ASDA Eden Falls spring water

[InHopsWeTrust]

Here is the water profile for ASDA Eden Falls spring water (all values per litre):

Calcium - 11mg
Magnesium - 3mg
Patassium - 2mg
Sodium - 9mg
Bicarbonate - 30mg
Chloride - 12mg
Sulphate - 9mg
Nitrate - 10mg
pH (at source) - 6.4
​

Two questions:

1. Is bicarbonate the same as calcium carbonate?
2. Is this water profile suitable for all-grain brewing 'as is', or would you recommend any changes? I brew a mixture of english ales but am partial to the odd APA too.

Thanks!

 

[MyQul]

I'm deffon not an expert in this area of brewing but I've recently started using this for brewing and it's good.

1. Not sure tbh, I think so as our old forum calc says if you havn't added a value for carbonate (C03) then add the value for alkalinity in the next box and I just know bicarbonate is the same as alkalinity.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=57800

2. I would say yes. The reason I started using this water for pales is I get an astringent afterbite using just my tap water alone for brewing. I've brewed an English pale ale and a bitter as is wuth the Eden Falls and didn't get the after bite. Calculators will tell you to add some gypsum for the styles you want to brew. Adding it may well improve the beer but so far mine have been fine without

 

[MyQul]

I've just this minute tasted from the FV a Dortmunder Export pseudo lager that I made a couple of weeks ago (I'll bottle and mini keg it next week). This was the first time I added some gypsum to the boil (but not to the mash), the amount determined by our old forum water calc. The beer/bittering seems to have a 'crispness' about it that possibly/probably comes from the gypsum. I've yet to add the flavouring hops, which I will add at bottling time as a hop tea.

Taking the above into account if I was you, I'd make a brew or two with the Eden Falls as is then make a brew using some gysum to see if you like the effects