The table below table shows the full results of laboratory water analyses commissioned by BABBs in November 2022. Several areas of Brisbane are represented, but be aware that there is some variation in sources over time. These samples should definitely get you in the ballpark.
A reminder that Brisbane water is treated with both Chlorine and Chloramine. Chlorine will evaporate or boil of quite easily. Chloramine must be either neutralized with Campden or filtered by with a carbon filter.
If not dealt with chloramines will react with phenols in malt during the mash to produce chlorophenols. These are detectable as a plastic-like taste in just a few parts-per-billion in finished beer! Think band-aid plastic, medicinal, or listerine mouthwash flavour and aroma.
Too many numbers? Here are the numbers you need for your software if you’re brewing anywhere in the central and south Brisbane areas (averages):
- Calcium (Ca) 29
- Magnesium (Mg) 15
- Sodium (Na) 47
- Potassium (K) 3
- Iron (Fe) 0
- Bicarbonate (HC03) 83.5
- Carbonate (C03) 0
- Sulphate (S04) 51
- Chloride (Cl) 64.5
Many of our members use and recommend the Bru’N Water water chemistry calculator, and Brewfather also incorporates advanced water calculations.
| Sample Name | Yeronga | Shailer Park | Camp Hill | Stafford Mid | Salisbury | Thornlands | RO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units | (250L Hot water heater) | |||||||
| pH Value | pH Unit | 8.26 | 8.19 | 8 | 8.1 | 8.24 | 8.12 | 6.99 |
| Electrical Conductivity @ 25°C | µS/cm | 550 | 533 | 548 | 360 | 535 | 288 | 42 |
| Total Hardness as CaCO3 | mg/L | 154 | 152 | 152 | 82 | 146 | 91 | <1 |
| Calcium Hardness as CaCO3 | mg/L | 80 | 82 | 82 | 45 | 80 | 62 | <1 |
| Magnesium Hardness as CaCO3 | mg/L | 74 | 70 | 70 | 37 | 66 | 29 | <1 |
| Residual Alkali | meq/L | -1.2 | -1.4 | -1.2 | -0.5 | -0.8 | -0.4 | 0.2 |
| Hydroxide Alkalinity as CaCO3 | mg/L | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 |
| Carbonate Alkalinity as CaCO3 | mg/L | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 |
| Bicarbonate Alkalinity as CaCO3 | mg/L | 94 | 82 | 92 | 57 | 103 | 69 | 9 |
| Total Alkalinity as CaCO3 | mg/L | 94 | 82 | 92 | 57 | 103 | 69 | 9 |
| Sulfate as SO4 - Turbidimetric | mg/L | 55 | 52 | 53 | 46 | 53 | 22 | <1 |
| Chloride | mg/L | 77 | 72 | 76 | 39 | 71 | 33 | 7 |
| Calcium | mg/L | 32 | 33 | 33 | 18 | 32 | 25 | <1 |
| Magnesium | mg/L | 18 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 7 | <1 |
| Sodium | mg/L | 51 | 53 | 51 | 35 | 50 | 27 | 7 |
| Potassium | mg/L | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | <1 |
| Aluminium | mg/L | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | <0.01 |
| Copper | mg/L | 0.074 | 0.037 | 0.051 | 0.115 | 0.042 | 0.02 | 0.011 |
| Manganese | mg/L | 0.002 | 0.002 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.002 | <0.001 |
| Zinc | mg/L | <0.005 | 0.01 | 0.018 | 0.011 | 0.006 | 0.008 | 0.009 |
| Iron | mg/L | <0.05 | <0.05 | <0.05 | <0.05 | <0.05 | <0.05 | <0.05 |
| Total Anions | meq/L | 5.2 | 4.75 | 5.08 | 3.2 | 5.16 | 2.77 | 0.38 |
| Total Cations | meq/L | 5.37 | 5.43 | 5.34 | 3.24 | 5.16 | 3.02 | 0.3 |
| Ionic Balance | % | 1.68 | 6.64 | 2.45 | 0.64 | <0.01 |
If brewing with extract and only adding a small amount of the total volume as boiling water (to dissolve the extract) and topping off with cold tap water, what would be the best way to remove the chlorine from the water? Is there an addition I can put into the boiling water?
Thanks
Hi Matt! You could use Campden tablets or a carbon filter on all your water. You need to crush the tablet, and a single one is enough for about 50L. In practice you could probably ignore the boiling portion of water (maybe 7L for a single batch) and use 15L of supermarket water for the rest. If you chill the top up water you will hit pitching temp immediately. Cheers!