UK Bottled Water brands

[.Ste.]

Hi all,

Im about to start my first brew which will just be a mead to learn the basics. I was wanting to try and cut out any possibilities that could make things go wrong. I have limited equipment so I cant test my local water and don't really know the sciences of water profiles and treating them. Hopefully i can learn a bit about that before I try brewing some beer.

I was wondering if theres any specific brands in the UK of bottled water that is OK to use for brewing or ones to avoid? Originally i planned on putting some campden tablets in the tap water but thought it might be safer to just buy some bottled water, it seems cheap enough in the big packs.

I did try searching the titles in the forum for any similar threads but couldnt find anything similar to this.

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Stu]

Most people who don't use RO water + chemicals tend to use Tesco Ashbeck.
I use it for NEIPAs and it's great.

Most bottled waters are very different.

Saying all of that, I've just done a Duvel clone using Ashbeck and it's got "that homebrew tang"
So I guess it might depend on what you're brewing.

 

[Druss]

I'd second Tesco Ashbeck, I've used it in dozens of batches of mead and it's generally yielded excellent results.

 

[MashBag]

Wrong tree. Too much barking.

Water isn't hard. Chances are you tap water isn't toxic.

Share a postcode of a shop or business near you and we can get your water report and test it.

 

[JockyBrewer]

First things first, if you’re just starting then water chemistry is waaay down the list of things to worry about. It’s more of a fine tuning thing, in the last 10% of stuff to know.

Assuming you are in the UK, your tap water will be fine to brew with, it’s not toxic and won’t ruin anything, although crushing half a campden tablet and adding it to the entire amount of cold brewing water (a whole tablet treats up to 100 litres) before you start is a good habit.

Now when you do want to master it, I’ll say you have the same problem with bottled water as you do with your tap water - without getting a full analysis you don’t know what’s in it. It’s basically someone else’s tap water.

Tesco Ashbeck has historically been the water with the lowest mineral content, but I’ve found that varies, so they may be using more than one source.

 

[MashBag]

Tesco Ashbeck has historically been the water with the lowest mineral content, but I’ve found that varies, so they may be using more than one source.

Absolutely. You are changing one water supplier for another, but still have no control.

Question for the op.. Does your kitchen kettle scale?

 

[QED]

You can get all the values you need to plug into Brewfather from your local water reports that you can download free. Brewfather will then tell you what to add. Water treatment additions are really cheap from the usual homebrew stores. Much better than buying single use plastic bottles of water.

 

[Mash Monster]

You can get all the values you need to plug into Brewfather from your local water reports that you can download free. Brewfather will then tell you what to add. Water treatment additions are really cheap from the usual homebrew stores. Much better than buying single use plastic bottles of water.

That’s all well and good if your local water is pretty low in minerals or you brew beer suited to your local supply.
My water here in South Lincs is pretty hard and Ok for Stouts and Porters but I favour pales and NEIPA’s so I have to find an alternative source. Like many others I started using Tesco Ashbeck but have since changed to RO which allows me more control.

 

[MashBag]

That’s all well and good if your local water is pretty low in minerals or you brew beer suited to your local supply.
My water here in South Lincs is pretty hard and Ok for Stouts and Porters but I favour pales and NEIPA’s so I have to find an alternative source. Like many others I started using Tesco Ashbeck but have since changed to RO which allows me more control.

That is classic AMS & DWB terratory surely.

 

[Galena]

You can get all the values you need to plug into Brewfather from your local water reports that you can download free.

That very much depends on your water company, for instance Severn Trent don't give Calcium (fairly important) or Magnesium or Bicarbonate. Hardness is given in Degrees Clark, French and German and I haven't found a satisfactory way of determining it from that.
Also samples are not necessarily taken from a location close by home and water can vary quite a bit depending on where you live.

My water here in South Lincs is pretty hard and Ok for Stouts and Porters but I favour pales and NEIPA’s so I have to find an alternative source.

Define hard? Calcium levels of up to 150 or even 200ppm are fine, or even desirable for a bitter, no idea about Neipas though as I have never brewed or even drank one

 

[Mash Monster]

That very much depends on your water company, for instance Severn Trent don't give Calcium (fairly important) or Magnesium or Bicarbonate. Hardness is given in Degrees Clark, French and German and I haven't found a satisfactory way of determining it from that.
Also samples are not necessarily taken from a location close by home and water can vary quite a bit depending on where you live.

Define hard? Calcium levels of up to 150 or even 200ppm are fine, or even desirable for a bitter, no idea about Neipas though as I have never brewed or even drank one

I had an independent water report as my local supplier Anglian water described it as Very hard !
Hardness 364
Alkalinity 237
Residual Alkalinity 139
All I know is the kettle furs up really quickly as do the taps and pipes

 

[peebee]

I had an independent water report as my local supplier Anglian water described it as Very hard !
Hardness 364
Alkalinity 237
Residual Alkalinity 139
All I know is the kettle furs up really quickly as do the taps and pipes

Don't mix "Hardness" with "Alkalinity"! "Hardness" means nothing to beer brewing. Nothing at all! "Alkalinity" means lots. Pale Ales can be made very well with loads of "Hardness"(as @Galena hinted), but the "Alkalinity" will cause you problems.

"Hardness" 364 mg/L as CaCO3 I guess? 364/50 is 7.28milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Calcium (some of it will be Magnesium masquerading as Calcium but "Hardness" can't tell you that).

237 mg/L as CaCO3 "Alkalinity". 237/50 is 4.74milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Bicarbonate (it will nearly all be that).

7.28 - 4.74* = 2.54milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L) of "Calcium" associated with the Sulphates and Chlorides in your water.... and the remainder (4.74mEq/L), following the pattern, is Calcium Bicarbonate (you only get that in solution). That's what furs your kettle up, not "Hardness"! Could be described as "Temporary Hardness". But because "Alkalinity" has been mixed in it may include some sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. "Hardness" doesn't know about any of that. Hence "Hardness" is just a load of twaddle when it comes to beer making.

* This is what "milliequivalents" is all about ... "common denominator" ... notice I subtracted the figure for "bicarbonate" from "calcium"; you can do that when all the numbers mean the same thing whatever you're applying them to.


I've been checking out that "Relative Alkalinity" bobbins recently. Seems the reason I've considered it such useless drivel is that British traditional beer gets crammed into just one corner of the "RA" fantasy. Your "RA" of 139 has the beer made with the water falling into a "Robust" or "Firm" category, along with most other British (traditional ... not "craft beer", whatever that means) beers.

And I've babbled on about all this without mentioning my "De..." (signature) 'cos @Galena and his mates get all wound up if I mention that.

 

[Galena]

Don't mix "Hardness" with "Alkalinity"! "Hardness" means nothing to beer brewing. Nothing at all! "Alkalinity" means lots. Pale Ales can be made very well with loads of "Hardness"(as @Galena hinted), but the "Alkalinity" will cause you problems.

"Hardness" 364 mg/L as CaCO3 I guess? 364/50 is 7.28milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Calcium (some of it will be Magnesium masquerading as Calcium but "Hardness" can't tell you that).

237 mg/L as CaCO3 "Alkalinity". 237/50 is 4.74milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Bicarbonate (it will nearly all be that).

7.28 - 4.74* = 2.54milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L) of "Calcium" associated with the Sulphates and Chlorides in your water.... and the remainder (4.74mEq/L), following the pattern, is Calcium Bicarbonate (you only get that in solution). That's what furs your kettle up, not "Hardness"! Could be described as "Temporary Hardness". But because "Alkalinity" has been mixed in it may include some sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. "Hardness" doesn't know about any of that. Hence "Hardness" is just a load of twaddle when it comes to beer making.

* This is what "milliequivalents" is all about ... "common denominator" ... notice I subtracted the figure for "bicarbonate" from "calcium"; you can do that when all the numbers mean the same thing whatever you're applying them to.


I've been checking out that "Relative Alkalinity" bobbins recently. Seems the reason I've considered it such useless drivel is that British traditional beer gets crammed into just one corner of the "RA" fantasy. Your "RA" of 139 has the beer made with the water falling into a "Robust" or "Firm" category, along with most other British (traditional ... not "craft beer", whatever that means) beers.

And I've babbled on about all this without mentioning my "De..." (signature) 'cos @Galena and his mates get all wound up if I mention that.

You see the thing is @peebee (and I mean no offence) how does all that help either the OP or the person you replied to?

You are wrong by the way,


I don't have any mates

 

[Mash Monster]

Don't mix "Hardness" with "Alkalinity"! "Hardness" means nothing to beer brewing. Nothing at all! "Alkalinity" means lots. Pale Ales can be made very well with loads of "Hardness"(as @Galena hinted), but the "Alkalinity" will cause you problems.

"Hardness" 364 mg/L as CaCO3 I guess? 364/50 is 7.28milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Calcium (some of it will be Magnesium masquerading as Calcium but "Hardness" can't tell you that).

237 mg/L as CaCO3 "Alkalinity". 237/50 is 4.74milliequivalents per litre of ... let's say Bicarbonate (it will nearly all be that).

7.28 - 4.74* = 2.54milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L) of "Calcium" associated with the Sulphates and Chlorides in your water.... and the remainder (4.74mEq/L), following the pattern, is Calcium Bicarbonate (you only get that in solution). That's what furs your kettle up, not "Hardness"! Could be described as "Temporary Hardness". But because "Alkalinity" has been mixed in it may include some sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. "Hardness" doesn't know about any of that. Hence "Hardness" is just a load of twaddle when it comes to beer making.

* This is what "milliequivalents" is all about ... "common denominator" ... notice I subtracted the figure for "bicarbonate" from "calcium"; you can do that when all the numbers mean the same thing whatever you're applying them to.


I've been checking out that "Relative Alkalinity" bobbins recently. Seems the reason I've considered it such useless drivel is that British traditional beer gets crammed into just one corner of the "RA" fantasy. Your "RA" of 139 has the beer made with the water falling into a "Robust" or "Firm" category, along with most other British (traditional ... not "craft beer", whatever that means) beers.

And I've babbled on about all this without mentioning my "De..." (signature) 'cos @Galena and his mates get all wound up if I mention that.

I knew my post would tempt you to respond sorry

 

[peebee]

... how does all that help either the OP or the person you replied to?

The "help" isn't direct, but it's what I try and preach at every hint of an opportunity:

I.E. Do not use "Hardness". Do not try and understand what "Hardness" means. Denounce "Hardness" at every opportunity ... and, whatever you do, don't blink (eh?).

If I can get that across (maybe not the blink bit) I'll have helped in many ways ... even if not directly obvious.



Now where'd this fish-hook in me mouth come from?

 

[Mash Monster]

@peebee
That’s two things that I need to remember :-
1. Hardness and Alkalinity
2. Hard and Light
The second is easiest as I know that I can fall asleep with the light on !
Keep spreading the word

 

[JockyBrewer]

Hardness is a measure of how 'hard' it is to lather soap. It's related to the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water.

Alkalinity is the level of carbonate and bicarbonate in the water.

The reality is that for most water sources changes in hardness and alkalinity are correlated, as they are most commonly increased when water filters through chalk (aka calcium carbonate)

So while you don't want to use the hardness measurement for calculating water adjustments, when someone says "I have hard water" you can be pretty certain they have high alkalinity water.

 

[SMP Brewery]

I have hard water" you can be pretty certain they have high alkalinity water.

My water from Severn Trent is stated as “very hard” Clark 22.07 whatever that is, and the ph is an average of 7.41 so would that be classed as high alkalinity?

 

[MashBag]

Hardness is a measure of how 'hard' it is to lather soap. It's related to the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water.

Alkalinity is the level of carbonate and bicarbonate in the water.

The reality is that for most water sources changes in hardness and alkalinity are correlated, as they are most commonly increased when water filters through chalk (aka calcium carbonate)

So while you don't want to use the hardness measurement for calculating water adjustments, when someone says "I have hard water" you can be pretty certain they have high alkalinity water.

Now that I do like.

 

[MashBag]

The "help" isn't direct, but it's what I try and preach at every hint of an opportunity:

I.E. Do not use "Hardness". Do not try and understand what "Hardness" means. Denounce "Hardness" at every opportunity ... and, whatever you do, don't blink (eh?).

If I can get that across (maybe not the blink bit) I'll have helped in many ways ... even if not directly obvious.



Now where'd this fish-hook in me mouth come from?

That why I like using swimming pool test strips, none of that irritating jargon on them, at all.

Thanks @peebee