The "Water Defuddler"

[PeeBee]

This I discussed on another thread: Total Hardness?

The "Defuddler" isn't a water calculator - there's enough of them about - it just condenses the mud bath of different units and reporting schemes into the six ions (yeap, there's only six worth considering) and one unit; ppm or mg/l (I used to consider these as the same, but they're not and it's just the circumstances we use them in that makes these units appear to be the same ... PPM to mg/L Converter - OMNI Calculator).

It's since been updated to include a "dilution" function and allow users to "customise" slightly by adding any sort of ion they think is necessary (only to improve the judgment of bicarbonate quantity from documented figures).

I've already noticed at least one bug (a rarely used legitimate data entry point is "locked") and I've tried to apply it to a particularly awkward problem (no Chloride and Sulphate data, no idea of what the "Alkalinity" units have been set to) and found the "Defuddler" can make something of this lack of information, so, expect some more updates soon! You're all so lucky, aren't you?

Water Defuddler

(I'll put this in my "signature" shortly 'cos I know how you can't be without it!).

[PeeBee]

There's a newer version available on the download link now. It has got "development" appended to the name, but all of the "Defuddler" is "development" so take no notice. Download from signature.

It's loaded with a water analysis from Battle, Kent (weird water - rubbish water report - but it's what I'm playing with at moment). You are expected to put your own data in place of it. Better documented; even has instructions! The "Dilution Calculator" uses a builtin control. It does work when the wind is in the right direction (flippin' Microsoft cobblers ... I thought they'd got over putting about cr&p like that ...).

[PeeBee]

The "Defuddler", which was updated again on Thursday BTW, is very much supporting the "alkalinity" approach and ion measurements (be it ppm or mg/l) of actual elements in the water. All the "Hardness" stuff, use of arcane "equivalents" (like "CaCO3") and stuff of marginal interest to brewing water gets chucked into the "Foetid Mire". BUT, that's not to say the use of "Hardness" is wrong; the mixing of the two approaches is what's wrong and responsible for much of the confusion and complexity about brewing water.

An example perhaps is the above mentioned "rubbish water report": I'm not criticising the analytical chemists (who are probably not paid enough either), but whatever is translating their work into a Web page. The analysists will know exactly what's in the water, but whatever is translating that knowledge into the chaotic mish-mash of reporting methods ... that does need a kick up the a...


Can't be bothered writing out about the "Defuddler" update, you'll need to read that >here< (offsite link ... THBF).

I believe the "alkalinity plus 'real' element" approach is easier and more flexible than "'Hardness' and 'pretend' element" approach, especially with this "Battle, Kent" water which might have (natural) non-hardness (or Sodium) based alkalinity. A lot of USA water will be "Sodium based alkalinity" because of the ion exchange water softening they use. Such water softening reduces "Hardness" but has no effect on "Alkalinity".

Battle Water.jpg (167.69 KiB) Viewed 2246 times

[PeeBee]

You've all probably noticed I'm coming to the end of what I can wring out of me "Defuddler"?

But I did have one project I never really finished off. I've been spending this (wet) day resurrecting it...

The "Pyknometer" ...

Ha, ha , ha ...

Ha , ha ,ha , har ...

HA, HA, Ha, HA, HAR!!!

[MashBag]

Is that a barbie accessory?

[PeeBee]

This is a bit of time-wasting, but rather interesting? I dug it up a few weeks ago because it was a good example of excess iron in the water (I knew this because it was my water when I lived over there). Seems they've sorted the iron issue out. They've added all the up-to-date stuff like "alkalinity" too. But look how soft the water is. I suppose it was a tiny Pennine reservoir with a tiny catchment, so the water never gets chance to dissolve much in it:

Cowpe.jpg (90.22 KiB) Viewed 2193 times

Must have been an idyllic hilly retreat to live in? ... Nope! Less than 25 miles from the centre of Manchester. Surrounded by Rochdale, Burnley and Blackburn. I imagine most of the water's dissolved solids leached out of burnt-out cars left on the moor. All the sodium? Must have been the discarded chip wrappers? There really was a "foetid mire" up there.

It's tricky trying to judge much about water from insufficient information.

I made a hell of a lot of beer with that water (my home for 20 years). And water treatment was all down to "chuck a teaspoon of gypsum in it".

[PeeBee]

Is that a barbie accessory?

Shhh, no-one is supposed to know about that.

[PeeBee]

This is a bit of time-wasting, ...

I'm going to get beaten for mentioning "soft water" in that post; may as well go the "whole hog" ...

No mention of water "Hardness"?

But it's in there, in full sight in that screen snip. It's in the "Foetid Mire". Calcium and Magnesium is responsible for virtually all "Hardness", and that snip has their values in "as CaCO3" units. Here's a quick lesson in "CaCO3" ... forget it as soon as you've learnt it because it has no real use to you. I'm mentioning it only because people do immensely silly things with "CaCO3", and the following is only a daft thing, not a stupid one:

Calcium is 11.14ppm as CaCO3. Magnesium is 6.92ppm as CaCO3. Hardness is ... add the two together, 11.14+6.92 = ... 18.84ppm as CaCO3! Cor! That is soft! It may be very marginally more to account for other multi-valent metals (i.e. Sodium doesn't count). Humm, iron does count. I wonder how much "Hardness" the rusting burnt-out cars are adding? ...