Understanding water reports

[oldjiver]

My local water report is somewhat confusing in that it gives varying quantities for what seems to be the same thing i.e...

Calcium (mg/l) 137.2 Calcium carbonate (mg/l) 343


(mg/l = milligrammes per litre or the same as parts per million)

However later in the report...

Calcium No legal limit applies mg/l Ca 125.6

then later..

Hardness: Total mg/l Ca 137.2

So in the forum water calculator should the value for Calcium (CA) be 137.2 or 125.6?
The hardness is given as 137.2? (same as the permanent calcium figure) so is the temporary hardness (CaCO3 =343) ignored?
Entering the figure 343 in the carbonate (CO3) box gives a CRS addition of 89.9 ml to 30 litres total water.
I have encountered the sharp tongue of Aleman :nono: for just boiling my water, and honestly CRS is quicker and easier so I would like to get it right after 40 years of not quite knowing what I am doing. I have always assumed it was just a matter of getting rid of the temporary hardness and making sure there was enough SO4 to give the right PH. (and it has worked well for me) But if any one can make the quite unclear water report make sense I would be grateful.


http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/map.aspx (IP10 0JT)

 

[nobyipa]

have you tried this which is good for hard water and ph stability etc

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/ph- ... -1365.html

about a table spoon + 2 tea spoons of gypsum or burton water salts and i am away for a 40 or so litre liquor
have really soft water here in harrogate
its hard down south

 

[oldjiver]

have you tried this which is good for hard water and ph stability etc

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/ph- ... -1365.html

about a table spoon + 2 tea spoons of gypsum or burton water salts and i am away for a 40 or so litre liquor
have really soft water here in harrogate
its hard down south[/quote
Thats a new one on me, "locks any water at 5.2ph" thats weird, I am aware of "buffers" but I never heard of one size fits all?
I am a bit of an old "Rheinheizgebohter" and have avoided CRS for years, but I am coming round to the convenience of it so I would just like to be able to use the forum water calculator accurately.

 

[anthonyUK]

Buy a Salifert test kit for £7.50 on eBay.
It will do 100+ tests and eliminate any guesswork

 

[rpt]

Calcium is 125.6ppm. All the other figures are hardness expressed in different ways.

To get the correct mash pH you need the right amount of calcium - it's not sulphate that matters.

 

[oldjiver]

Calcium is 125.6ppm. All the other figures are hardness expressed in different ways.

To get the correct mash pH you need the right amount of calcium - it's not sulphate that matters.

By SO4 I actually meant CaSO4 (gypsum) calcium sulphate. The forum calculator just gives SO4 so I presumed that was what it meant? So the 137.2 Calcium is different calcium to the 125.6 calcium.? :wha:
I cant understand why I am brewing good beer :wha:

 

[rpt]

The 137.2 calcium is the hardness but expressed as the amount of calcium that would produce the hardness. It's not the same as the calcium figure as other ions such as magnesium contribute to the hardness. It's confusing but does make sense. So in the calculator enter the calcium figure from the water report. You enter the sulphate from the water report. The calculator then tells you how much gypsum to add.

 

[oldjiver]

Thanks for the replys, I get a bee in my bonnet when things that should be simple are not. I suppose its because water reports are not produced simply for brewers. I have always known of temporary and permanent hardness, mash Ph, buffers, bad carbonate and good calcium etc. Its just trying to match the info to the practical that bugs me. I have always been very successful just by boiling and adding gypsum, but after trying CRS it does save a lot of time, so I want to get it right.

Any way, I am going on a long (6 weeks) holiday in the Med on Monday, so I will be just drinking not brewing for a while, so CHEERS :