water treatment for homebrewing

I never worried to much on water treatment until I started brewing all grain.  The water when brewing all grain can make the difference between a good beer and a bad beer. It can effect your efficiency, color and taste, specially in darker beers.  Knowing how and what causes your water to be "hard" or too "soft" will greatly help you in all grain brewing.

 While brewing with malt extract or DME your water parameters are not as important. Using RO water (reverse osmoses ) will be fine. Using regular tap water will also be fine, it should have the ions needed to brew. Malt extract already contains the necessary minerals that were infused while it was brewed.  I would strongly suggest going with RO or any bottle water to dilute your tap water.  If your brewing water smells like chlorine, you can boil it to get rid of the chlorine. Your water may be treated with chloramines instead of chlorine, and boiling won't work. You can add a campden tablets to your brewing water.  Using a carbon filter will remove the chlorine taste from your water with out removing the minerals.


You will be to research your water parameters either on line or at your local city water department.  The important ion concentrations to find out are calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), sulfate(So4-s),  bicarbonate (HCO3), chloride (C1), and magnesium this effect the pH of the mash.
Sulfate, SO4-S <1 ppm (brewing range: 50-150 for normally bitter beers and 150-350 for very bitter beers, will accentuate hop bitterness, making it seem drier and crisper. Levels >400 ppm and the bitterness becomes harsh.)

Calcium, Ca brewing range: 50-150 ppm is important  in yeast, enzyme and protein reactions in the mash and boil. It promotes clarity, flavor and stability in finished beer and should be adjusted mainly for the enzyme activity in some mashes.

Chloride, Cl brewing range: 0-250 ppm It helps with flavor and fullness of beer. Chlorides are different than chlorine and levels >300 ppm from heavily chlorinated water, can give your beers a medicinal flavor.

Bicarbonate, HCO3 brewing range: 0-250 ppm: will determine brewing water chemistry

Sodium, Na brewing range:0-150 ppm. At 70-150 ppm, the sour/salty taste rounds out the flavors, accentuating malt sweetness. Above 200 ppm and the beer will taste salty.

 Magnesium, Mg brewing range: 10-30 ppm. It is very similar to calcium and is an important nutrient for yeast health. At >50 ppm will give a sour bitter taste to the beer and >125 ppm have a laxative effect.)

Depending on your water parameters you will have to adjust accordingly. There are several tools to assist you in determining if  you have soft or hard water. You can buy electric testers, test strips, and use software like Promash you assist you.

SOFT WATER has hardness of < 150 ppm. If the pH is <7, you have little bicarbonate alkalinity so you may need to treat with acid for mashing with pale malts. If the pH >7, up to 7.6 then the alkalinity is mostly from bicarbonates . You may need to treat mash water with acid to lower pH. Add calcium to match styles or correct deficiencies.

HARD WATER has hardness >150 ppm. If the pH is between 7.0-7.2 your hardness is permanent (or sulfate hardness).  If your pH is >7.2 with hardness between 150-250 ppm, it is just moderately hard. If your hardness is >250 ppm your water is hard to very hard and you should  boiling and/or adjust the mash pH with acids.

Temporary hardness or carbonated hardness usually means your water has very high alkalinity,  which can cause tannin extraction form the mash. This will cause your beer to have a very bitter and unpleasant taste. An easy fix is boiling your water. It will leave behind a white residue. I boil my water and leave it out over night. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!! ADJUSTING YOUR ALKALINE LEVEL WILL HELP YOU GET PROPER PH IN MASH.
Permanent Hardness  is water with high traces of sulfate any thing  above 500 ppm sulfates in water can cause strong bitterness. It should usually stay about 180-130ppm, Unless you want a hoppy beer then it can be up to  350ppm. You can manage adjusting the sulfates by diluting it with RO water.

The purpose of trying to get your water parameters corrected to to have a good mash with a correct efficiency % and have minimal tannins extracted. Proper water will also give you a good flavor and correct body of the beer. There are several products sold online or at LHB stores. One that I use is 5.2 buffer. It claims to help adjust your pH no matter how high or low it is. I don't think it does a great job but it helps. My first brew method was mixing approximately 50/50 RO water and boiled Tap water. Then add some 5.2 buffer to the mash. This seem to boost my efficiency and flavor as well as help with the body. I adjusted according to the beer.

Lastly the most important thing is getting a good routine down. This way you can keep proper track of your water adjustments and any residual side effects.