Alkalinity - Why you should always test before brewing

[Aleman]

I've been amazed today, I'm drawing off the liquor to brew this weekend, and as I usually do I took a small sample to test for alkalinity . . . You should know that for the last 2 years I've done this and my running average is 26mg/l as carbonate.. . . . Well according to the Salifert kit My reading today was 143 mg/l . . . .I don't beleeeeiiiiiiiivvvvvvvveeeeeee it! . ... Well actually I didn't . . . So I grabbed my trusty pH meter and a bottle of CRS test solution . . . and it took 7.13ml of CRS test solution to reach the end point (pH 4.3) . . .7.13 * 18.3 is 130mg/l.

It has been stable a couple of ppm either side of 25 for the last two years, and now its changed . . . Bloomin United Utilities . . . so for the first time I am going to be using a bottle of CRS I bought 2 years ago . . . a whopping 66ml of it.

Going to check the Calcium level too, but that has changed . . . not that it will be too drastic if it has.

Edit: The Calcium Level confirms it, as it's around 70mg/l

Glad I checked it really as I forgot on Tuesday and I'm making a much bigger batch this weekend . . . Did wonder why the boiling water I filled the Yeast rehydration flask with was milky . . . . Duh!

 

[Muddydisco]

I know you told me this before Tony but I didn't write it down
What the calculation from the salifert kit reading's Meq/l to ppm or Mg/l?
This way I can always refer back to here.

That is a big jump. Hope you get it back to your previous levels otherwise you'll be needing alot of Crs :thumb:

 

[prolix]

Mine goes up and down with the weather in dry times it goes up in rainy wet times it goes down. But not by that much.

 

[Aleman]

I know you told me this before Tony but I didn't write it down
What the calculation from the salifert kit reading's Meq/l to ppm or Mg/l?
This way I can always refer back to here.

meq/L * 50 = mg/L CaCo3

 

[Muddydisco]

Also found that
meq/l * 61.016 = Mg/l of Bicarbonate (HCO3)

 

[Aleman]

Just spoken to the nice bods at United Utilities, they have increased their borehole usage for our area to help them maintain the water levels in the upland reservoirs . . . . It was this that has led to an increase in the water hardness and alkalinity, unfortunately while this period of low rain continues the water will still be drawn from boreholes.

May very well look at getting some RO water from my local aquarium shop to dilute it back down . . . although tasting the last sample of the German Pilsner showed a very nice beer with a crisp bitterness :hmm:

 

[markp]

I always test mine before each brew.
I've had results between 90 and 163 mg/l from my tap water.

 

[john_s]

Just spoken to the nice bods at United Utilities, they have increased their borehole usage for our area to help them maintain the water levels in the upland reservoirs . . . . It was this that has led to an increase in the water hardness and alkalinity

Water chemistry is a bit too advanced for my brewing yet, but I had noticed that the water hardness had definitely increased.

 

[TheMumbler]

Thanks for the heads up AM. That is certainly worth knowing. I generally assume that the water here is very soft. I suppose I should really get a salifert kit.

 

[nath812]

Just spoken to the nice bods at United Utilities, they have increased their borehole usage for our area to help them maintain the water levels in the upland reservoirs . . . . It was this that has led to an increase in the water hardness and alkalinity

Water chemistry is a bit too advanced for my brewing yet, but I had noticed that the water hardness had definitely increased.

I found that since using water treatments my beer as gone from good to really really good. Its the single biggest difference to my beer.

 

[Halite]

Have only done three AG brews but have yet to doing any water testing/chemistry, will pick up some salifert kits and see what my water is like now!