Recommended bottled water

[Dr_Unkenly]

Up until recently I was using Asda Eden falls (soft) water as a basis for my pale beers but now they've switched over to another source with quite high carbonate levels.

I've tried Tesco Ashbeck which is similar to Eden Falls but it's a bit more expensive and a lot less convenient for me to obtain.

Does anyone know of another good source of soft water for brewing?
My tap water is off the charts hard!

 

[strange-steve]

Shepley Springs water from Iceland is very similar to Ashbeck and it's a bit cheaper at £1 for 5L.

 

[Soton]

Lidl has still spring water 17p for 2 litres

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

Shepley Springs water from Iceland is very similar to Ashbeck and it's a bit cheaper at �£1 for 5L.

I know you're a bit of a water guru on here Steve but are you sure that's correct?

It's listed as having 280mg/L of bicarbonate.

Morrison's water comes from the same company and I remember that as being hard water too.

8L for a quid though, so decent value.

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

Lidl has still spring water 17p for 2 litres

I can't find any up-to-date info on their water. Do you know what it's like?

I found some info suggesting it was chase spring water, the same as ASDA's value water but that was a few years old.

 

[strange-steve]

I know you're a bit of a water guru on here Steve but are you sure that's correct?

It's listed as having 280mg/L of bicarbonate.

Morrison's water comes from the same company and I remember that as being hard water too.

8L for a quid though, so decent value.

I googled it just now and it seems you're right, which is really odd because I was in Iceland earlier today and made a point of checking the mineral content when I saw it. It had something like 5ppm calcium, 16ppm bicarbonate and pH of 6.7. I'm in NI so is it possible it's from a different source :hmm:

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

I googled it just now and it seems you're right, which is really odd because I was in Iceland earlier today and made a point of checking the mineral content when I saw it. It had something like 5ppm calcium, 16ppm bicarbonate and pH of 6.7. I'm in NI so is it possible it's from a different source :hmm:

NI would be a bit far for me to travel to pick up water but I'll have a look at an actual bottle next time I'm near my local one and see what the score is, cheers.

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

Also, I love that you memorised that information.

 

[Soton]

I can't find any up-to-date info on their water. Do you know what it's like?

I found some info suggesting it was chase spring water, the same as ASDA's value water but that was a few years old.

This is the info on the Lidl water

 

[Linalmeemow]

I regularly use the Aldi 17p per 2 litre Chase Spring water, and the Tesco 17p water which I believe it's from the same source. It makes good beer for me, though I haven't got into water analysis yet.

 

[foxbat]

I had the same problem with Asda discontinuing eden falls. Switched to morrisons Yorkshire Vale. 1.25 for 8l. Bicarb level is 28 and all others also low so a good base for adjustment.

 

[terrym]

Unless anyone knows different 'Chase Spring Water' sold by some supermarkets including Tesco is pumped from Elmbridge Spring, which is a bore hole owned by a subsidiary of South Staffs Water plc north of Lichfield in Staffs and is then tankered away to be bottled on an industrial estate close by. Lidl Saskia water may be the same stuff.
More here including a typical water analysis.
http://www.aqua-direct.co.uk/our-source.aspx

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

This is the info on the Lidl water

Thank you so much for posting that.

It looks to be pretty much the same as the Asda Value water.

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

I had the same problem with Asda discontinuing eden falls. Switched to morrisons Yorkshire Vale. 1.25 for 8l. Bicarb level is 28 and all others also low so a good base for adjustment.

Amazing!

Morrison's water used to be called Pennine Vale and that was hard water from Shepley spring.

I thought they'd simply changed the branding on the bottle but it must be different water entirely.

I'll definitely check that out.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I regularly use the Aldi 17p per 2 litre Chase Spring water, and the Tesco 17p water which I believe it's from the same source. It makes good beer for me, though I haven't got into water analysis yet.

I use that too, the aldi, lidl and tesco value all say chase spring on the bottle. Plus it's 17p in each of those stores.

 

[foxbat]

Amazing!

Morrison's water used to be called Pennine Vale and that was hard water from Shepley spring.

I thought they'd simply changed the branding on the bottle but it must be different water entirely.

I'll definitely check that out.

You raise a good point. The Morrisons website states it's from Shepley Spring, but that description text might have been left behind from the previous brand. Their website (and the bottle labels) give this mineral content:

Calcium 2.2mg
Magnesium 0.8mg
Potassium 0.2mg
Sodium 7.6mg
Bicarbonate 27mg
Sulphate 1.7mg
Nitrate 0.1mg
Chloride 1.5mg
Dry Residue @ 180C 27mg
pH 7.7

That is not hard water. Cross-referencing over at the Iceland website where they sell actual 'Shepley Spring' we have this content:

Calcium 63
Magnesium 19
Potassium 3
Sodium 72
Bicarbonate 283
Chloride 91
Sulphate 32
Nitrate <1.2
Dry residue at 180°C 342
pH (at source) 7.3

That's definitely hard water.

I need to do some tests to see what's going on here.

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

You raise a good point. The Morrisons website states it's from Shepley Spring, but that description text might have been left behind from the previous brand. Their website (and the bottle labels) give this mineral content:

Calcium 2.2mg
Magnesium 0.8mg
Potassium 0.2mg
Sodium 7.6mg
Bicarbonate 27mg
Sulphate 1.7mg
Nitrate 0.1mg
Chloride 1.5mg
Dry Residue @ 180C 27mg
pH 7.7

That is not hard water. Cross-referencing over at the Iceland website where they sell actual 'Shepley Spring' we have this content:

Calcium 63
Magnesium 19
Potassium 3
Sodium 72
Bicarbonate 283
Chloride 91
Sulphate 32
Nitrate <1.2
Dry residue at 180°C 342
pH (at source) 7.3

That's definitely hard water.

I need to do some tests to see what's going on here.

Drat! Morrisons quote their mineral levels per 100ml so the actual ppm numbers are 10 times higher.

 

[foxbat]

Drat! Morrisons quote their mineral levels per 100ml so the actual ppm numbers are 10 times higher.

You've got sharp eyes. I did not spot that on the website and it's not declared on the bottles at all. Damn damn and damn you again Morrisons!

Thankfully even with the corrected x10 values the brew that I've got conditioning right now still has the intended SO4/Cl ratio and according to Beersmith only the bicarb level is edging high.

 

[Dr_Unkenly]

You've got sharp eyes. I did not spot that on the website and it's not declared on the bottles at all. Damn damn and damn you again Morrisons!

Thankfully even with the corrected x10 values the brew that I've got conditioning right now still has the intended SO4/Cl ratio and according to Beersmith only the bicarb level is edging high.

As long as it tastes good, who really cares?

 

[strange-steve]

Just to clear up what happened regarding the Iceland Shepley Spring water I saw, I fell into the same trap as foxbat, the numbers are in mg/100ml I'll have to be more observant in future!