finding Alkalinty of water

[bob3000]

I have requested and recieved a water report from my local authority and it seems to have all the information i need apart from alkalinty in calcium carbonates ppm. Is this just the same as calcium mg/l or is the alkalinty a separate thing?

By the way my calcium mg ca/l is 47

My magnesium is mg Mg/l is 6.6

And my total hardness is mg ca/l 59

If this helps.

 

[Aleman]

I have requested and recieved a water report from my local authority and it seems to have all the information i need apart from alkalinty in calcium carbonates ppm. Is this just the same as calcium mg/l or is the alkalinty a separate thing?

No it's not the same as Calcium, Its not Hardness either. It is actually the concentration of Bicarbonate Ions in the water. The best way to find this is to get hold of a Salifert Total (KH) alkalinity test kit, from an aquarium suppliers or via eBay and measure it yourself . . . and do it before every brew . . . .it changes . . . randomly depending on where your water company decides to draw the water from day to day.

By the way my calcium mg ca/l is 47
My magnesium is mg Mg/l is 6.6
And my total hardness is mg ca/l 59

Well from those figures and taking total guesswork I would expect your alkalinity to be around 45-55mg/l . . . Simply because my figures are around that level . . . Just a little bit too high to pale beers (ideally <=30 mg/l) pretty much spot on for bitters and amber ales (50-75 mg/l) and too low for dark beers like browns, porters and stouts (100-125 mg/l).

Don't forget we have a water treatment calculator on the site.

If you amend your profile to include your location it might help people determine your water consistency a little better.

 

[bob3000]

Ok, nice one.