BeerBorg

Got a $100 gift card I didn't expect for some sales thing at work and figured I'd put it to good use so I took a part of it and ordered the Ward Lab's water test kit. Very simple. Go online, pay, they mail you a box, you fill the jar with water and mail it back. The cost is $39 and they include the return label and promise to email the results by 5pm one working day from when they receive the water.
Now that my water board no longer tests water at home without that home having a problem, I felt like I really wanted to know. I'll post back the results but thought for anyone wanting to do the same, I'd share the simpleness of it all.

I noticed that they want you to put a peice of tape over the lid to secure it. Make sure you give it the black bullet proof treatment.

I've been thinking about putting a water softener in, but I'll do this before I do. Then I'll decide if I need to install the softener before or after the faucet in the basement.

I was seriously hoping someone would see that and it's the reason I posted the picture.....clok, tik, nok, tik!

For the love of God man, don't use THAT tape. They'll never get the bottle open. Tic, cok, nik, nik.

Inkleg wrote:For the love of God man, don't use THAT tape. They'll never get the bottle open. Tic, cok, nik, nik.

Just on their website looking at the test kits, read that, popped back in here to find relative compounds to brewing, then read this! Now he has another reason, THE LAB SAID SO!
Going to try stepping up my process and was going to have the tap water tested since they only give us a report on the harmful stuff here.

This went out in the mail today. I wonder if they test for chlorine because I'm thinking by the time they get it, the chlorine likely would have been reduced.
I hope to get the results later this week.

Beer-lord wrote:This went out in the mail today. I wonder if they test for chlorine because I'm thinking by the time they get it, the chlorine likely would have been reduced.
I hope to get the results later this week.

They test for Chloride not Chlorine, FWIW was told either Campden tabs or let it sit overnight and the Chlorine will dissipate.

I do both but I've been told I'm 'down the line' and the amount of chlorine (not chloride) in my water is minimal by the time it comes thru my faucet.

or just a short boil

Well, a week later and nothing. So I email them and they tell me they've not gotten it yet but to give the mail another week and if not, I can send in another sample using my own bottle of water and shipping. It's not there fault but it seems to save money, they don't use USPS tracking so there's that. I assume it goes the cheap 'media mail' route which can take 2 weeks. Oddly, many say they get answers in 3 days.
Stay tuned.

Maybe your tape came loose and it leaked all over the place so the post office just threw it away......Nah, not possible!!!

Bottles aren't going Media Mail, that would be illegal. Of course shipping bottles of liquid period...

If they supply a label, tracking would be included by USPS free most likely. When you get a kit, you can lookup the label on the USPS site before you package things up.

BlackDuck wrote:Maybe your tape came loose and it leaked all over the place so the post office just threw it away......Nah, not possible!!!

Sadly, I used box tape and not my favorite, thick and sticky black tape which I'm saving for the next beer I send you.

Bottles aren't going Media Mail, that would be illegal. Of course shipping bottles of liquid period...

If they supply a label, tracking would be included by USPS free most likely. When you get a kit, you can lookup the label on the USPS site before you package things up.

Ward Labs sent me 2 emails this morning telling me their labels are not traceable....don't know why. But, if opened, the bottles are clearly marked that they are water.....not that it couldn't be vodka.

So, it turns out they had my water all along but the paper where my email address was was torn. A few emails to them and they got me my results.
I'm surprised that my PH was as high as it was since my local board showed it a bit lower and I assume the time of the year makes some big differences too.

For anyone interested, here's what they tell me about my water so feel free to tell me what you think. I will use these numbers in my next few batches and make adjustments to see how things work out. And, I would not hesitate to recommend this company as each and every email I sent was replied to promptly though they did have a problem letting me know due to teh torn email page.


pH 7.4
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est, ppm 215
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.36
Cations / Anions, me/L 3.3 / 3.2

ppm

Sodium, Na 20
Potassium, K 2
Calcium, Ca 29
Magnesium, Mg 11
Total Hardness, CaCO3 118
Nitrate, NO3-N 0.9 (SAFE) Sulfate, SO4-S 13
Chloride, Cl 27
Carbonate, CO3 < 1.0
Bicarbonate, HCO3 94
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 78
Total Phosphorus, P 0.09
Total Iron, Fe < 0.01
"<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

I noticed Ward offers quite a few different tests.....did you choose the Homebrewers Test Kit? I assume you did. But you know what they say about assuming things!!