Salifert KH + Alkalinity Profi-Test Kit

[timtoos]

Hi guys,

Just tested my water. I am on a private spring and have no idea of what the waters all about. I had thought about a professional analysis but thought Id give this a shot first.

The pH of my water is 5.2
I added 0.04 ml (2 drops was enough to turn it pink) from the 1ml syringe to the Salifert KH + Alkalinity Profi-Test Kit- giving 15dkH / 5.36meq/L.

I take it this is carbonate hardness. What does this mean exactly? Is this information useful to plug into beer smith and if so where does this test information go? I am using the latest beer smith 2.35. If I enter it under the Calcium (Ca) section then the limits are 50 - 150.

I thought my water here was soft. Theres no scale ever in the kitchen kettle.

Any advice is really appreciated.

Cheers

 

[strange-steve]

A ph of 5.2 is really low, I think drinking water is supposed to be no lower than 6.5. Anyway that isn't really important for brewing.

You've read the alkalinity table backwards, you read how much is left in the syringe, not how much you used. So if you used 0.04ml there would be 0.96ml left which gives an alkalinity of 0.3dKH. Multiply that by 17.9 to convert to ppm which means your alkalinity as CaCO3 is 5.4ppm.

If that is accurate then your water has bugger all in it, it's practically RO water, and your calcium is probably going to be somewhere below 5ppm.

 

[timtoos]

That doesn't sound good.

I've done loads of beers and I've always thought they were ok. Maybe not:-/

Would you recommend a full professional analysis?

 

[strange-steve]

Actually lots of brewers wish they had water like that, it's a great blank slate for building a water profile.
I'm sure your beers have been great, but a little treatment might make them even better. Get yourself some gypsum and calcium chloride, they are cheap and available in most homebrew stores.
For your water I suggest following the same sort of guidelines as for using Tesco Ashbeck water.
I posted this elsewhere and I think you would see a difference if you followed this:

For a light hoppy beer such as an APA add 0.25g/L of gypsum and 0.1g/L calcium chloride.

For a more balanced beer like an English bitter add 0.2g/L of gypsum and 0.15g/L calcium chloride

For a dark malty beer like an oatmeal stout add 0.05g/L of gypsum, 0.25g/L calcium chloride and 0.1g/L of baking soda (baking soda in mash water only)

You could get a proper analysis done but really the only important figures you need to know are alkalinity (which you know) and calcium.

 

[chuffer]

Id be worried if my tap water was pH5....that's pretty acidic!

 

[timtoos]

Well it was tested in 2014 and nothing's changed. The environment agency were cool about the ph and they won't take risks. That's good enough for me

 

[timtoos]

Hi guys,

Just an update to my water analysis. Ive just tested my water with the Calcium test kit. Low and behold its low.

So far the water is:

Ca = 20ppm
kH = 0.1meq/l (5 CaCO3)
TDS = 49 ppm
pH = 5.2

I am going to a get full water test but this can't be done for a few weeks. Will be good to get the full water report.

What do you think to the water - as per brewing liquor it seems pretty useless.

 

[strange-steve]

You don't really need a full analysis because you know two important figures, Ca and alkalinity. Your water as it is is a little lacking for most styles other than a pilsner, but it's a great water profile! Honestly a lot of brewers would kill for a profile like that.

All you need is some gypsum, calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate and you can build whatever water profile you like. Have a look at this guide to simple water treatment.

 

[timtoos]

Thanks for this information and your help. Really helped me out

 

[timtoos]

Hi,

What are your thoughts on adding chalk, table salt and epsom salts?

Are these salts necessary and can the level to be added be easily determined?

Is it only mash water which needs to be treated? Does boiler 'top up' water (I don't sparge I use a BIAB method so I often top up the boiler to a pre boil volume) also need treating (minus any bicarbonate of soda).

 

[MyQul]

Hi,

What are your thoughts on adding chalk, table salt and epsom salts?

Are these salts necessary and can the level to be added be easily determined?

Is it only mash water which needs to be treated? Does boiler 'top up' water (I don't sparge I use a BIAB method so I often top up the boiler to a pre boil volume) also need treating (minus any bicarbonate of soda).

Have you seen steve's water treatment for beginers guide?

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=64822

 

[timtoos]

Yes and its superb. It does not mention salts such as table salt, chalk or magnesium sulphate (epsom salts). Are these salts not required?

 

[strange-steve]

Hi,

What are your thoughts on adding chalk, table salt and epsom salts?

Are these salts necessary and can the level to be added be easily determined?

Is it only mash water which needs to be treated? Does boiler 'top up' water (I don't sparge I use a BIAB method so I often top up the boiler to a pre boil volume) also need treating (minus any bicarbonate of soda).

Chalk adds calcium and increases alkalinity, however it's very difficult to get it to dissolve properly so it's near impossible to predict exactly how much the alkalinity is increased. If you need to increase alkalinity then sodium bicarbonate is much easier to use.

Table salt can be used to increase sodium, but unless you're brewing a gose then you shouldn't ever have to increase the sodium level. Likewise epsom salt (magnesium sulphate), magnesium is something that you don't ever need to worry about. A little is required for yeast health but the mash supplies more than enough.

 

[timtoos]

Steve, you an absolute star!!!

Cheers