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Water report really needed?

 
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dlemyre




Joined: 31 Mar 2014
Posts: 25
Location: Bécancour, Québec


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 6:56 pm    Post subject: Water report really needed? Reply with quote


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Hi guys,
my electric brewery is finally done, and I would like to start brewing this weekend a blonde ale.

I called at my water city department and they don't have any water report do send me...so I called a lab around here but I won't have the results before 10 days....and it will cost me $142 + tx.

So I went to pool's store to test my water...here's what I got:

Calcium: 60 ppm
Chloride: 0 ppm
Alkalinity: 60 ppm

That's all he could test...what do you think? Should I wait an extra 10 days to receive a real water report instead?

I'm also a little bit sceptic about water report... it might be right for now, but what in about 6 months or even one year?

thanks for helping me!
David
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ward labs has a test for about $30-40 that covers everything brewers need to know:

https://producers.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.aspx

Numbers do vary throughout the year, and when cities publish they publish averages over the year. In my case my numbers are so low that even a 20-50% change doesn't matter. (Ex: My Calcium's at 8.9 per my city's report. Even a 50% increase to ~13 doesn't matter if my goal is to increase Calcium to 110 when making a hop forward beer - for example).

Most homebrewers do not go to the pains of testing throughout the year. Few commercial breweries (even some of the larger ones) do not do this.

I'm surprised the city doesn't have numbers. I thought that by law cities in most states/provinces had to provide this as part of water consumption safety after various large scale issues that have happened around the world. (?)

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_quality#United_States

Says here "The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires each governing jurisdiction (states, territories, and covered tribal entities) to submit a set of biennial reports on the quality of water in their area. These reports are known as the 303(d), 305(b) and 314 reports, named for their respective CWA provisions, and are submitted to, and approved by, EPA.[29] These reports are completed by the governing jurisdiction, typically a state environmental agency, and are available on the web."

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Water_Act

That aside, the ones we care about are the ones I list in all our recipes on this site (see: www.theelectricbrewery.com/recipes).

They are:

- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Sulphate

These are the ones we adjust. I use EZ water calculator.

It's also helpful to know your alkalinity (CaCO3 ppm) or bicarbonate (HCO3 ppm) as that'll affect how much your grain and salts affect your pH. EZ water will try and guestimate your pH.

Kal

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dlemyre




Joined: 31 Mar 2014
Posts: 25
Location: Bécancour, Québec


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm from Quebec, Canada....maybe it isn't the same law..

Ward Lab is in USA, I guess I'll have to wait an extra 10 days before brewing..
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ontario's very strict after the Walkerton tragedy. I'd be surprised if Quebec was that much different.

What city in Quebec? Or did you mean Quebec city (Ville de Québec)?

Kal

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We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
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dlemyre




Joined: 31 Mar 2014
Posts: 25
Location: Bécancour, Québec


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm from Bécancour, it's located close to Trois-Rivières (South shore of St-Lawrence River).
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmm - can't seem to find any online water reports for the Bécancour region....

Kal

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We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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Crazy Brewer




Joined: 12 Feb 2014
Posts: 60
Location: Houston area, Texas


PostLink    Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Kal! I looked for the mineral content in Houston and Conroe Texas and only found the contaminant info on line. Sad I will be ordering the water testing kit from Ward Lab.

Cheers,
Mug
Tony

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