Water Profile update.

[GFHomebrew]

sitting here Sunday Arvo Australian time browsing my local water providers water analysis sheet for my area. I know this ain't as good as sending away a water sample for testing but talking to a Sunshine Coast craft Brewer yesterday I was suprised that even they don't get specific water tests done as our water supply can change from dam to dam from time to time so forking out some dollars to get a slice in time water analysis done may be worthless in six months time depending on where my local water provider decides to gather their water from.

Below is the spec sheet for my local water breakdown. Question is fellow Brewers would you use the average reading or the 95th percentile? I'm heavily leaning towards the 95th percentile readings going by 95% of the time this is the probable reading...
Seems logical to me but I've had a few Bunyips so ...

I will look forward to your fed back. Cheers!

 

[GFHomebrew]

going by the above profile =

 

[Head First]

Averages would prob be the best for most listings but most of the trace elements would vary with the PH which looks like it can change from 6.6 to 9.2. That's a big variance. I would watch the PH closely every time I brewed, and go from there.
The 95th percentile is calculated by removing the highest 5% of the test results and then the next highest test result is the 95th percentile. There are several places this is used but water results is one of them. For example the US uses it for enforcing lead and copper rules. It basicly gives you the average high number of the test results by eliminating the highest results which can be flukes that happen if that makes any sense.

 

[Head First]

One thing to keep in mind is the water company's probably blend the supply's so pretty good chance you won't ever see a PH of 9 or 6.6. Its not good for the system to change the PH or trace elements drastically, and it would be more difficult to keep a stable chlorine residual with drastic water changes.

 

[Nosybear]

If you have a pH meter, these variations aren't a huge problem: Just make sure you have enough calcium, that your sulfate/chloride ratio is in the right range and that the water has no "organic" tastes in it. Remove chlorine, mash in, take the pH reading after 10 minutes and adjust. The range is the famous 5.2 to 5.6 with ligher beers on the lower end and darker beers on the upper end. The water report is an average and water is a secondary influence on flavor (as long as it's good tasting water and not absurdly hard).

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yeah i use a ph meter it usually comes out my filter at around 7ph. So i guess it would be safer to use the average than the 95th percentile then as you put it headfirst.

Cheers ill use the average. It was looking pretty balanced from the 95th percentile column with 40ppm sulphate/chloride ratio.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Well looks pretty balanced to me nice and soft good for my pale lagers just lacking in the Calcium department nothing a little Calcium sulphate or chloride won't fix. Cheers