Testing well water

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by riptorn, Jan 9, 2020.

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  1. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    That is really nice. For some styles like Pils you could drop the Bicarbonate with phosphoric acid. Otherwise build from that. You will want to bump up the Ca for most brews.
     
    #21 hopfenunmaltz, Feb 19, 2020
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  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I've seen cleaner slates. But not often!
     
    #22 VikeMan, Feb 19, 2020
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  3. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Seeing ND for Iron is very good indeed, as that mineral is probably the most common nuisance in well water and not good for brewing. Tastes like blood if the concentrations get too high, which is not really high. And Iron removal is best done with a softener which is not good for producing brewing water.

    Congratulations.
    You won the Potable Well Lottery.
     
    #23 billandsuz, Feb 19, 2020
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  4. Brewday

    Brewday Zealot (721) Dec 25, 2015 New York

    #24 Brewday, Feb 20, 2020
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  5. riptorn

    riptorn Pooh-Bah (1,776) Apr 26, 2018 Georgia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks for that (bookmarked it). It includes, among other stuff, a printable reference for Palmers water profiles for Lager/Ale styles (pp. 27 & 28).

    Per the Los Altos 2018 report (p. 3), their water is supplied by Cal Water (22 districts serving 111 city/community/water systems), which draws from several sources:
    “….a combination of local groundwater and purchased water. Our purchased water, which is treated surface water from the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), comes from SCVWD reservoirs and the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta.”
    I’m guessing the actual sourcing would vary depending on availability, demand, suitability and probably other factors; it’s not surprising their results could change significantly and frequently.

    Since I have no clue where my water has been before it arrived at my well I won’t assume the results will be the same when it’s tested again, but it's good to have a baseline to work with for the near term. (now I'm wishing I'd saved some of those gallon jugs).
     
    #25 riptorn, Feb 20, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
  6. wasatchback

    wasatchback Pooh-Bah (1,574) Jan 12, 2014 Tajikistan
    Pooh-Bah Trader


    Whelp with that water I certainly wouldn’t bother buying bottles ever again. A little acid then add in whatever minerals you want. I would kill to have well water like that. Mine is pretty much the opposite.
     
    #26 wasatchback, Feb 20, 2020
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