MX1

Recipes 

I am stuck using RO bottled water. Will this help out? I use Culligan water and can find no data on it at all.

Any other advice to help get my water to where it needs to be?

I got a low 60ish Eff on the last brew I did, I really want to try and get this up.

Thanks

Tim

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Brew-boy

Recipes 

I was in you same spot, give up the 5.2. and Down load John Palmers spread sheet and learn how to get your Residual Alkalinity in order for the color of the beer your are trying to do. There is no use for 5.2 with RO water. Add your minerals back to the mash and BK and you will make great beer and do not listen to people who say do not use RO water, or at least my first place ribbons and medals tell me I can brew award winning beers with RO.

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MX1

Recipes 

Do I just assume that my starting point 0, and build my water from there?

I will look at palmer right after I type this
Thanks

tim

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SC_Ryan

Recipes 

I wouldn't mess with a water without a report

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BrianP

Recipes 

RO is pretty much pure water. I tried brewing with straight RO (plus 5.2) and my efficiency sucked. +1 on adding calcium carbonate, epsom salts, calcium chloride, etc. to match a 'target' water style.

Or, you can buy bottles of spring water. It's more expensive but easier to do.

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ericd

Recipes 

What's "RO" water?

enderwig

Recipes 

reverse osmosis
Reverse Osmosis

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Brew-boy

Recipes 

RO water have pretty much nothing in it, most of use it as with no trace minerals.

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Next:American Brown Ale.
Primary:
On Tap: Dusseldorf Alt, Cream Ale, Belgian Pale Ale.
Aging: Imperial Oatmeal Stout on Vanilla beans.

I rather owe you a dollar than cheat you out of it.."Dad"

http://lapeerareabrewers.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LapeerAreaBrewers/

david_42

Recipes 

Starting with RO water, you can build almost any water profile you wish. It can be as simple as adding a teaspoonful of Burton salts or as complex as buying individual chemicals and weighting out by the milligram.

pH5.2 isn't a substitute for the right minerals, although just using it will help.

My local water is very close to distilled and I use pH5.2 for both mash & sparge.

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malkore

Recipes 

RO water SHOULD be pretty much pure, but if the RO filter is spent, or the ground water is really hard, it may not be fully 'stripped' like RO DI water is normally.

you could take an 8oz sample to a fish store/aquarium store, and ask them to test your pH, General Hardness, and Carbonate Hardness...but call in advance first. those are all normal test kits for home aquariums and many stores will test your water for you.

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