Chloride and Sulphate water tests

[user 40634]

Hi, Can anyone advise me how to test my tap water for Chloride and Sulphate? I’ve seen test kits that cost £300! I’ve bought aquarium test kits for hardness, alkalinity and Ca but can’t find an inexpensive way to test for above. Thanks in advance

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I looked but I couldn’t find any.
I think your best bet is to send a sample away for testing. Several places do it - for example you can get a Murphy & Son brewing water analysis for £35 via brewuk

https://www.brewuk.co.uk/water-analysis.html

 

[trueblue]

From personal experience I would avoid Murphy's. Phoenix Analytical will give you more results are cheaper and more reliable.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

That’s the other place I was trying to remember

 

[user 40634]

Thanks guys

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Thanks guys

Mind you, if you're in the UK you can normally get that from your water company report
https://www.water.org.uk/advice-for-customers/find-your-supplier/

 

[trueblue]

WC reports are very generic taken from several locations over a set period of time they are designed to keep the regulator happy not the homebrewer. You might be lucky and what is coming out of your tap is close to the mean average but the only way you will know is have your water properly tested. I have a fellow brewer who lives about 6 miles away yet there are differences in our water despite they come from the same source. I get my water tested yearly by Phoenix analytical, last one was £26 I think, and treat my water accordingly.
Keep yeast live.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Fair enough if you really need to know that accurately.

 

[aamcle]

Get them from the company that supplies your water, sending off for testing is fine but the water coming from your tap may well vary in composition through the year.

I use the rolling average figure from United Utilities.


Atb

 

[user 18729]

Get them from the company that supplies your water, sending off for testing is fine but the water coming from your tap may well vary in composition through the year.

I use the rolling average figure from United Utilities.


Atb

Exactly this. The water reports provide a wide range with an average for a reason. Your tap water will vary all the time.

I use the average figures and accept that my tap water will change throughout the year. That said, my mash ph is always within +/- 0.1 of my target using Brewnwater

If you’re concerned about the accuracy/reliability of your water then I’d suggest putting the £30 you’d spend on analysis towards an RO unit, but I don’t think there’s really any need (just my opinion)

 

[trueblue]

As I said I do a once a year report and find very littlie variation from year to year. I test the things I can easily test, alkalinity before each brew and calcium every few brews, and if they stay fairly constant I am happy the other variables are still within the parameters I need.

 

[user 40634]

That’s great thanks. I’ll probably have it tested at Phoenix just the once and compare to WC report. Again thanks for the guidance, really useful

 

[Northern_Brewer]

As I said I do a once a year report and find very littlie variation from year to year.

You're more likely to find variation month to month - or rather season to season; depending where you live it can vary a lot between winter and summer, or in drought years versus wetter years, as the company juggles supplies.

A TDS meter can be useful for getting a feel for that kind of variation with each brew without going the whole hog of a lab test.