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23-03-2011, 07:10
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What a treateroonie today. More water analyses. I can hear the cheering from here.

I know we've done this one before. Well, several times. But there's something about a good water analysis chart that you can't beat. A bit like an egg. No, not like an egg. You can't beat that. What can't you beat? Your kids. A water analysis table is like the kids. You can't beat it.

This analysis is of a much later date than the preceding ones. I can't pin it down to a precise year, but the first edition of the book appeared in 1947. 1930's or 1940's would be my guess. Any way, here's the table with a little explanatory quote. I'd try to explain it myself but this chemistry stuff goes right over my head. If only I'd taken chemistry instead of history for A Level.





Table J.— Typical Water Analyses




Results in grains per gallon




Deep Well Waters






Burton






highest
lowest
Old London well water
London Metropolitan Water Board supply.
Total solids (dried)


160


86


32.4


22.4
Sodium—Na


3.6


2.1


6.9


1.7
Calcium—Ca


36


19


3.5


6.3
Magnesium—Mg


5.7


4.3


1.3


0.3
Nitrate—NO3


3


2.2





0.2
Chloride—Cl


4.7


2.5


4.2


1.3
Sulphate—S04


91


46


5.4


4.1
Carbonate—CO3


98


9.8


10.9


8.6










Calcium carbonate1


16.5


16.5


9.1


14.4
Calcium sulphate .


99


41





1.9
Magnesium chloride


2.1


0.7






Magnesium sulphate


26


21





1.3
Magnesium carbonate1








4.7



Sodium chloride .


5.3


3.3


6.9


2
Sodium nitrate


4.2


2.9





0.3
Sodium carbonate








3.7



Sodium sulphate .








8


2.5
Permanent hardness (as CaCO3)


97


49





2.6
Temporary hardness „ „


16.5


16.5


14.6


14.4
Total alkalinity


16.5


16.5


18.1


14.4
Suitable for


Pale Ales.
Sweet, full stout not much used now).
Mild ales and stouts; with added gypsum for pale ales.
1 Actually present as bicarbonates.


The upper part of the table gives the quantities of the various ions as found by analysis. As all salts when in solution in water are dissociated into their ions, the salts as such are not present actually in solution. Furthermore, a little thought will show that it does not matter in what salt combinations these ions were originally added to the water. For example, considering the ions calcium, sodium, sulphate and chloride; these could be derived from appropriate amounts of calcium sulphate and sodium chloride on the one hand, or calcium chloride and sodium sulphate on the other, or from mixtures of all four salts in the requisite amounts. From the strictly theoretical standpoint it is therefore incorrect to express combinations of these ions as being present as salts as shown in the lower part of the table. However it is sometimes easier to visualize the type of water and to consider the appropriate treatment if the ions are presented as salt combinations, providing these have been made in a manner which shows up the characteristics of the water.
"Brewing Theory and Practice" by E.J. Jeffery, 1956, pages 101 - 102.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8PHqQW9RmeI/TYcTKkBM9II/AAAAAAAAH0g/2If5PH-WhKY/s320/Warwicks_Old_Bill_1950.jpg (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8PHqQW9RmeI/TYcTKkBM9II/AAAAAAAAH0g/2If5PH-WhKY/s1600/Warwicks_Old_Bill_1950.jpg)
Time for a little commentary of my own. The calcium sulphate, or gypsum, content of deep Burton well water in this later analysis is higher than all the 19th century ones. Quite significantly so at 99 grains - the next closest, the deep Worthington well is only 71 grains. The water used by Bass and Allsopp contained considerably less: 19 and 54 grains respectively. This is significant as calcium sulphate is generally reckoned to be the key to desirably qualities of Burton water.

The Worthington and Allsopp wells had double the Sodium chloride (table salt) content, around 10 grains, of the 20th century analysis.The calcium carbonate levels are generally. Sodium sulphate, present in the Worthington wells, is completely absent in the table above from both the deep and shallow wells.

This demonstrates that there were considerable differences in water from different wells in the Burton area. There wasn't a single Burton water, but several variations of it, each with their own individual chemical signature.

Moving on to the London water, do you wonder why the Water Board supply has now appeared? Pollution id the simple answer. London brewers had to abandon their wells because of contamination and swapped to the town supply. Though, New River water in the older charts is also a type of municipal water supply. The Metropolitan Water Board and New River waters look quite similar, quite soft but containing a small amount of calcium sulphate and rather more calcium carbonate. Plus an odd little dash of salt.

Fascinating, eh? And I've not finished yet. In the next part we'll look at recommended water profiles for different types of beer.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5445569787371915337-7734686528090622478?l=barclayperkins.blogspot.com


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