Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

(That's water to the rest of us!) Beer is about 95% water, so if you want to discuss water treatment, filtering etc this is the place to do it!
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ADDLED

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by ADDLED » Sat Jun 06, 2009 3:36 pm

adm wrote:
Graham wrote:ADM

That's really muddied the liquor.
Graham, that's an absolutely perfect explanation.
Her certainly knows his anions! :lol: :lol: :lol:

#-o I'll turn the light off on my way out...

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:19 pm

Any more of theses kits still available DaaB?

CHeers

Dave

escapizm

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by escapizm » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:53 pm

Daab I'll take one to, just let me know When.

escapizm

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by escapizm » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:48 pm

Daab I'll take one to, just let me know When.

rick_huggins

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by rick_huggins » Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:13 pm

Me too!!

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:59 pm

Cheers Chris

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:08 pm

Got my KIt from DaaB's link this morning, tested, then retested as I thought it was low, came out at 2.29 then x 50 = 114.5 Alkalinity.

So as I am going for Larger Liquer: I want to end up at (30 ppm) so need to reduce by 84.5 with CRS thus

84.5 - 180 = 0.469 SO 0.47mls of CRS to be added to my UN BOILED total brewing Liquer.

Now got to work on my Lactic acid calcs.

The test is strightforward even for LAB Avoiders like myself.

4ml of tapwater from supplied syringe into suplied testing jar, 2 drops of Indicator, then drop by drop of reagent and then compare the volume left on the syringe driver with a supplied chart.

If you havent tried it, give it a go. enough for 100 tests for £8 something posted!

Cheers Daab

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:14 pm

NB the calc is 84.5 (divided by) 180 not (minus)

and low reading as local water is 'RUN OFF' not 'River' according to Severn Trent. NICE! Rat p.. etc....

adm

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by adm » Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:59 pm

daveylaa wrote:NB the calc is 84.5 (divided by) 180 not (minus)

and low reading as local water is 'RUN OFF' not 'River' according to Severn Trent. NICE! Rat p.. etc....
Also - that's 0.47ml of CRS PER LITRE of water to be treated, right??

(Mine's fairly similar - about 135mg/l CaC03 and I use 50L of water so end up with 30ml of CRS per 50L). You'd be looking at about 25ml per 50L.

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:01 pm

Cheers Chris and Adm

Yes per Litre, using Chris's previous water treatment calcs!

The lactic acid was an add on, after the water treatment, it's from the Brupacks advice. However, as I am slowly looking up the posts and tring to be careful with varying bits of data, am staying with Chris's inital calcs.

I had presumed the Lactic acid may not be needed, it stated in the Brupacks, but not mentioed elseware.

Didn't inlcude my total bru liquer length, will do using the calc on here. (STILL ON 25L BUCKETS AND 27L BOILER)

Did my 1st full mash with Grahams boiling water treatment method, (Gypsum PRE and Epson POST - Boil) from his book. Was spot on 5.2-3 acoridng to my PH stirips. Beginers luck!

Last note, even though I have done the CRS treatment. Do I Still add Tsp of gypsum to the mash tun ater before adding the 4.5kg + 11.2 L of treated water? That is the last question I was going to post.

Again thanks, (I will help out others with the simple things I have learned, as I - go along this voyage of discovery)

Dave

rick_huggins

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by rick_huggins » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:59 pm

I've got a big back of gypsum and another of Epsom salts; should I bin these if I'm going to be using CRS or do I still need them?

adm

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by adm » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:29 pm

You still need (or maybe not "need" but certainly "can use") the gypsum, depending on the calcium levels in your water.

Treat the water with CRS to get to the correct alkalinity - and then bung a teaspoon of gypsum into the mash (I just chuck it in the tun and pour the strike water on top) and the same for the boil. I don't know if you can get too much calcium in the water or not, but someone will be along soon with the science, I'm sure......

It sounds pretty random, and you can certainly get much more technical and accurate, but the tsp in the mash and boil is simple and works well for me - certainly for pale ale type beers. For stouts and other less mainstream beers, I'll use Graham's water calculator and go for a more technical regime - so keep the epsom salts too!

rick_huggins

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by rick_huggins » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:38 pm

Your a wizard Chris; must be! :D

Next question is where can I get CRS and once I've got my total alkalinity, what was the sum used to work out CRS addition quantity?

rick_huggins

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by rick_huggins » Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:19 pm

Thanks again Chris!

daveylaa

Re: Alkalinity, Testing Your Tap Water

Post by daveylaa » Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:33 pm

Cheers Chris AND Cheers Adm

Thanks for the help and patientce.

Dave

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