Brew UK Forum | General Brewing Discussions
Water treatments - Hardness problems??
Hi guys,
Well I have been happy with my 49er but the exmoor gold I have just done tasted fine for a while but it seems to have a aftertaste problem. To be honest I find this with most of my pale ales and I wonder if i cant taste it in the 49er because it is being coverd up by the more complex grain bill.
So I wonder if its my water, now its hard round where I am, bery hard..... like Jean Claude Van Dam hard, and I have been researching - the Hardness report from the water companies is an average of the last 12 months and that actuall hardness varies day to day (I can believe that). So I was thinking of getting one of these from the local pet shop
http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=70 It should let me read the actual kh before dosing the water with crs.
So I think I am either over or underdosing with CRS as I never had the taste with my kits (as far as I can remember - long time ago!)
Anyhoo I thought I would let you guys know how it goes so we can see how our water companies may be tellin' porkeys. So for the next 2 brews they will be identical and I will do a kh test kit on one and use bottled water on another. Im hoping that the kh test kit will sort it as i cant be assed to but bottled water on all my future brews 
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Nath, I'm planning on doing exactly the same thing to be honest as I don't trust the reading I have either. Did you get that from Porton?
This kit was recommended on another forum.
http://www.swelluk.com/aquarium/aquarium-test-kits-495/salifert-test-kits-1568/salifert-profi-test-kits-kh-alkalinity-6644.html
Guess they do the same thing.
My Exmoor gold is still clearing. Tastes okay but very malty and not very hoppy.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Go for it nath, a brew that I did in June (with the calculated CRS in it) came out tasting weird. I thought all that acid was going to dissolve my new gold teeth.
Still drank it though
I know what you mean about that after-taste on the pales too ... we have high alkalinity here too. You'll have to let us know how you get on!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Wow - What a difference. On the water company readings I used to use just under 1ml crs per litre so for an average 35ltr I needed 33ml crs......I should have been using 51ml!
Im gonna do a test in a few days to see if it is any different. Next weekend the kids are up to see good ol' auntie Sarah so im double brewing. 1 brew with treated water and 1 brew with ro water from our local pet shop. Fingers crossed n all that.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Where did you get the test kit from Nath?
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Why from porton pet of course!
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Right I'll be heading down there tomorrow.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Well I took a reading late last night and it was even higher! May be because of all the rain we have been having????
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Do you think you're developing some kind of obsession
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Me....Obsessed.......never, just in the persuit of a purer beer
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Latest reading....off the scale!
Need 69ml crs
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
Hey guys, doing a bit of a trial with my reading calculator coming up with 77ml crs, does that not sound high for a total vol of 40 ltrs?
Posted 11 months ago by
Calcium – 108mg/l
Magnesuim – 1.84mg/l
Sodium – 8mg/l
Sulphate – 15mg/l
Chloride – 18mg/l
Alkalinity (as CAco3) – 196 mg CaCO3/l
A kind gentleman tried to help with a bicarbonate value, is the the same as just carbonate ?
Yep, so to convert CACO3 that you have into bicarbonate (HCO3) is:
(CACO3/20) * 23.2843
(196/20) * 23.2843
(9.8) * 23.2843
228.186
So 228 is your bicarbonate value. Now you have it!
Posted 11 months ago by
Ok just got the test kit gives a reading of 7.5
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
That sounds too high for the amount of CAC03 you have. I have a hgher reading than that and only use just over 1ml per litre of my tap water. Jims has a goos water treatment calc that will tell you excatly what you need to put in and how.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
nearest colour was lime green gives a reading of 7.5 meaning 77ml to a total 40 ltr liquor
Posted 11 months ago by
Would it be wise to do another test before mashing in after I have added the crs to see if we are in the right area?
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
Yep I'd go for that just to be on the safe side. Its probably right, water hardness can vary day to day - im just shocked that you needed that much. How are you testing it?
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by Admin
I tested my water last night and mine is reading 228 CaC03 which is the same as your original reading. 77ml sounds a bit much to me. I added 110ml to 100 litres. I think you should be looking at 44ml for 40 litres.
I can't see your water being that much different to mine.
Posted 11 months ago by
Perhaps I ll do the test again, maybe this kit is a bit naff
http://www.portonaquapet.co.uk/ProductView.aspx?ProductID=4327&Mode=Existing
Posted 11 months ago by
Ill let the tap run a bit too
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
Its not coming up with any info or piccys - can you tell us what make?
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
Link works for me lol. Natrafin...
Posted 11 months ago by Admin
Blank for me too.
What is the name of the kit?
Posted 11 months ago by
Find it ok?
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
I still cant see anything Jam, when I search for Natrafin nothing comes up. Many people use the Salifert test kit and I use (I think) an API one for carbonate hardness.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
Key in ph in the search engine on the site
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
I thought you were looking for your hardness value? PH wont tell you that one mate. You need to buy a Carbonate Hardness test like this one http://www.portonaquapet.co.uk/API_Liquid_KH_Test_Kit-M25964
Sorry mate, your gonna have to go on the value of CAC03 you got from the water reading.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
White belt alert, that's hilarious ! I am officialy lost now. So this kit is useless?
Posted 11 months ago by
That link dosnt work lol
Posted 11 months ago by Admin
Yes. You need to test the alkalinity which in turn will effect the PH in your mash. If you are brewing today then I would go for 44ml of CRS, assuming 228 as per the water company and my reading.
My mash just tested at 5.2 so all good.
Posted 11 months ago by
This is so funny, what a waste ...
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
The value Jampot gave was 196 greg so it wouldnt be that much. For 40 litres it would equal 37 ml
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by
Too late just gone in
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
Ony 7ml over - not to worry Jam. The beer will be fine!
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by Admin
It will be fine. Acid is good for you anyway
Posted 11 months ago by
acccccccceeeed, I feel such a nob atm.
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
I may not make it to the next brew meeting (depending if its on the 16th or 23rd) but Si has my alkalinity tester and im sure he could bring it down to show ya for next time.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 11 months ago by Member
Has anyone every considered a RO water filtration system? I know they are pricy, would you be able to taste the difference?
Fermenting: GW's Timothy Taylors - Landlord AG
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: GW's Fuller London Porter AG, GW's Gales Festival Mild AG
Drinking: Excellent English shop bought stuff with depth and character
that the Canadians cannot even imagine.
Posted 11 months ago by Moderator
I expect a proper RO system will give you a neutral baseline for your water and you could get one for the £100 mark and add additives to your water to suit, but - and its a big but (again) I would be surprised if many breweries use an RO system before brewing their beer and instead just use the right amount of appropriate additives to make their beer good.
I think we are too obsessed with water, we need to make consistent beer before using the amounts of additives "needed". I for one will be using a tried and tested recipe and just adjusting water properties for the next couple of brews, and only because I want to ensure I get a massively drinkable beer before I try too many other recipes.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
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