Water hardness meter?

[Omega]

I used forum search, but it looks like nobody discussed meters for water hardness. However, John Palmer in his books mentions that brewing water should be moderately hard.
Are there reasonably priced meters for water hardness? I saw this one, but wonder how good it is Amazon.co.uk
And I suspect some sellers confuse pH meter with water hardness meter...
Thanks

 

[Rwilts]

Doesn't your water profile take account of this?

As in the profile obtained from water company, as it's composition will dictate if it's hard or soft

 

[Omega]

Doesn't your water profile take account of this?

As in the profile obtained from water company, as it's composition will dictate if it's hard or soft

I have a filter for drinking tap and water softener for showers and washing taps, so would expect the data from the local water company become quite incorrect in my case...

 

[Rwilts]

I have a filter for drinking tap and water softener for showers and washing taps, so would expect the data from the local water company beome quite incorrect in my case...

Do you filter your water for brewing purposes?

 

[dave_77]

I have hard Kent water and I have had a water report done by Murphy and sons. Think you can get it done through maltmiller for around £40

I also have RO filter so I can cut my tap water or build up straight RO

Think there is a cheap alkalinity test kit for aquarium owners that can tell your what your water hardness is roughly.

 

[Omega]

Do you filter your water for brewing purposes?

Yes, I use built-in water filter, I cannot get unfiltered or untreated water in my house

 

[Rwilts]

Yes, I use built-in water filter, I cannot get unfiltered or untreated water in my house

I don't filter mine. So I don't know what effect that would have on the status of your water prior to water treatment. I would still think that brewfather would suggest appropriate mineral additions based on what you tell it your water status is.

 

[Omega]

I have hard Kent water and I have had a water report done by Murphy and sons. Think you can get it done through maltmiller for around £40

I also have RO filter so I can cut my tap water or build up straight RO

Think there is a cheap alkalinity test kit for aquarium owners that can tell your what your water hardness is roughly.

I would think water quality changes with time because the filter wears out - if it did not then I suspect water filter companies is a huge scam
Actually... I could use water that goes through water softener, it should stay the same provided I keep it full of salt

 

[dave_77]

I would think water quality changes with time because the filter wears out - if it did not then I suspect water filter companies is a huge scam
Actually... I could use water that goes through water softener, it should stay the same provided I keep it full of salt

Don't think you should use softened water for brewing.

 

[peebee]

A "Water Hardness Meter" ... :

I've spent days ... weeks .... it's probably months, figuring out how to wean people off "water hardness". An arcane description that predates any understanding of chemical elements. That's been updated to comply with modern knowledge, but I don't know why. WE DO NOT NEED IT, except perhaps some who've been bought up using it and understand its quirks. For everyone else it's a complete and utter waste of time.

You will not understand it and make the most ridiculous errors trying to use it.

Its greatest use for modern brewers ... is so some can prance about and show off how much they know and laugh at the hoards of underlings failing to grasp its basic principles.

Do yourself a favour, forget it. Most use American water calculators for judging water additions: Most of them (e.g. Bru'n Water) work without any "Hardness" inputs - they'll be present, but you can just ignore them. Along with its stupid hangers-on like "CaCO3" *** (if you think that means "calcium carbonate" you've already been overcome by the "water hardness" trite). "Water Hardness" is especially stupid in America because many supplies are "softened" which makes trying to do calculations based on water hardness 10x as baffling (and probably quite impossible to derive any useable information from).



I'm just one of a long line of homebrewers who have tried to wean people off "water hardness". I'll fail, making way for more to have a go. Meanwhile, I advise as many as who'll listen to step away from it and concentrate on brewing good beer.

*** Unfortunately, "Alkalinity", a useful subject to know a tiny scrap of, uses Hardness's "CaCO3" as a unit of measure. Although many sources are now changing to "bicarbonate" ("HCO3"); which is still daft, but nothing like as daft as "CaCO3". You can even treat "HCO3" as if it really is "bicarbonate". Eh ... okay ... hands up who thought you could do the same with "CaCO3" ... no ... put your hands down again, if those creeps who feed you all the junk about water analysis see you, they won't be able to stop sniggering.

 

[starseeker]

You would be looking for a TDS meter

 

[peebee]

I better explain what I'm getting at a couple of posts back, here:

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/campden-tablets.103322/post-1241921
An example too. NOTE: I'm not trying to criticise anyone here about this stuff. I'm only trying to help people "out of the hole they were digging for themselves".

You would be looking for a TDS meter

They are good, and useful, for alerting you to significant changes to your water supply (especially when you can have your source of water switched without warning ... some water authorities do this!). But T.D.S. can be very imprecise (hence I remark on it in my "Defuddler" spreadsheet).