Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Ward Labs is pretty reasonable and quick with results. But you also can't go wrong IMO with RO water. Just a bit of gypsum or calcium chloride works for almost all beers starting from a clean base.

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carrisr wrote:Ward Labs is pretty reasonable and quick with results. But you also can't go wrong IMO with RO water. Just a bit of gypsum or calcium chloride works for almost all beers starting from a clean base.

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This is what I add to my RO water. Just bought a blade scale so up until now I would just add a cap full or two of gypsum and less calcium chloride. Looking forward to using a spreadsheet and actual measured amounts.

carrisr wrote:Ward Labs is pretty reasonable and quick with results. But you also can't go wrong IMO with RO water. Just a bit of gypsum or calcium chloride works for almost all beers starting from a clean base.

I bought a TDS meter first and my well water which tastes awesome (Spring Grove township, the "spring" feeds the well water) was at about 200 PPM.

So no matter what I had to cut it with RO. I can buy 110 gallons of water from Wal-Mart for the cost of the Ward Labs report. I spot check my store bought RO and never has it read above 7 PPM. So.. I've always done RO except for stouts/porters which I do about 2/3 tap to 1/3 RO unscientifically and it always works well.

I see all of the water chemists out there and I wonder for <$2.50 a batch why they bother. I agree. If in doubt build it up from RO. Simple and works in every case. You know what is in the water, and you know the pH...

Fred

I agree. Your well water sounds good compared to mine. It tastes OK, but TDS is over 400. So I switched to RO and didn't look back. I started buying at WM and eventually went to an installed filter so I didn't have to go to the store just to get Brew water. I enjoy crafting my water recipe, just another part of the creation process, but you don't have to go to the detail that I do to make good beer.

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UndeadFred wrote:So no matter what I had to cut it with RO. I can buy 110 gallons of water from Wal-Mart for the cost of the Ward Labs report. I spot check my store bought RO and never has it read above 7 PPM.

Hyvee Marion was at 25-29ppm this week.
I brought it to the attention of a manager, as well as the fact that the monthly technician check card on the machine was not recording the measured TDS recently, just checking a box, and the sheet had run out of space. Not impressed. It last was actually recorded as 10ppm many months ago.

Interesting. I will admit that being not a native Iowan, I don't get the love for HyVee. I don't get the hate for a company up the road who has shut off their newer machine before because it spot tested too high and will sell me a vial of insulin for $25 cash. That particular place from Arkansas has always tested below 5. And it's two cents a gallon cheaper, too. The 7 I mentioned? Marion HyVee when the Walmart machine was down. Marion water will take out those filters much faster than Cedar Rapids water does but the other Walmart and the Fairway are out of my way usually. But it is pretty critical that the machines are maintained, especially in Marion...

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