Water profile in Essex

[Martin Greenwood]

Hi All

Do any of you know the water profile content for Essex (Chelmsford area)? For my first 4 bactches I've been using bottled water from Lidl, and adjusting according to the declared mineral content. But with the current lockdown limitations, attempting to buy 20 bottles of mineral water doesn't feel like a sensible thing to attempt, even if they let me passed the checkout with them!

So that leaves me with using tap water, but the water company's latest report (2018) doesn't provide many of the key numbers that I'd need, such as Calcium and Magnesium content.

Does anyone have a the numbers for this ara that they could share with me?

Plan B could be a reverse osmosis filter then add the missing minerals back in - more research needed on my part as to how to do this.

Thanks

Martin

 

[prog99]

Your water company should have those figures. Certainly ours(Scottish water) provides it on their website.

 

[Martin Greenwood]

Your water company should have those figures. Certainly ours(Scottish water) provides it on their website.

Unfortunately as per the link I’m my OP, their report fires not include these (as far as I can tell).

 

[foxbat]

Here's the link for you:

http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/map.aspx
It'll give you calcium and alkalinity. You don't need magnesium, all tap water has enough. You're not far from me. Our water is extremely hard and alkaline. I like to brew pilsners and pale ales with low mineral content so I use 100% Tesco Ashbeck instead. It's just less than £6 for two of the 6x 2 litre packs and one of the 5 litre bottles which is enough for a 23l batch for me. No problem buying at the Tesco checkout - I got my next brew's water earlier this week.

If you're brewing dark beers or stouts you could use our tap water but even then I think you'd need to get the alkalinity down with some acid.

 

[Martin Greenwood]

Here's the link for you:

http://waterquality.anglianwater.com/map.aspx
It'll give you calcium and alkalinity. You don't need magnesium, all tap water has enough. You're not far from me. Our water is extremely hard and alkaline. I like to brew pilsners and pale ales with low mineral content so I use 100% Tesco Ashbeck instead. It's just less than £6 for two of the 6x 2 litre packs and one of the 5 litre bottles which is enough for a 23l batch for me. No problem buying at the Tesco checkout - I got my next brew's water earlier this week.

If you're brewing dark beers or stouts you could use our tap water but even then I think you'd need to get the alkalinity down with some acid.

Thanks foxbat. Unfortunately the CM1 post code where I live isn’t covered by Anglian Water. So when you enter it on the link you provided, instead of providing the mineral details it shows a link to Essex and Suffolk Water’s website which doesn’t provide the equivalent information. Good to know though about availability of bottled water at the moment.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I think your water is provided by Essex and Suffolk water that same as me. I’m in Benfleet. I dropped them an email via the website asking for the information I needed to tap into the water calculator link on this site and they came back with this:


Thank you for your online request which I received on 10 October 2019 regarding water quality in your area.



Please find attached your most recent water quality report as requested.



You are located in our Benfleet Water Quality Zone. The data in the report consists of compliance samples collected in 2019 in accordance with the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.



PCV stands for Prescribed Concentration or Value and is effectively the limit in drinking water for a given parameter. Certain parameters which do not have a PCV (for example alkalinity, calcium and magnesium) do not appear in the report but these parameters are determined operationally.

I have also included the additional information that you have requested in the table below.

	Min​	Mean​	Max​
Calcium (mg/l)​	83​	107.5​	120​
Magnesium (mg/l)​	10​	10.7​	11​
Alkalinity (HCO3) (mg/l)​	150​	198.5​	220​

SO-2 is sulphur dioxide, which we don’t measure. We do measure sulphate, which has a mean result of 110 mg/l.



For guidance on chlorine, we measure ‘residual disinfectant’ which is chlorine and other disinfection products. The mean result is 0.566 mg/l (page 2). Sodium, also on the report, has a mean result of 52.4 mg/l.



I hope you find the information that I have provided to you useful and should you need anything please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Operations Team on 03457 171100. Our opening hours are 8am – 8pm Mon –Fri.



Kind Regards

 

[Martin Greenwood]

I think your water is provided by Essex and Suffolk water that same as me. I’m in Benfleet. I dropped them an email via the website asking for the information I needed to tap into the water calculator link on this site and they came back with this:


Thank you for your online request which I received on 10 October 2019 regarding water quality in your area.



Please find attached your most recent water quality report as requested.



You are located in our Benfleet Water Quality Zone. The data in the report consists of compliance samples collected in 2019 in accordance with the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.



PCV stands for Prescribed Concentration or Value and is effectively the limit in drinking water for a given parameter. Certain parameters which do not have a PCV (for example alkalinity, calcium and magnesium) do not appear in the report but these parameters are determined operationally.

I have also included the additional information that you have requested in the table below.

	Min​	Mean​	Max​
Calcium (mg/l)​	83​	107.5​	120​
Magnesium (mg/l)​	10​	10.7​	11​
Alkalinity (HCO3) (mg/l)​	150​	198.5​	220​

SO-2 is sulphur dioxide, which we don’t measure. We do measure sulphate, which has a mean result of 110 mg/l.



For guidance on chlorine, we measure ‘residual disinfectant’ which is chlorine and other disinfection products. The mean result is 0.566 mg/l (page 2). Sodium, also on the report, has a mean result of 52.4 mg/l.



I hope you find the information that I have provided to you useful and should you need anything please do not hesitate to get in touch with our Operations Team on 03457 171100. Our opening hours are 8am – 8pm Mon –Fri.



Kind Regards

You did better than me. When I contacted them all I got was the 2018 standard report which didn’t include the figures you shared above.

Thanks for this info.

 

[trueblue]

I live in Essex and to be honest I would not bother with the water company, I am with Essex and Suffolk. When they are compiled they take generic figures over a period of time and also test in several different locations then quote a mean average to comply with the government requirements so your water may not be as published. I have a fellow brewer friend in Wickford, around 5-6 miles from me probably, and about 10-15 years ago we both asked for reports and they were exactly the same also another brewer near Chelmsford got a test slightly later and his was almost the same. However a few years later we all got a proper test on our water and there was significant differences between the 3 of us and the water Co. report. We used Phoenix Analytical It cost £25 and is the best £25 you will spend as a brewer. I have since used Phoenix every 1-2 years and the good news is there has been very little variation. I do my own Salifert alkalinity test before EVERY brew and a calcium test if there is any difference with the previous alkalinity but there is rarely any change.

 

[Philip Witney]

Okay, I live in the CM1 area. I don't worry about water analysis but I will say the local tap water is fine for dark beers and porters that I mostly brew. For IPA's and lighter beers I use Tesco or ADSA water as I have had horrible results using tap water. In fact I have just poured another batch of Ridleys away as I thought I would give it another chance. I occasionally use spring water from Gt. Leighs which works just fine!

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I take the mean figures from my water report and tap those into the water calculator linked at the top of the forum page along with the beer style I’m looking to brew, hit “calculate”. I add the suggested CRS and half a campden tab to the full water volume and then any other recommended adjustments to the mash and the boil (if any).
Not saying this is the correct or best way but I’m very pleased with the beers I’ve produced, from psudo lagers to dark ales, since I’ve been following this routine.

 

[trueblue]

I take the mean figures from my water report and tap those into the water calculator linked at the top of the forum page along with the beer style I’m looking to brew, hit “calculate”. I add the suggested CRS and half a campden tab to the full water volume and then any other recommended adjustments to the mash and the boil (if any).
Not saying this is the correct or best way but I’m very pleased with the beers I’ve produced, from psudo lagers to dark ales, since I’ve been following this routine.

If it works for you fine but my point is you can not always rely on these reports. When I originally got my first Essex and Suffolk report I had a few quieres so phoned them, they were very helpful, the technician I spoke to was also a brewer and he said he would never go by the generic report himself but at the time that it was all I had to go on. He could test his own water at source so was lucky. In the 40+ years I have been brewing there have been 3 major leap forwards in quality of my finished beers 1- a fermenting fridge to control fermenting temperature 2 - learning and improving the quality of my yeast and 3 - getting the water tested and adjusting the water to suit. Before all of these milestones I was happy with my beers but so please I made these changes.

 

[darkbright]

I'm in Southend and was using Ashbeck from Tescos but ended up going for an RO water filter. It's doesn't seem to have much effect on our water bill and the waste water is used for watering the garden etc. I usually blend it with tap water and then tweak it with Gypsum and Calcium Chloride.

My beers have definately been better.

 

[Martin Greenwood]

I'm in Southend and was using Ashbeck from Tescos but ended up going for an RO water filter. It's doesn't seem to have much effect on our water bill and the waste water is used for watering the garden etc. I usually blend it with tap water and then tweak it with Gypsum and Calcium Chloride.

My beers have definately been better.

Which RO kit did you go for? What sort of ratio blending with tap water?

 

[Martin Greenwood]

I live in Essex and to be honest I would not bother with the water company, I am with Essex and Suffolk. When they are compiled they take generic figures over a period of time and also test in several different locations then quote a mean average to comply with the government requirements so your water may not be as published. I have a fellow brewer friend in Wickford, around 5-6 miles from me probably, and about 10-15 years ago we both asked for reports and they were exactly the same also another brewer near Chelmsford got a test slightly later and his was almost the same. However a few years later we all got a proper test on our water and there was significant differences between the 3 of us and the water Co. report. We used Phoenix Analytical It cost £25 and is the best £25 you will spend as a brewer. I have since used Phoenix every 1-2 years and the good news is there has been very little variation. I do my own Salifert alkalinity test before EVERY brew and a calcium test if there is any difference with the previous alkalinity but there is rarely any change.

Hi darkbright. I'll give Phoenix a shout. Out of interest, using these measurements have you gone ahead and brewed any bitters of pale ales using tap water? I've done my sums and it looks feasible to reduce the tap water's alkalinty with CRS then topping up the calcium with DWB (DLS). So I'm thinking of using a campden tablet then doing just that. Seem reasonable to you?

 

[chuffer]

Have you seen Strange Steve's excellent threads re. testing using Salifert kits (for alkalinity and Ca)? I would recommend them as levels fluctuate over time so it's better to test on the day and make any necessary adjustments using CRS / Lactic and Calcium Sulfate / Cholride where necessary

 

[darkbright]

Which RO kit did you go for? What sort of ratio blending with tap water?

I went for a VYAIR Compact 4-Stage. Bought from amazon for about £50 if I recall correctly. I use BrewnWater to calculate what I need to add or dilute with for any particular beer type. It's usually between 60% and 40% dilution rate. I use 75%phosphoric acid to acidify the water.

 

[darkbright]

Hi darkbright. I'll give Phoenix a shout. Out of interest, using these measurements have you gone ahead and brewed any bitters of pale ales using tap water? I've done my sums and it looks feasible to reduce the tap water's alkalinty with CRS then topping up the calcium with DWB (DLS). So I'm thinking of using a campden tablet then doing just that. Seem reasonable to you?

To be honest I'm not a massive Bitter or Pale ale fan so don't really brew them. I tend to do lots of Saison's, Lagers/Kolsch, Belgian/Continental styles and Sour beers so have found how to make them fairly well. I would ask Steve in his water thread re CRS and your plan. I'm far from an expert I'm afraid.

 

[trueblue]

Hi darkbright. I'll give Phoenix a shout. Out of interest, using these measurements have you gone ahead and brewed any bitters of pale ales using tap water? I've done my sums and it looks feasible to reduce the tap water's alkalinty with CRS then topping up the calcium with DWB (DLS). So I'm thinking of using a campden tablet then doing just that. Seem reasonable to you?

Think you mean trueblue not darkbrew , I recommend Phoenix, probably 90% of my beers are bitter, pale ales, ESB or golden ales some of which have either have been placed or been commended in national competitions. CRS is perfect but personally I would avoid DWB and buy Calcium chloride and Gypsum [Calcium sulphate] from any decent homebrew supplier, would work out cheaper as well. Enter the parameters into any decent water treatment calculator, I prefer British ones to the American based calculators and use Graham Wheelers one. It will give you the amounts needed. Definitely get a salifert kit as alkalinity may slightly vary between brews