Measuring CaCO3 and Ca

[BrewStew]

when i looked up my water profile i found out that my water comes from 3 different sources at varying and fluctuating rates throughout the day. So relying on the mean figure in a report done in September doesn't sound accurate to me when you look at how wide the lowest and highest readings are apart :?

is there a device that can tell you your CaCO3 and Ca content of your water that day for brewing?

and most of all.... are they expensive :shock:

 

[jamesb]

when i looked up my water profile i found out that my water comes from 3 different sources at varying and fluctuating rates throughout the day. So relying on the mean figure in a report done in September doesn't sound accurate to me when you look at how wide the lowest and highest readings are apart :?

is there a device that can tell you your CaCO3 and Ca content of your water that day for brewing?

and most of all.... are they expensive :shock:

You want one of these.

I can probably negotiate some discount for you if you want. Looking in the region of about 750k.

 

[BrewStew]

:rofl:

i just found some litmus and solution style test kits for CaCO3 no idea how much they are though and cant find any for Ca

 

[Aleman]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

What you need is a pH meter . . . Or some Standard Methyl Orange indicator solution.

The method is to titrate a known qty of liquor down to pH 4.2 (End point of methyl orange where it changes colour), then using a bit of math you can calculate the alkalinity of the liquor and the amount of CRS to neutralise any excess over the amount you desire to remain.

Good pH meter is about a Hundred, although I got a really good one with ATC and both probes with Buffers adn what not for Chrimbo and birthday for 187 plus VAT

 

[jamesb]

But that's not as shiny as my mass spectrometers.

 

[Frisp]

I asked this very same question of a water guru on another forum some time back. I was told that the mean is a good starting point and that you will need to tinker with the amounts of CRS etc to get the Liquor which suits your brewing style best.
Taking the average is much closer than no idea at all.....

 

[BrewStew]

true

although when i rang Anglian Water, they said that 90% of the time i get my water from a certain source the figures are similar to the others, with the exception of Magnesium and one other. when it's from my main supply, it's 65ppm.... if for whatever reason I end up with water from the other two sources, i could get water with between 110 and 130ppm of magnesium!

unfortuntealy the same is true of Calcium :evil: 92.2 from my main 90% source... but as low as 60 and high as 140 from the other two! :shock:

if i catch it at the wrong time... my DLS requirements could either be way too high or way too low!

 

[Frisp]

Stew. i take it your water and therefore your beer has not been thus far minging...... Then fret ye not

 

[BrewStew]

i brew dark beer normally... hence why i don't fret about nor bother with water treatment usually. but my treated pale was better than my untreated pale!