LeeH's Stupid Water Treatment Questions.

[LeeH]

I'll have loads of water treatment questions as I dip my toe into this area instead if using the broad brush strokes of the Murphy's CRS and DWB recommendations.

My water and next recipe

https://share.brewfather.app/uoT5A7f9t3Lboj

As you can see I cannot adjust the water with additions to reach the targets, so I will invest in an RO system.

If I dilute my water 1:1 I understand all the mineral content will reduce 50% but with RO this is not the case. Correct?

Do people cut thier water then get a 2nd water report done?

 

[Justin Dean]

I use 3 stage ro filter to gather water and then target profile with chalk, gypsum, epsom salt, magnesium sulphate etc. Makes life real easy and brewfather does all the calculations for you and matches it to your inventory of same.

 

[LeeH]

Hi yes I understand that, but did you test your RO water? Want is in it? Distilled has literally nothing in it but RO has I believe.

I cannot view your screen grab clearly but you have 3 which are red and out of tolerance.

Also your mash pH.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Hi yes I understand that, but did you test your RO water? Want is in it? Distilled has literally nothing in it but RO has I believe.

I cannot view your screen grab clearly but you have 3 which are red and out of tolerance.

Hi Lee,

RO water has nothing. If you dilute your tap water 1:1 with RO then all the numbers are halved.

Filter water has everything (apart from any sand/sediment). If your filter system incorporates a carbon filter it will also remove chlorine but the alkalinity and all the minerals, metals, etc. are all still there at the same level.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I did also do some testing...

You sparked my curiosity so I have just done some testing looking at alkalinity, calcium, TDS, and pH of my tap water, filter water and RO water. Results are:

	Tap	Filter	RO
Alkalinity	281	281	0
Calcium	150	150	0
TDS	328	328	5
pH	7.7	7.8	7.0

Admittedly my water filter is a pretty cheap one but what this tells me is that it’s doing no good at all in respect of water adjustment for brewing. It is removing the insoluble rubbish (I hope!) but is no good for brewing water.

Someone asked about rainwater so I tested that too...

I have the rainwater figures, drum roll please....

Alkalinity=16
Calcium=25
TDS=42
pH=6.4

This rainwater was collected directly in a clean jug so there was no runoff and no additional contaminants were introduced as a result.

What I can’t tell of course is whether there are any microbes or other beasties in the water. I imagine the mash/boil would see these off though?

Also, these figures are from one rainfall last night and on a different day the figures might be different?

 

[Justin Dean]

I use tds meter and that shows 5 for my RO which is negligible, for instance my tap water in essex is over 400.

 

[LeeH]

@Hazelwood Brewery thanks very much, very interesting. I shall cut my current water and also look at building the profile from scratch!

 

[LeeH]

This is where I must have seen the RO water profile. It suggest its not quite bare.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

This is where I must have seen the RO water profile. It suggest its not quite bare.

View attachment 41237

It does but these readings are low and my own readings are lower still. What we don’t know perhaps is how the reading were determined and whether the RO system used was higher throughput (so maybe allows just a little more impurities through?). I’m just guessing at this point but I think you can safely assume RO water has negligible minerals.

 

[LeeH]

Its been 3 years since my last test to I'm going to get wallybrew from JBK to test both so I'll have a correct datum. Hes doing another run on the 18th. 28GBP.

I'm just curious if nothing else.

 

[Justin Dean]

This is where I must have seen the RO water profile. It suggest its not quite bare.

View attachment 41237

As good as. water Chemistry outside a lab is never going to be precise but that does not matter, in close in the area of and that is fine. RO Water certainly looks crystal clear and tastes clear. If you are worried then buy distilled water instead.

 

[Mrobson]

This is where I must have seen the RO water profile. It suggest its not quite bare.

View attachment 41237

I use these figures when doing my water, I range from 50/50 to 90/10 (ro/tap) depending on what beer I'm brewing and adjust the figures from Yorkshire Water accordingly. Seems to work for me mate.

 

[Clint]

Is it distilled or RO you shouldn't drink?