Water treatment in practice

BarbarianBrewer said:
Where do you get concentrated phosphoric acid in a home brewer size? Seems to be the concentrated stuff only comes in large, even giant containers. A gallon size would last me decades!
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I found it in liter size, I believe on Amazon. It's been so long I've forgotten. Might have been the science supply store downtown.
 
Not comparing but kegland do 90% here in Aus :D recon my 500ml bottle will last me till I'm @BOB357 age hahaaa:D:D:D:D

Sorry bob I couldn't help it (i hope I'm still brewing then too:))
 
Trialben said:
Not comparing but kegland do 90% here in Aus :D recon my 500ml bottle will last me till I'm @BOB357 age hahaaa:D:D:D:D

Sorry bob I couldn't help it (i hope I'm still brewing then too:))
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Mine might be 90% too, it's been so long since I've had to dilute any of it.
 
About the Magnesium levels, it wasn't on my water report, but maybe something else on my report could give me an idea of the level ? Is there a link between Hardness, Alkalinity and the other ions ? My report lists Hardness : 345mgCaCO3/l and Alkalinity : 354mgHCO3/l, so I'm wondering what Hardness means, and if it is of any value here.
If I want to increase my Sulfate/Chloride ratio to ~2 to enhance hop flavor, and keep my Calcium as it is, I could use some Epsom salt, but I want to make sure I'm not over-increasing my Magnisum levels.
Am I overthinking this ?
 
Jordan Penard said:
About the Magnesium levels, it wasn't on my water report, but maybe something else on my report could give me an idea of the level ? Is there a link between Hardness, Alkalinity and the other ions ? My report lists Hardness : 345mgCaCO3/l and Alkalinity : 354mgHCO3/l, so I'm wondering what Hardness means, and if it is of any value here.
If I want to increase my Sulfate/Chloride ratio to ~2 to enhance hop flavor, and keep my Calcium as it is, I could use some Epsom salt, but I want to make sure I'm not over-increasing my Magnisum levels.
Am I overthinking this ?
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You have very high alkalinity- even a stout is going to need some acid and light beers will especially need some (or go with 100% RO water as even diluting 50/50 is going to still have high alkalinity.

Increasing your sulfate/chloride ratio won’t really “enhance hop flavor”, by the way. What sulfate does is increase the perception of dryness, making the beer feel crisper, that’s how it is said to enhance hoppy beers, where chloride provides a fullness or “roundness” of flavor, more wanted in a malty beer.

It’s not the ratio that matters, it’s the actual amounts of these ions. What I mean is this- 2 ml/dl of sulfate and 1 ml/dl of chloride is 2:1, and so is 400:200- but the beers would not be the same at all. One would be blander, and the other so minerally as to be unprintable. Look at the actual numbers and go from there.
 
I have been doing some research about what my filtering jug actualy does to the water (Brita filter), but I'm not sure I fully understand the science. It seems to be composed of a few compounds that acheave different goals. Apprently it removes most of the chlorine and chloramine, but it is also composed of activated carbon and ion exchange resins according to this website : http://brewery.org/library/FiltBrita0596.html
Does this mean it will reduce alkalinity but leave all the other ions level the same ?

As those filters will be less and less effective over time, if I want to control what comes out of my filter to know in what proportion I should cut my water, can I just grab a KH test kit and use this ? I'm thinking that I can use a mash ph calculator to workout the alkalinity level I need to make my mash ph fall in the correct range.
 
It's most likely a simple activated charcoal filter, which will remove chlorine, not chloramine, and some ions. I don't think it reduces alkalinity. And water pH is irrelevant, it's the mash pH that is of interest.
 
I am new here and have read over this post. I am just getting started and have a ton of questions.

I love the art and science of home brewing. That being said and as most of you know having the right materials and equipment can make all the difference. Right now I have been looking for water filtration system. I have looked at several that you guys have recommended and found one that i have not seen any information about. Maybe if someone could offer a little input on this one system that would be great.

My Water Test Info:
• Calcium : .=0.8 to 1.5 ppm
• Sodium : .35 to .61 ppm
• Chloramine : 2.63 to 2.99 ppm
• Alkalinity: 15.01 to 15.46 ppm
• Hardness 8.05 to 8.45 ppm
• Potassium: 0.30 to 0.41 ppm
• pH : 7.47 to 7.69 SU
• Phosphate: 0.18 to 0.21 ppm
• Sodium: 8.7 to 9.1 ppm

Link to beer brewing water filter system https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-brewt-portable-homebrewing-water-treatment-solution.html

Thank you in advance!
 
Nice soft water profile your missing sulphate and chloride.
 
SCnewBrew said:
I am new here and have read over this post. I am just getting started and have a ton of questions.

I love the art and science of home brewing. That being said and as most of you know having the right materials and equipment can make all the difference. Right now I have been looking for water filtration system. I have looked at several that you guys have recommended and found one that i have not seen any information about. Maybe if someone could offer a little input on this one system that would be great.

My Water Test Info:
• Calcium : .=0.8 to 1.5 ppm
• Sodium : .35 to .61 ppm
• Chloramine : 2.63 to 2.99 ppm
• Alkalinity: 15.01 to 15.46 ppm
• Hardness 8.05 to 8.45 ppm
• Potassium: 0.30 to 0.41 ppm
• pH : 7.47 to 7.69 SU
• Phosphate: 0.18 to 0.21 ppm
• Sodium: 8.7 to 9.1 ppm

Link to beer brewing water filter system https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-brewt-portable-homebrewing-water-treatment-solution.html

Thank you in advance!
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Is this the report after filtration? Chloramine is rather high, even for tap water, and needs to be removed. Calcium is very low, you'd have to add it for yeast health (to about 50 ppm).
 
Nosybear said:
It's most likely a simple activated charcoal filter, which will remove chlorine, not chloramine, and some ions. I don't think it reduces alkalinity. And water pH is irrelevant, it's the mash pH that is of interest.
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Actualy, after some more research, the brita filter does reduce alkalinity, but by trading calcium and magnisium for sodium via ion-exchange resins. So I don't think using it for brewing is a good idea in my case, because it might overshoot my sodium levels, and I'm not ready to inverst in test kits for all the different ions.
Well, it looks like the simplest way for me would be to get my hands on an KH test kit and mix my tap water with purified water after adding a Camden tablet.
 
My water profile/report is before filtration. I just tested the water from the tap. The high chlorine number could be from the water company doing a cleaning/sanitizing of the water system, which they do a couple of times each year.

Were you able to check out the system i mentioned? Would it be a good option for me to go with?

Thank you guys for all your help so far.
 
Does it matter when you add campden tablet? The reason I ask is that I forgot to add the 1/4 campden tablet to the strike water. I didn't realize this until the end of the four-hour mash (busy morning) so I added it to the first runnings instead. I guess my question should be does chlorine/chloramine affect the mashing process or just the final flavor of the beer?
 
Nosybear said:
It's most likely a simple activated charcoal filter, which will remove chlorine, not chloramine, and some ions. I don't think it reduces alkalinity. And water pH is irrelevant, it's the mash pH that is of interest.
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Here here on that Nosy! Yeah, I use a simple online TV filter, I swap it out yearly and I don't see a pH difference but yeah mash pH...mash pH..mash pH. Oh yeah...and in the words of John Palmer..."it's a robust system"...don't obsess the numbers guys!
 
BarbarianBrewer said:
Does it matter when you add campden tablet? The reason I ask is that I forgot to add the 1/4 campden tablet to the strike water. I didn't realize this until the end of the four-hour mash (busy morning) so I added it to the first runnings instead. I guess my question should be does chlorine/chloramine affect the mashing process or just the final flavor of the beer?
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Yes, it interacts with the malt and that is where the phenols are created.
 
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BarbarianBrewer said:
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Could have been worse. You could have added it when you pitched your yeast. It's the thing many in the wine industry use to kill off the natural yeast on grapes, before they pitch their preferred yeast.
 
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