The quality of water used has a huge effect on the quality of the beer produced.

Several different parameters are key when brewing, all of which have different effects on the final product.

For example Sulphate brings out the bitterness in hops, Chloride  can enhance the flavour in low concentrations, but can give a medical taste in high amounts, and Calcium lowers the pH which contributes to greater protein precipitation in the boil.

Accurately testing your water source can ensure you make the right adjustments before beginning a brew.

We recommend two kits which allow you to quickly and easily test water for all of the relevant parameters, ensuring your beer is right every time.

The Craft Brewing Water Test Kit by Hach

This kit includes everything needed to test 7 different parameters – free and total chlorine, calcium and hardness, pH, alkalinity, sulphate, chloride and specific gravity.

The kit includes different tests for each parameter, so a few different methods are required which vary in the time and input they need. For example testing pH with the digital meter included is very quick and simple, while alkalinity measurement by the digital titrator requires a little more input by the brewer.

Everything needed to start testing is included in the box – all of the chemicals, vessels, manuals and test cells, as well as a book on the science behind water for brewers; “Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers” which allows you to find out more about the science of how the water will affect your brew.

The only thing we can spot which this kit could include is some buffers to calibrate the pH meter.

Overall; the kit includes varied test methods so may take a little longer to master, but does offer an extensive solution to test everything required.

Including a book with more background information is a nice extra, letting you dig deeper into what affect the water can have on your product.

A great option for those wanting a more in depth analysis.

Smart Brew Starter Kit by ITS

Using the innovative iDip ITS have produced an all in one kit specifically to test parameters important to brewers.

The iDip unit works with an app on a smart phone or tablet to give results on 6 different parameters – pH, total hardness, chloride, calcium hardness, total alkalinity and sulphate.

The app is free to download, but only comes with 4 parameters pre-installed (pH, free chlorine, total chlorine and total alkalinity). The other parameters can be opened in the app at a cost of $4.99 each. You also need to have a compatible smart device, though the app has broad compatibility with iOS and Android systems.

One of the advantages of this kit is that the testing methods are the same for all tests and are very simple, so there is no need to learn multiple testing methods.

Another plus is that the system is very tidy – the reagents are all on test strips, so no risk of spilling powders or liquids, and the system doesn’t have any loose parts. This means you could even use it in the process area.

Overall; this kit does offer quick and simple testing for all the parameters, so there is less to learn initially, but be aware that some of the parameters in the app need to be opened by paying extra.

The testing methods are very simple to use and very “tidy” with reagents on strips, so this is a good option for those new to testing.

For more information just follow the links above or contact us