Cleveland Water... What do I need for adjustment?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by invertalon, Aug 28, 2015.

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  1. invertalon

    invertalon Pooh-Bah (2,249) Jan 27, 2009 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hello everyone!

    I am starting the next chapter in my homebrew process, water treatment.

    I live in Cleveland and use city water. So far, I have been filtering all water through my refrigerator with the charcoal filter. Beers have come out good so far, but I figure if treating the water improves even more I should start doing so. I am brewing all-grain.

    I scavenged the internet for Cleveland water reports and put together the following by averaging the data from (3) I found:

    pH 7.4
    Sodium 8.9
    Calcium 32.8
    Magnesium 9.2
    Chloride 21.3
    Alkalinity 78.8
    Hardness 122.3
    Sulfate 30-60

    Now the thing is, I am guessing the water above is taking right from the tap and not filtering it like I have been... Which to me, the water taste improves and I far prefer the filtered water. It seems like it will only really remove the chloride(?) and nothing with the minerals and such that are in it (from what I read). Thoughts?

    What do I need to pickup at the homebrew store to start treating my water? I know campden tablets to further eliminate any chlorine is required, but what else? Any good guides or standards on water profiles to match for specific styles?

    Appreciate the help!
     
    #1 invertalon, Aug 28, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  2. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    Chloride will pass through the filter just fine. Chlorine (like bleach) in the other hand is highly reactive and will be filtered out. These are chemically very different!!

    Your water looks great. To accentuate hops, add a lot of gypsum (sulfate). About a teaspoon or two per 5 gallons is a good ballpark. Add some to the mash and some to the sparge water.

    To accentuate maltiness, use calcium chloride instead the same way. You can also use both together of course. Use software if you want to get fancy but it truly is optional.
     
    #2 dmtaylor, Aug 28, 2015
    invertalon likes this.
  3. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Unless the filter is an RO system, the listed parameters won't be changed by a regular single carbon filter. It will remove Chlorine not Chloride. It will also remove metals that taste bad such as iron, lead, etc.
     
    #3 Brew_Betty, Aug 28, 2015
  4. invertalon

    invertalon Pooh-Bah (2,249) Jan 27, 2009 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Nope, not a RO system... Just a standard in-line charcoal one.

    Thanks for the input! I will pick up some gypsum and calcium chloride to use in the future. Should I still go with the campden tablets if I am filtering through the charcoal? Or does that really eliminate all the issue I may have with chlorine?
     
    #4 invertalon, Aug 28, 2015
  5. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Using a campden tablet won't hurt and could help depending on the efficiency of your filter.
     
    #5 Brew_Betty, Aug 28, 2015
  6. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,647) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    The Great Lakes are similar in water profiles. That will work fo many styles. For light beers you have to reduce alkalinity. For very dark beers you may need to increase alkalinity. If you get serious, find some good water software to guide you.
     
    #6 hopfenunmaltz, Aug 28, 2015
  7. invertalon

    invertalon Pooh-Bah (2,249) Jan 27, 2009 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I have BeerSmith 2 I use to develop my recipes which has the water profile tool, so I can use that.

    Would I just treat the water as whole? (Let's say I am using 12 gallons total between mashing/sparging). Or do I need to treat the mash and sparge water differently? I would guess I do the adjustment to the water before anything at all, but just want to verify.
     
    #7 invertalon, Aug 28, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
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