Tesco Ashbeck Replacement?

[UKSkydiver]

Hi - I've done a search and I don't see any talk of this, so is this so new that no-one has seen it or that it's so crap that no-one talks about it

I know that people rave on about Ashbeck and I belive in parts it has been difficult to find.

I recenently found Still British Spring Water by Sainsbury's with the name Castle Spring from Cumbria.

£1.20 for 5 litres

From a previous post, the Ashbeck profile is Ca 11, Mg 4, Na 10, Cl 14, SO4 11

The Saino's Castle Spring profile is Ca <4, Mg <2, Na <1, Cl <1, SO4 <5, Bicarb <16

Seems pretty low on everything.

EDIT: ** Read the rest of the thread before going out an buying 80 litres of this stuff **

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's probably the same as Ashbeck, at least CA4 9TU implies it's from the Eden Valley Water company, who are 2 miles from the centre of Armathwaite which is where Ashbeck says it comes from.

I think what you'll find is that the logistics crisis is forcing supermarkets to become more "local" in their sourcing, particularly when it comes to bulky, low-value stuff like water. Part of the issue with Ashbeck disappearing seemed to be that Tesco replaced it with water from near Lichfield, which would save 2 hours on the M6 compared to Ashbeck for anywhere south of there.

So Castle Spring may be available in your area but not elsewhere - on their website I see their "usual" Caledonian Spring being marketed here as British Spring Water, at least in 12x500ml size, whereas the 5l is just "Caledonian Spring". No doubt it's all a bit fluid at the moment, if you'll excuse the phrase.

 

[foxbat]

It's listing the figures per 100ml instead of per litre. Multiply everything by 10. This most likely comes from the same Cumbrian supplier as Tesco Elmhurst.

 

[An Ankoù]

If we're going to make decent beer we've got to start with decent water, which many of us haven't got. I know little about whether RO is decent or environmentally friendly so I can't comment on that line BUT 12x500 ml bottles- how many is that for a brew? There's got to be a better way. These things are virtually indestructable. Don't get me wrong, I use low-mineral, bottled water for topping up (liquoring back) when necessary, and I really must stop it or find some way of dealing with the bottles instead of chucking them in the recycling to end up in the sea.

 

[UKSkydiver]

It's listing the figures per 100ml instead of per litre. Multiply everything by 10. This most likely comes from the same Cumbrian supplier as Tesco Elmhurst.

You make a good point. I did notice that, but it kinda didn't sink in.... All of a sudden those numbers don't look particularly great.

Glad I posted the pic.

I have Salifert Ca and Kh kits so I will have a play. Will report back.

 

[An Ankoù]

If we're going to make decent beer we've got to start with decent water, which many of us haven't got. I know little about whether RO is decent or environmentally friendly so I can't comment on that line BUT 12x500 ml bottles- how many is that for a brew? There's got to be a better way. These things are virtually indestructable. Don't get me wrong, I use low-mineral, bottled water for topping up (liquoring back) when necessary, and I really must stop it or find some way of dealing with the bottled instead of chucking them in the recycling to end up in the sea.

I see that Highland Spring comes in 10L bottles in Tesco. Is it any good? Can the containers be used as fermenters?

 

[UKSkydiver]

These things are virtually indestructable.
... instead of chucking them in the recycling to end up in the sea.

I fully agree, I'd prefer to use tap (and so would Mrs UKS who works in sustainability). Not being defensive, but in my defense I'm trying out bottle water to see if it makes any difference to the taste of my brews. Not something I'm planning to use long term.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's listing the figures per 100ml instead of per litre. Multiply everything by 10. This most likely comes from the same Cumbrian supplier as Tesco Elmhurst.

Nah - Elmhurst is in Staffordshire not Cumbria, it's the Lichfield source I mentioned above (see here). See this previous thread :
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/shocker-tesco-change-their-mineral-water.91289/

12x500 ml bottles- how many is that for a brew? There's got to be a better way.

Nobody was suggesting using 12x500ml bottles for brewing, it was merely a comment on how the Sainsbury's range is in a bit of flux at the moment, with different pack sizes of the same water being branded differently. Like Tesco they do 5l PET "bottles" which is the cost-effective choice, the 10l ones of Highland Spring are double the price per litre of the 5l own-brands. And from the look of them the 10l look like bag-in-box rather than PET?

 

[UKSkydiver]

I have Salifert Ca and Kh kits so I will have a play. Will report back.

Using the low res. method:

Ca = 50-60ppm
Alk = 142ppm

So, not so great afterall. And the Ca value appears higher than expected.

 

[crowcrow]

I see that Highland Spring comes in 10L bottles in Tesco. Is it any good? Can the containers be used as fermenters?

I 'bottled' a couple of IPAs in the 5 litre tesco still water bottles. They were bursting at the seams but survived 2 bottlings each before I stopped using them (I used them (and 2 litre bottles) with my handpull - but I don't really use that these days)

 

[foxbat]

I 'bottled' a couple of IPAs in the 5 litre tesco still water bottles. They were bursting at the seams but survived 2 bottlings each before I stopped using them (I used them (and 2 litre bottles) with my handpull - but I don't really use that these days)

Did they handle the carbonation without splitting or leaking gas from the cap?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I know little about whether RO is decent or environmentally friendly so I can't comment on that line

I use an RO filter. It produces about one part RO water to three parts “waste” water, but it’s not really waste. Whatever you do with it, whether it goes on the garden or down a drain, it will always return as water.

 

[devexwarrior]

I just use the stuff out of the tap, admittedly it's Pembrokeshire water and is very soft.

 

[peskytat]

Hi - I've done a search and I don't see any talk of this, so is this so new that no-one has seen it or that it's so crap that no-one talks about it

I know that people rave on about Ashbeck and I belive in parts it has been difficult to find.

I recenently found Still British Spring Water by Sainsbury's with the name Castle Spring from Cumbria.

£1.20 for 5 litres

From a previous post, the Ashbeck profile is Ca 11, Mg 4, Na 10, Cl 14, SO4 11

The Saino's Castle Spring profile is Ca <4, Mg <2, Na <1, Cl <1, SO4 <5, Bicarb <16

Seems pretty low on everything.

EDIT: ** Read the rest of the thread before going out an buying 80 litres of this stuff **

View attachment 55352

Have Tesco stopped supplying Ashbeck ?

 

[peskytat]

Be a damn shame if Tesco have stopped selling Ashbeck, my tap water is 7.5ph and I do 60 ltr brews 50/50 tap water and Ashbeck, and also use it to dilute my chemsan.

 

[micklupulo]

A slight aside but on the subject of the 5 litre bottle of Ashbeck. I use an old empty bottle to mix my sterilising fluid which I then funnel into my 500 ml bottles. I realise there is some headspace in bought bottles of beer but am still puzzled I seem able to fill only eight empty bottles

 

[chopps]

We're so lucky round here with tap water. There's basically nothing in it.
I'd hate to generate so much plastic waste. I think I'd go with RO if I lived somewhere else and try to find best use for the waste.

The local South Cheshire forum members were having a video chat earlier this week and we were comparing mineral levels.
No chlorine trouble for anyone either, even without treatment.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Have Tesco stopped supplying Ashbeck ?

See the thread I linked in #8 - supplies of bottled water have generally been pretty patchy in recent months, when there's logistics constraints then anything that's non-perishable and low-value will be the last thing to go on the lorry. Tesco seem to have responded in various ways - as mentioned above, they've been getting some water from Staffordshire rather than Cumbria, and there's certainly been a lot of empty shelves, or a particular brand being available in one format not others. It's all a bit random depending how their logistics are fixed that week, and will also vary by region.

 

[peskytat]

See the thread I linked in #8 - supplies of bottled water have generally been pretty patchy in recent months, when there's logistics constraints then anything that's non-perishable and low-value will be the last thing to go on the lorry. Tesco seem to have responded in various ways - as mentioned above, they've been getting some water from Staffordshire rather than Cumbria, and there's certainly been a lot of empty shelves, or a particular brand being available in one format not others. It's all a bit random depending how their logistics are fixed that week, and will also vary by region.

Just been looking at alternatives but they are all over 7.2ph, whereas Ashbeck is only 3ph.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hmm... Maybe I should bite the bullet and look at tap water with a campden tablet. I do need to chill some as I only boil around a third of the volume of liquor. It seems like a faff compared to opening 11 bottles less sanitising or treatment with bottles. If however I could powder the campden tablet then add tap water to 2l starsanned bottles that would work. Then that means I always need to keep 11 X 2 litres bottles handy.