Where is the softest water?

[BlackIsland]

It just hit me today that if/when I move to the UK, I'll be giving up my nearly softest water in the world tapwater. So, if I want to keep my soft tapwater but live over there, what city/town/village should I be looking at?

 

[Bobtheblob]

https://www.aquacure.co.uk/knowledge-base/uk-hard-water-map
The midlands and south east have the hardest water. Scotland has the softest.

 

[An Ankoù]

Pilsn. Czech Republic.

 

[MickDundee]

Here’s a list of the hardness in every reservoir in Scotland:
https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/m...Water-Quality/230320WaterHardnessData2019.pdf
The softest water is in the middle of nowhere. My water comes form Clatto East.

 

[Galena]

https://www.aquacure.co.uk/knowledge-base/uk-hard-water-map
The midlands and south east have the hardest water. Scotland has the softest.

That depends on how you define The Midlands I suppose. The peak District for example for the most part has soft water

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Why do you want soft water?

 

[BlackIsland]

Why do you want soft water?

Because for 25+ years I've only used soft water and made additions. I'd love to get away with not changing any of my recipes and not buy RO water.

 

[foxbat]

Generally the West of the UK where tap water comes from rainwater collected in reservoirs is soft.

In the Midlands and the East where tap water more commonly comes from umderground boreholes it's hard.

 

[foxy]

It just hit me today that if/when I move to the UK, I'll be giving up my nearly softest water in the world tapwater. So, if I want to keep my soft tapwater but live over there, what city/town/village should I be looking at?

Just move to Melbourne mainland Australia, or Tasmania. Better weather and the water is almost a blank canvas. Martin Brungard is jealous of our water.

 

[foxbat]

Generally the West of the UK where tap water comes from rainwater collected in reservoirs is soft.

In the Midlands and the East where tap water more commonly comes from underground boreholes it's hard.

See the attached PDF for a view of what I'm talking about. Where it rains a lot, the water is typically soft. The scenery is often nicer in those places too.

I'm in the east so I've just been down to Tesco for 30 litres of Ashbeck for this weekends brewing.

 

[chesters-mild]

try Manchester
From the United Utilities site

typical water hardness :Soft
Hardness clarke:2.17
Water supply zone: Old Trafford
Water supply zone ref:Z288

Date of update:25/09/2020

 

[Cwrw666]

My water is very soft, high acidity, low minerals. But there again it comes straight out of a bog on the hillside above my house. It's also very high in choliforms because the rocks that the water drains through are igneous and don't filter it. So it's basically rain mixed with sheep s**t. Makes good beer though...

 

[jceg316]

I wouldn't worry too much about the water hardness, I've been brewing in London for 6 years and made a range of styles which have come out well. I don't use RO water or buy in water, I use acid to soften the water. There are also many fantastic breweries in London which have been making amazing beers.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I have relatives up near Stockport (South Manchester) and can confirm their water is very soft.

Having spent a decade brewing with South Eastern liquid rocks I'm going to have to learn to brew again if I move up there.

 

[Hanglow]

We have very soft, low alkalinity and rock solid water in glasgow. The water system was designed for a city of 1.5 million in the mid 1800s, then expanded to cater for a city of 3 million around 1900 or so. Of course the city has shrunk a lot since then, so I guess there is an oversupply and no need to switch supply.

Most of scotland has very soft water, although the traditional home of brewing in Alloa and Edinburgh has slightly harder water.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I wouldn't worry too much about the water hardness, I've been brewing in London for 6 years and made a range of styles which have come out well. I don't use RO water or buy in water, I use acid to soften the water. There are also many fantastic breweries in London which have been making amazing beers.

This is a good point. You can get a blend of hydrochloric/sulphuric acid called CRS (or AMS) here which neutralises alkalinity in the water.

APC Pure will supply weaker strengths (1M sulphuric, 2M hydrochloric) of the discrete acids to you too. Once you learn what proportions to add them in it's all pretty simple - hydrochloric acid boosts chloride in the finished wort, and sulphuric boosts sulphate.

The drinking water quality is otherwise very good throughout the UK.

 

[trummy]

You can be scientific as you like but I live in Leicestershire, friend lives near Stoke - we both brewed the same kits, had a tasting session and we declared a draw. Tasted the same (but my beer labels were better than his!)

 

[peebee]

It just hit me today that if/when I move to the UK, I'll be giving up my nearly softest water in the world tapwater. So, if I want to keep my soft tapwater but live over there, what city/town/village should I be looking at?

Hey, don't come to the UK if your intention is to infect us with more crazy US attitudes to water! You can see from some of the above responses much of UK brewing is already severely infected by daft water ideas.

Soft water makes lousy beer. Pilsner (the European variety!) brews with water that may be low in dissolved minerals but is containing twice the carbonate hardness (bicarbonate, temporary hardness, alkalinity, or whatever measure is in vogue at the moment) of my tap water. London and SE England has seriously high carbonate hardness but was renowned for "London Porter" in the 19th centaury. Burton-on-Trent draws brewing water that is as hard as nails (permanent hardness, mainly Ca and Mg) yet produced the world renowned IPAs of the 19th centaury. Edinburgh is much the same as B-o-T. And so on.

The only good thing about soft water for brewing is you can add bucket loads of chemicals and pretend its water from somewhere else. That's what I have to do.

 

[Cwrw666]

Soft water makes lousy beer.

No it doesn't.

 

[pms67]

The beer from Williams Bros in Alloa is superb