Ward Labs Water Profile Holgate, Ohio

[flatrockbrewing]

Take a look at this profile and let me know if Im going to run into major problems. We are looking to brew a wide range of beers from a California Style Blonde ale to a darker sweet stout.

pH 8.3
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 660
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 1.10
Cations / Anions, me/L 12.0 / 11.9
ppm
Sodium, Na 170
Potassium, K 4
Calcium, Ca 27
Magnesium, Mg 38
Total Hardness, CaCO3 226
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.1 (SAFE)
Sulfate, SO4-S 114
Chloride, Cl 85
Carbonate, CO3 6
Bicarbonate, HCO3 132
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 118
Total Phosphorus, P 0.37
Total Iron, Fe < 0.01
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

A chemist friend of mine said the Sulfide is actually 343.

 

[mabrungard]

Not very good for brewing. The sodium is at least double the concentration I would tolerate and the sulfate is really high at 342 ppm.

A significant dilution with distilled or RO water is highly recommended.

 

[flatrockbrewing]

Not very good for brewing. The sodium is at least double the concentration I would tolerate and the sulfate is really high at 342 ppm.

A significant dilution with distilled or RO water is highly recommended.

Thanks for the info..Could a inline charcoal filter lower these amounts or should we look into a more aggressive RO filter system?

 

[mabrungard]

Carbon filters remove some heavy metals, halogens, and organics. They leave in the major ions that brewers are concerned with. You would have to use RO to strip the mineral ions from the water.

 

[RobP]

The ward report list the sulfate at 114. Where does the 342 number come from?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The ward report list the sulfate at 114. Where does the 342 number come from?

Ward is only reporting the 'S' (Sulphur) component of SO4. Their shorthand for this is SO4-S. 99% of Ward Labs customers are farmers, and farmers only care about 'S'.

Molecular Weight S = 32.065 g/mol
Molecular Weight SO4 = 96.0626 g/mol

96.0626/32.065 x 114 = 341.53 (rounds to 342)

 

[RobP]

Thank you. I learn something everyday here. My ward lab report has my SO4-S at 10 and sodium at 41. But my water is 8.5 ph. How much lactic acid would I need to add /gal to bring my Sparge water ph down?

 

[RobP]

My apologies. I didn't mean to step on the OP's original question

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Thank you. I learn something everyday here. My ward lab report has my SO4-S at 10 and sodium at 41. But my water is 8.5 ph. How much lactic acid would I need to add /gal to bring my Sparge water ph down?

The answer does not depend much upon your waters pH, but rather it depends upon your waters ppm (mg/L) Alkalinity (as CaCO3).

For the most part the pH of the water doesn't even have to enter into the equation. It hardly moves the acidity calculation.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Thank you. I learn something everyday here. My ward lab report has my SO4-S at 10 and sodium at 41. But my water is 8.5 ph. How much lactic acid would I need to add /gal to bring my Sparge water ph down?

I'll work out an example for you that assumes 120 ppm Alkalinity (as CaCO3).

Molecular Weight of CaCO3 = 100.0869 g./mol
CA++ has a charge of +2, so therefore the Equivalent Weight of CaCO3 = 100.0869/2 = 50.0435 g./Eq
50.04345 g./Eq = 50.04345 mg/mEq
120 ppm Alkalinity ~= 120 mg/L Alkalinity
1 Gallon = 3.7854 L (where L = Liters)
120 mg/L Alkalinity x 3.7854 L/Gal. = 454.248 mg. of Alkalinity (as CaCO3) per Gallon of water
454.248 mg. ÷ 50.04345mg./mEq = 9.0771 mEq's of Alkalinity (as CaCO3) per Gallon of water

If you want Alkalinity to be Zero you must acidify your water to pH 4.3
But if you want your water to be pH 5.4 (such as you do) then you must add only ~90% of the acid required for pH 4.3 [Note:Technically 89% is generally closer to the truth, but 90% is generally easier to remember]

How much acid is required whereby to hit pH 4.3?
9.0771 mEq's of Alkalinity per Gallon + 9.0771 mEq's of added acid = 1 Gallon of water at pH 4.3

90% of 9.0771 mEq's of acid = 8.169 mEq's of acid to add whereby to move 1 gallon of 120 ppm Alkalinity water to ~ pH 5.40

Now all you need to do is chose your acid, determine how much of it delivers 8.169 mEq's, and add away.

To assist, at specifically a targeted pH 5.40:
----------------------------------------------------------
88% Lactic Acid delivers 11.451 mEq/mL
80% Lactic Acid delivers 10.246 mEq/mL
10% Phosphoric Acid delivers 1.0903 mEq/mL
30% Phosphoric Acid delivers 3.667 mEq/mL
75% Phosphoric Acid delivers 12.262 mEq/mL
85% Phosphoric Acid delivers 14.856 mEq/mL
AMS (CRS) delivers 3.655 mEq/mL
Anhydrous Citric Acid Crystals deliver 12.635 mEq/gram