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.

London: ion concentrations
IonConcentration (ppm)
Calcium (Ca²⁺)70
Magnesium (Mg²⁺)6
Sodium (Na⁺)15
Sulfate (SO₄²⁻)40
Chloride (Cl⁻)38
Bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻)166
Alkalinity 136 ppm CaCO₃ Residual alkalinity 82 ppm Hardness 199 ppm SO₄:Cl 1.1 (Balanced)

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.

More water profiles

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).