Filtered Water

Ben · Joined: 16 Dec 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Baie-Comeau

Hi guys,

what about filtered water? I'm looking for a kinetico-like system to purify city water before brewing. There's a lot of iron and chlorine in water here. After filtration, of course I'll put stuff in for pH...I'm just asking myself about taste of beer with resulting water. Will the taste be different (mean lack of taste cause that type of system make almost distilled-water with very few ppm)?

**kal** · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 8:47 pm Post subject:

All depends on the makeup of your water now. How much iron?

Kal

Ben · Joined: 16 Dec 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Baie-Comeau

Hello Kal,

I'm a bit late to answer but I was away for a while. By the way, I tried to get the chemistry of the water at home from the municipal office. Very difficult! I finally receive an email (hope you're able to read french) :

Analyses 2010 - Station Saint-Georges

Substances inorganiques

Concentration maximale (mg/L) Concentration analysée (mg/L)**

maximum analyse Turbidité THM totaux Nitrates + nitrites (en N)
Arsenic (As) 0,03 <0,002 < 0,5 UTN (eau filtrée) < 80 µg/L < 10 mg/L
Antimoine 0,01 <0,003 Janvier Janvier Janvier
1 143 <0,05
Baryum (Ba) 1 <0,02 Février Avril Avril
1,4 151 <0,05
Bore (B) 5 <0,05 Mars Juillet Juillet
1,25 252 <0,05
Cadmium (Cd) 0,01 <0,002 Avril Octobre Octobre
1,68 295 <0,05
Chrome total (Cr) 0,05 <0,01 Mai
1,64
Cuivre 1 0,05 Juin
1,33
Cyanures (CN) 0,2 <0,01 Juillet
0,96
Fluorures (F) 1,5 0,3 Août
1,64
Mercure (Hg) 0 <0,0001 Septembre
0,62
Plomb (Pb) 0,01 <0,005 Octobre
1,62
Sélénium (Se) 0,01 <0,002 Novembre
1,7
Uranium (U) 0,02 <0,01 Décembre
0,83
** échantillonnage en juillet

centre du réseau
extrémité du réseau

Nothing about iron or other salts. I will probably pay to get an analyse from a bath-poolstore or somewhere else. I was writing about iron cause water has a orange/reddish color and is coming from a lake about 5 kms from home. Here, there a lot of iron mines and other minerals. Color probably doesn't come from iron, but the difference between sink water and filtered water is impressive!

Ben · Joined: 16 Dec 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Baie-Comeau

Here's the file!

**kal** · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject:

Like you mentioned, this report does not help with brewing at all.

Kal

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject:

This is the analysis for Chicago water. How does it look for general brewing?

ca 110
mg 18
na 16
cl 49
s04 280

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:31 pm Post subject:

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject:

My ****** up. Sorry

ca 32
mg 11.5
na 7.3
cl 14
s04 250

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:22 pm Post subject:

So it really depends on what sorts of beers you want to make and what salts you want to end up with. Everyone has their own opinions.

Take a look at some of the salt profiles I provide in my recipes and then plug your numbers into EZ Water Calculator and see if you can come up with similar numbers.

You may be able to make sure styles to the numbers I like, but not others.

At first glace my concern is that your S04 is much high than everything else so lighter lagers may not work out well. You may be able to hit the same numbers I like by only using CaCl2.

Kal

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:51 pm Post subject:

Would it be easier to just use reverse osmosis water and then add salts?

Ben58 · Joined: 14 Aug 2011 Posts: 409 Location: Hamilton, Ontario

Just installed an RO system this past weekend. Getting myself set-up for a brew day with my friend who owns Black Oak Brewing and his brewmaster. They are amazed with the Kal clone I built! Thumbs Up

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:25 pm Post subject:

Possibly. That's up to you. You can also dilute with RO water.

Also depends on the targets you want to get to. In some case it won't be "difficult" but actually "impossible" to use tap water and get certain profiles.

RO water filters waste a TON of water. I treat them like a last resort if you can't use salts.

KAl

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:53 pm Post subject:

So do you feel I can get close to your numbers for basic apa and ipas?

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:39 pm Post subject:

I have no idea.

Take a look at some of the salt profiles I provide in my recipes and then plug your numbers into EZ Water Calculator and see if you can come up with similar numbers.

Kal

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:20 pm Post subject:

Ok lets say I added a gallon of my water and a gallon of RO water. Would my chemical water makeup be half of the original quantities?

**kal** · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject:

Yes.

Kal

hickster88 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:54 pm Post subject:

Pink Brewing leggings? Just saw that. Good one.

hickster88 · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:43 pm Post subject:

Well, I just got my results back from Ward Labs and it changes quite a bit compared to my most recent Chicago report from August 2011. After my additions and calculations from EZ water calculator I can get my levels to this. And using all Chicago water no dilutions.

ca 110
mg 17
na 16
cl 48
so4 180

Keep in mind I'm shooting for Kals pale ale numbers. Pretty close but do I need to worry about so4 being too low?

Thanks, John

**kal** · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:50 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't worry about it. That'll make a very tasty american style pale ale (IMHO).

Kal

hickster88 · Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks Kal Your The Best.
John