London brewing water profile
London brews from moderately alkaline, moderately mineralized water drawn historically from the Thames basin. It sits between the extremes — softer than Dublin, far less sulfate than Burton — and supported the capital’s dark, malty traditions: porter in the 18th century, then the milds and bitters that followed.
| Ion | Concentration (ppm) |
|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca²⁺) | 70 |
| Magnesium (Mg²⁺) | 6 |
| Sodium (Na⁺) | 15 |
| Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) | 40 |
| Chloride (Cl⁻) | 38 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) | 166 |
Brewing with this profile
A versatile profile for brown and amber English styles. The alkalinity suits grists with some crystal and roast; the balanced sulfate-to-chloride ratio keeps bitterness present without dominating.
Suits: London porter · Mild · Bitter
Brew with this profile →The calculator loads this target, compares it against your source water ion by ion, and computes the mineral and acid additions to close the gap — with a live mash pH prediction.
Historical city profiles are factual water chemistry compiled from published references (Palmer & Kaminski, Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers, 2013, and the historical brewing literature). Style-based profiles are brewwtr originals derived from published style guidance. Derived values use Kolbach's residual alkalinity (1953).