WATER TREATMENT ADVICE PLEASE

[kay-jay]

Hi all,

i'm about to start my first brew!! i'm in the bolton area (lancashire) and i've been reading through this forum for advice on various aspects of brewing.
with regard to water treatment ...how essential is it? and what are the associated problems if you don't do it? is boiling normal tap water and adding a crushed campden tablet sufficient for reducing the chlorinates to an acceptable level? if not what should i be doing? and one last question what is crs????

if you can answer all or just some of the above please reply as i am keen to get started but don't want to make any obvious mistakes.

thanks guys

KJ

[kay-jay]

hi chris

cheers for that. sound advice!!! just a small question tho when you say to leave overnight and rack off from sediment! is that just if i'm boiling and adding gypsum? or do i need to do that if i'm just treating cold water with a campden tablet also?

many thanks

KJ

[nobby]

Hi all,

i'm about to start my first brew!! i'm in the bolton area (lancashire) and i've been reading through this forum for advice on various aspects of brewing.
with regard to water treatment ...how essential is it? and what are the associated problems if you don't do it? is boiling normal tap water and adding a crushed campden tablet sufficient for reducing the chlorinates to an acceptable level? if not what should i be doing? and one last question what is crs????

if you can answer all or just some of the above please reply as i am keen to get started but don't want to make any obvious mistakes.

thanks guys

KJ

No need to use Campden Tablets, your water is from United Utilities like mine, they do not add chloramines to the water. Just boil your water or leave to stand over night is all you need to get rid of the Chlorine.

Look here for your water report http://www.unitedutilities.com/waterquality.htm

CRS is for reducing the amount of Calcuim in Hard Water yours will be Soft or Very Soft so its not needed.

Like Chris said dont get worried about your water. Get a few brews under your belt first and then maybe think about it.

[kay-jay]

hi nobby,

thanks for the advice and the link. will check it out!
i'm a plumber and when i was training we were told that united utilities for our area provide soft water as you also stated. however it seems to be temporary hard water! evidence of this can be found in my kettle as temporary hard water releases its carbonates when heated therefore when temporary hard water is heated in a kettle the element furs up. that seems to be the experience of everyone in my area.??

anyway i don't suppose it matters too much. if you brew with same water and get no adverse problems it should be same for me.

cheers mate

KJ

[nobby]

All water (I stand to be corrected on this) has both Perminent and Temporary Harness. Like you say the Temp harness is removed by boiling. However when you measure hardness you measure the perminent hardness or Alkalinity and thats why our water is soft. However I have noticed that some areas around the NW Unitied Utilities has start to state Modarate Hardness. If you want to fry your brain read up about water Chemistry

[kay-jay]

hi nobby

If you want to fry your brain read up about water Chemistry

thanks, but i think i'll give that a miss!!! i can quite easily live without making my brain leak through my ears.

cheers for the info tho

KJ

[Aleman]

Chris is so right, Until you have sound brewing technique throwing chemicals into your liquor will not have any noticeable effect on your beer. . . .

Water treatment is not complex . . . People like to over complicate it, and talk about Chlorine/Chloramine, hardness (Total amount of Calcium and Magnesium salts dissolved in the water), Carbonate hardness (It isn't), Alkalinity etc etc . . . then make out that your water has to be like Burtons to brew a pale ale, London or Dublin for stouts and Plzen for Pilsners . . . Its all a load of cobblers.

The simple approach to water treatment for the majority of areas in Lancashire

1) Add half a campden tablet to every 10 gallons of water
2) Adjust your alkalinity to below 50 . . . In the majority of water supply zones in Lancashire it is already well below this soi ts easy . . . do nothing
3) Increase the calcium levels . . . add a tsp of gypsum to the mash and 1 tsp of gypsum to the boil. (5 gallon brew length)

That's it, no complex chemistry, and nothing to worry over.

Incidentally while UU do not add chloramine tot eh water they do chlorinate which still needs to be removed . . . as we don't need to boil or liquor to reduce the alkalinity we do need to remove the chlorine and a campden tablet guarantees that. . . . In theory heating the liquor to strike heat will gas off the chlorine, but I want to be certain.. . . Plus there is no guarantee that there si no chloramine in the liquor as it is formed by a reaction between chlorine and ammonia (Which shouldn't be there . . . . but I do know where it comes from) So the campden tablet will do no harm.