Water my area

[Piperbrew]

Just got the analysis of the water in my area which came back as follows. I don't have a Scooby as to what most of this means so does anyone understand it, what beers it would be good for and what I would have to add to make other beers please. Cheers.

Sample Point Code
Sample Point Description
Parameter Code
Parameter NameParamenter Type
LimitQualifierMin Result
Mean Result
Max Result
Number of Results
Number of Fails
% Compliance
ZBWH04STANBRIDGE NORTH ZONE
A014Ammonium (mg NH4/l)I0.5<0.010.0310.04627
A017Total Organic Carbon (mg C/l)I0.60.90552.311
A021Aluminium Total (ug Al/l)N200<4.45.5091711
A022Iron Total (ug Fe/l)N200<36.18917.1811
A023Manganese Total (ug Mn/l)N50<0.91.40182.2211
A024ACopper Total (mg Cu/l)D20.0060.01460.02411
A027Fluoride (ug F/l)D15000.0570.08130.11911
B001AArsenic (ug As/l)D10<0.210.45111
B002Cadmium (ug Cd/l)D5<0.060.13640.2511
B003Cyanide (ug CN/l)D50<11.6909211
B004Chromium (ug Cr/l)D50<0.30.40910.511
B005Mercury (ug Hg/l)D1<0.020.02360.0311
B006ANickel (ug Ni/l)D201.061.45821.9311
B007BLead Total (ug Pb/l)D100.2560.6501111
B008AAntimony (ug Sb/l)D50.050.16730.3811
B009Selenium (ug Se/l)D100.190.80261.09411
B010Total Pesticides (ug/l)D0.500013

 

[strange-steve]

Most water reports aren't terribly helpful, but unfortunately yours is completely useless as far as brewing is concerned.
The values you need are:
Alkalinity
Calcium
Sulphate
Chloride
If you email your water company there's a possibility they might be able to give you those figures. If not you'll either have to test yourself or have a proper analysis done.

 

[Dads_Ale]

BrewUK (or they did) do a water analysis service that will tell you what you need to add for different styles of beer. Think it is about £30 but check out their web site to make sure.

 

[BarnBrian]

Personally I wouldn't worry about water at this stage. Just get a few brews under your belt and enjoy the results. Adopt the KISS attitude. (Don't take the last S literally):thumb:

 

[terrym]

The water delivered to your property is not a constant. It can change, especially since your water company can supply from different sources. It is also not unknown, as far as I am aware, for one water company to source water from another to meet demand. So an analysis on a water sample taken one day might be different from one the following day, and customers have no way of knowing.
So unless you have the means to properly analyse your mains water before each brew, an analysis of any one-off water sample is only as good as the water supplied at the time the sample was taken. So in my view you may as well take the typical analysis provided by the water company, usually on their website, and use that for deciding on water treatment, and hope any variation that may be present is not too significant.

 

[Piperbrew]

Thanks for the relies gents. Typical the readings being no use lol, I reckon the advice to get some brews under my belt is good advice.

 

[terrym]

@Piperbrew
There is more to your water analysis; you have only given us two pages of eight. Suggest you look further on your water company website.

 

[Piperbrew]

@Piperbrew
There is more to your water analysis; you have only given us two pages of eight. Suggest you look further on your water company website.

Yes your correct, thanks for pointing that out. Lots of other chemical elements but I don't think they would be useful except possibly this portion of the report maybe?

Hardness Information:
Your water is classed as Moderately Hard which has a Total Hardness level of 270 mg/l as Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3).
Street
Parts Per Million 270
Clarke Degrees 19
French Degrees 27
German Degrees 15

 

[MyQul]

If you get a salifert alkalinity kit and another for calcium you can anylyse your own water to get a up to the minute reading. But as others have said get some brews under your belt fist and only involve ourself in water faffing if a) it's an area of brewing your particularly intersted in b) its impossible to make a decent brew of your chosen style because your water isn't suitable (I found this with pale beers. My hard water means I have to acidify it if I want a good pale beer)