Any quick takes on this…?
I’ve heard that Minneapolis water is pretty good for the homebrewing scene. Those numbers are pretty concurrent to what I’ve seen
It looks pretty good to me. Fairly soft, good for lighter beers, add minerals for darker/hoppy beers.
Can you elaborate on what minerals I’d want to add?
Gypsum for hoppy beers right?
Here is a direct quote I used earlier today that provides you with exactly what resources you need to handle the water game correctly. In the past water composition and PH control was a dark art of sorts for the home brewer( whereas commonplace topic/ data points for pros.) and steeped in much mystery that usually took many nights of research to understand unless you are a water scientist or already understand the complex relationships taking place as a science scholar. (Which I am not) So take a stroll through Martin’s website especially the water knowledge database and then take aim at his free brewing water/mash PH excel suite and much will explain itself as Martin is a water scientist but the data and suite provided are relatively easy for the everyday brewer to understand.
“If you haven’t already you can buy a PH meter if you wish, but I have had accurate results using Brunwater for water and PH calcs and I strongly recommend anyone venturing into that aspect of the craft to “blindly” use Martin’s advice and calculator first and then use PH meters/ strips later if you wish super close accuracy. IE: With the program I am usually within 0.1-0.2 PH units which is typically all you really need without the expense and maintenance of meters. Its goes hand in hand with my digi refractometer in my brewing now and it makes guess work a thing of the past.”
https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/By the name of the file that is a pretty old report, but it probably is in the ball park.
I have heard minneapolis water can flucuate a little by how much I have no idea, not sure on the time frames of the flucuations either. Or how much the mineral s change.
Send a bottle to ward labs a few times over the course of a year and you should get an idea of fluctuations
I just peeked at the actual report you found and it looks like normal for communities located right around the river/ downtown minne but the further out you are the hardness can change dramatically. I live in the heart of St Paul so I have stellar water but many buddies are in minne and have given woeful stories of hard,hard water. So take a look at this thread over at AHA that shows what I am speaking to regarding Mpls.
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/f ... 3#msg28123Specifically look to page four/ post reply #51 by “Pawtucket Patriot” He also posts further downline of some other mpls communities he lived in. These reports he provided should be a good snapshot to give you a better idea of your local communities water makeup. If you chose it may be wise to get a wards lab test of your exact composition if your on the outskirts of Mpls like anything well north, south or west of downtown.
http://www.wardlab.com/“Click on “Fee Schedule” on the left and look at the pdf fee schedule document. You’re looking for test W-6 on page 8. $16.95.”
most water in MN is pretty hard with a few exceptions like minneapolis, st paul and a couple suburbs…toehr than that it is pretty hard almost every where you go
Yep. I’m stuck with the hard suburb water. Only think Bloomington is an exception and that is because they use the same water supply as Minneapolis, the river. Not sure why St Paul is different.
Yep. I’m stuck with the hard suburb water. Only think Bloomington is an exception and that is because they use the same water supply as Minneapolis, the river. Not sure why St Paul is different.[/quote] It’s Minneapolis’ treatment plant. Apparently its top of the line. St Paul, being o the other side of the river would have their own plant. I believe Richfield, Columbia heights and Blooming ton get their water from MPLS.
Those ranges are pretty large; the RA could be anywhere from -16 to 64 ppm CaCO3 (assuming that the alkalinity is given as ppm CaCO3). The flavor ions all have variations of almost a factor of 2 as well. I don’t know if that means you have large seasonal or regional variations, but either way I think you’ll want to get your own test(s) done.
Regarding the seasonal fluxuation I have seen pretty constant in the St Paul supply no more than 10ppm changes in CA and the other minerals dont move by much month to month. Our supply is largely feed by deep water well and the chain of lakes is what feeds the rest, so it is not directly from the river as its pumped to Centerville and drawn off in Vadnais lakes. I am not sure if minne draws from the river and then probably the same wells as St Paul. I have only heard this in the past from freinds living anywhere from linden to NE but I think Minne has higher rates of biological material swings where the water smells terrible during those months/ times. I would have to do my research to know or live there to see it myself though. So maybe other members from minne have better info on the topic of seasonal swings or high bio times?
Any water in and around downtown minne is typically going to be around 20-40 bicarb, even out towards linden hills is typically all about the same in makeup. Once you go west, south or north about 6-15 miles then your most likely 150-200+ Bicarb.
A1, The linden and NE Mpls reports cover the swath of main Mpls supply, But in the 2 factor of flavor ions the AHA reports are listing SO4-S values if that’s what you were seeing times 3 the flavor ions actually look pretty well balanced as shown above also. When I look at these reports I can say you have a decent supply coming from Mpls if right in the main watershed.
