I have a handfull of all grain batches under my belt....and for all of those batches I have purchased spring water from the grocery store. I live outside the city limits in a subdivision and have a well, so I don't have a city water report I can get. I did have a mandatory water test when I purchased the home, but it doesn't have all of the mineral breakdowns. What are other well guys doing to assess water composition? I called the local lab and they quoted $35/mineral. So if I had them check for 6 minerals thats $210 I am not excited to spend. I also don't know the composition of the spring water I was purchasing at the store. I usually just re-fill the gallon jugs from the machine. I would assume you would NOT want to use distilled as all minerals would be removed. I feel like understaning my water composition one of the next steps I should be taking...but have no idea how to get started. Any thoughts?
Wards Labs has a test that is ideal for a well, W5a at $27.25. I used W6 for my towns well water that has the iron removed. http://wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/WardLabs_FeeSchedule_Web.pdf#page=10 http://www.wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/ If you can buy Reverse Osmosis water from the store machine, you can add brewing salts to get the mineral content that will be good for the beer.
I sent a sample of my new house's well water to Wards last week. The beer test (all the analytes you need) is much less expensive than what you were quoted. 39.60 for the homebrew test, and that includes shipping. If all goes well, I'll be posting about my water before the end of the week. Sooner, as the website says the samples are currently being tested.
Ward Lab's W-5A H-B water test for $27.25 is TMI...IMO. More better is their W-6 Household Mineral Test for $21 (price includes the sample bottle and return postage). Ward offers an even lower direct-cost option if you provide your own sample bottle and drive to the post office to pay the postage. Ward Lab Water Analysis http://wardlab.com/FeeSchedule/WardLabs_FeeSchedule_Web.pdf#page=10 PRO-Tip: W-6 Household Mineral Test for $21 Bru'n Water
I think the wards link that everyone is posting is out of date? Prices are low compared to what I just paid. https://producers.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.aspx
The cost of the W-6 test has increased from the $21 (spring...last year) to $28.60 (spring...this year). The Brewer's Test includes all elements from the the W-6 plus iron and phosphorus. Neither iron and phosphorus are Bru'n Water inputs
