thu Jul 24, 2008 2:25 pm

Right - just put an email request in to Thames Water asking for a total alkalinity figure rather than total hardness. I put it for the attention of 'a man in a white coat in a lab'. Lets see if a bit of humour works !

I take all your learned points about Ph meters (and thanks for them) but its become a bit of habit of mine to use one. 'Have sample jar full of liquid - stick my Ph meter in it' kind of thing. Its how I learnt to do it at a brewing course I attended so its comforting to watch the rises and falls during process that I know tell me everythings proceeding as it should - or not as the case may be :roll:

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:12 am

Woo ho after a couple if indignant emails to Bristol water
they came back with an appology for sending me the wrong info and supplied this.

We took 52 samples over past year. Max 182mg/l as Alkalinity as Calcium Carbonate(CaCO3); Min 133 and Average of 160mg/l.

So I must assume that 160 is my figure to work from....
Next step buy some CRS

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:14 am

PS Im celebrating my victory with a bedtime litre of TC.......

Gert lush as em says in Brissle

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:24 am

Thanks DaaB I was wondering how to cope with the Wide range.
I think the problem is that the water is drawn from the Mendip hills which are basically large lumps of chalk. and I suppose the CaCO3 concentrarion will depend on the height of the water table at any one time.

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:09 pm

Just bought a 60L plastic jub for a boiler, I have drill and tesco elements in my hand. The rest of the bits including CRS on order or in the corner irritating the heck out of the wife . Standby for AG#1 coming soon to a forum near you

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:02 pm

Looking at Leyland homebrew site I see tehre are CRS and Dry Liquor Salts used to adjusts alkalinity. Are these the same as CRS or a different beast all together

BarnsleyBrewer
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Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:55 pm

Hi,
Finally got a water report that means something, Is my water ideal for brewing?

In response to your recent e-mail
Average pH = 7 pH unit based on samples taken from Ardsley water supply zone
Average total alkalinity = 160 mg/lHCO3 based on samples taken from water treatment works that supply the water supply zone
I trust this information is satisfactory.


If it's not good brewing water, any chance of a pointer in the right direction on what might need adding to make a decent bitter or pale ale.

Thanks
John
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

BarnsleyBrewer
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Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:57 pm

Do you recommend throwing owt else in? i.e gypsum etc :?

John
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

BarnsleyBrewer
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Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:57 pm

Thanks for the replies DaaB, the more I learn the closer I'm getting to my perfect pint.
Is it worth adding anything other than gypsum, you know, DLS or owt else that might spring to mind, or is the use of CRS and a campden tablet is all that's required for my type of water?

Would you say my alkalinity and ph is high or just normal?
John
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

nofe4r

Post by nofe4r » Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:29 pm

I have just contacted Severn Trent by email, they replied with:

"I can confirm that the alkalinity level the above area is 1112 mg/l and the term is expressed in CaCO3."

This seems a bit high? :shock:

They also gave a link to the report they took the figure from but I can't see where the figure came from.

http://www.stwater.co.uk/upload/pdf/ZWA ... sworth.pdf

nofe4r

Post by nofe4r » Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:11 pm

DaaB wrote:I'd imagine that should read 112mg/l if not I suggest wearing a hard had in the shower :lol:
Exactly what I thought. I have emailed him to see what he has to say for himself.

BarnsleyBrewer
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Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:49 pm

Check this information about Burtonising water.
Very informative.
8)
http://www.murphyandson.co.uk/BrewingAr ... ywhere.htm

BB
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

BarnsleyBrewer
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Posts: 1793
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:52 pm
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Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:38 pm

Hi All
Used CRS in my last brew and some gypsum, fantastic, never thought I'd say this, water treatment makes a really big difference!!

BB
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

ade1865

Post by ade1865 » Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:06 pm

rang up my water provider, Bristol Water, and they got one of their lab bods to get back to me with the figures i need. Very helpful. min/242, median/248, max/259. guess i should go for the median figure.

BarnsleyBrewer
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Re: Treating Water With a High Alkalinity for Brewing

Post by BarnsleyBrewer » Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:12 pm

Chris-x1 wrote:Any chance of making this a sticky ?
I agree Chris, such an important topic like this was/is, shouldn't be allowed to drift down the thread to only surface from time to time :!:

John :D
"Brewing Fine Ales in Barnsley Since 1984"
- - - - - - - 30 years (1984 - 2014)- - - - - - -
Pints Brewed in 2021......... 104
Pints brewed in 2018.. 416
Pints brewed in 2017.. 416 - Pints brewed in 2016.. 208
Pints brewed in 2015.. 624 - Pints brewed in 2014.. 832

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