depending on how much water you need something like this may work; https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/10050028 ... 0991%21sea

I'm using one (version with PID) for about 6 months now, adding some KHCO3 and MgSo4 and done.

This is so sad.

Preparing water slowly gets more complicated than making coffee with it.
Espresso is now being demoted to just a minor seasoning...

Not if you make nice ristretto's

old_bear wrote:This is so sad.

Preparing water slowly gets more complicated than making coffee with it.

Since you have a reservoir machine, and since you have taste preferences that may be related to too much or too little GH or KH, I think you should explore making recipe water with purified water and mineral salts. You will need a convenient source for purified, and that might be a countertop distiller or RO, or bottled purified water, or de-ionized from a refill station - whatever is available or convenient. For purified water I use de-ionized water from my grocery backed up by a ZeroWater pitcher for when I suddenly run out -- that is inexpensive, low waste, and convenient for my situation.

Then you can experiment a little to find a level of hardness and alkalinity that is safe for the machine and that also tastes good. The approach in the latest Barista Hustle recipes is pretty easy -- you make two concentrate bottles, one for bicarbonate alkalinity and another for magnesium hardness and can taste test different amounts of each:

For use in the espresso machine you want to keep the alkalinity (BH calls it Buffer) at 40 mg/L and higher, and probably want to steer clear of the extremely hard recipes. For Pourover you can try any of them, but keep in mind that espresso taste is much more tolerant of high alkalinity than is pourover. Once you decide on a recipe you like, making this water routinely at home should be very easy. If you're like many people, you may even find that you don't need any magnesium in the water. Many folks on this site prefer 'rpavlis' water, which is simply 1 millimolar bicarbonate -- for, say, a 15 liter container you would add 1.5 grams of potassium bicarbonate or 1.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

Yeah, I read and heard a lot about that. And I think it is extremely important to research all of them recipes, to find what's needed. I think it is a fantastic job done for the industry.
But that is just too inconvenient, just no way for daily use. In the end, it must come from a pipe. But opening a valve.
Perhaps, some experiments would be good - I just took SCAE numbers as a reference for now.

And then again, I have just realised that something is going totally wrong. With GH/KH as 7/6, I should have much higher electric conductivity than I measure (22ish mS/m). I should be getting around 195 ppm, hence 30 mS/m, and that if no other ions are present.
Will have to reconfirm all values.

in my experience making the recipe is stupidly simple and it avoids all scale, add MgSo4 to taste or not for espresso... descaling is more work!

I have to revive the thread due to the updated results.
I finally know where my TDS comes from.
Here:

• GH: 4.8 dH / 85 ppm

• Alkalinity (4.5): 10.1 dH / 187 ppm - and it seems that it will be floating with season (to be observed)

• pH: 8.0

• Cl-: 2 mg/l

• SO4: 24 mg/l

• Ca: 33 mg/l

• Mg: 1 mg/l

Now, this is interesting: sulphate. AFAIK, epsom salt goes into popular recipes.
BWT with setting "3" will effectively turn some of the Ca into MgSO4, remove some of it - and leave me with water around GH/KH as 50/80.
I wonder if chaining softener and remineraliser is a stupid idea.

Your water does look like a good candidate for a decarbonizing filter like the BWT bestmax. Your hardness is only moderately high and you have lots of alkalinity, so lowering both (which a decarbonizer does) is a good idea. Also, your chloride ion is very low, so you don't need to worry about chloride corrosion issues.

old_bear wrote:Now, this is interesting: sulphate. AFAIK, epsom salt goes into popular recipes.

Yes it does, and people seem to be OK with that. Your sulfate level is lower than most of the Epsom salt recipes, not that it really matters much. The dominant anion in your water is clearly bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻) - that's what gives you your somewhat high alkalinity.

old_bear wrote:BWT with setting "3" will effectively turn some of the Ca into MgSO4

A BWT Bestmax Premium will swap out some of your Ca²⁺ ions for Mg²⁺ ions, it won't do anything to change the sulfate (SO₄²⁻ ) ions. Both the Bestmax and the Bestmax Premium will also will swap some of the Ca²⁺ ions for a pair of H⁺ ions, and those ions are buffered by bicarbonate - - that's why you expect a reduction in alkalinity along with hardness.

old_bear wrote:I wonder if chaining softener and remineraliser is a stupid idea.

They would sort of work against each other - - the remineralizer would be adding back hardness minerals and carbonates that the decarbonizing softener is removing.

homeburrero wrote:Your water does look like a good candidate for a decarbonizing filter like the BWT bestmax. Your hardness is only moderately high and you have lots of alkalinity, so lowering both (which a decarbonizer does) is a good idea. Also, your chloride ion is very low, so you don't need to worry about chloride corrosion issues.

Appears so. I am just under influence of the diagrams which promote the opposite GH to KH relation.

homeburrero wrote:Yes it does, and people seem to be OK with that. Your sulfate level is lower than most of the Epsom salt recipes, not that it really matters much. The dominant anion in your water is clearly bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻) - that's what gives you your somewhat high alkalinity.

Alkalinity gets so much fuzz. I have seen filters dedicated to increase it. Because "science says" that it makes water better.
Perhaps I should sell my water to local hipsters?..

homeburrero wrote:A BWT Bestmax Premium will swap out some of your Ca²⁺ ions for Mg²⁺ ions, it won't do anything to change the sulfate (SO₄²⁻ ) ions. Both the Bestmax and the Bestmax Premium will also will swap some of the Ca²⁺ ions for a pair of H⁺ ions, and those ions are buffered by bicarbonate - - that's why you expect a reduction in alkalinity along with hardness.

Sure. What I meant is that I have SO₄²⁻ already, and by introducing Mg²⁺, I am effectively getting the same as adding some MgSO₄.

homeburrero wrote:They would sort of work against each other - - the remineralizer would be adding back hardness minerals and carbonates that the decarbonizing softener is removing.

Yes. But if I understand correctly, decarboniser reduces both KH and GH, whilst remineraliser only adds cations. I am thinking around GH/KH ratio.
However, it just sounds too fishy.

I started reading about Kinetico K5 with their remineraliser and creative tank solution in some of the other threads, and on paper, I like it. I might consider it in future if something will not be enough.

I am leaning towards BWT Bestmax premium. This option is lightweight enough, and allows a second independent installation for the coffee corner direct plumbing (another floor).
Also, BWT Bestmax Premium is almost available in the country (not in the most convenient way - i.e. I can't just order it in a web store still), which reduces the headache with cross border supplies a bit.
I'd just like to put some safety filter in front, just in case of any contamination. BWT filters all seem to be intended for already purified water.

old_bear wrote:But if I understand correctly, decarboniser reduces both KH and GH, whilst remineraliser only adds cations. I am thinking around GH/KH ratio.

For every cation added there must be an equivalent amount of anion added. For typical cartridge remineralizers (calcite, crushed marble, Corosex, calcined dolomite, etc) the anion will be bicarbonate ion and you expect a roughly equal increase in hardness and alkalinity. Even Corosex, which is MgO, ends up as magnesium bicarbonate once it dissolves in water.


MgO + H₂O → Mg(OH)₂
Mg(OH)₂ + 2H₂CO₃ → Mg(HCO₃)₂ + 2H₂O
Carbonic acid is neutralized, raising the pH, and alkalinity and magnesium hardness increase by an equivalent amount.