ruppe

Recipes 

I have always been an extract brewer, and always topped my primary with tap water (~2 gal), with no detrimental effects. My water is chlorinated, but I don't taste it. I read all the time that you need to boil any water added to the brew process. Is this needed? I have never read of anyone who has had a detrimental effect due to their water. Is everyone boiling their water? Do we need to? I'm just curious.

tuckferrorists

Recipes 

There are people that feel either way. Many have dodged a bullet without boiling. My first kit, I boiled my top off water. All my others, I haven't. You have to weigh the odds my friend.

__________________
Sell your home on brHomes.com and save THOUSANDS!

PeteOz77

Recipes 

28 batches. Bagged ice to bring the temps down. tap water every time. All successful batches.

__________________
This Isn't Nam Smokey, There Are Rules.

homebrewer_99

Recipes 

PUR filtered tap water is all I use...

__________________
HB Bill

shafferpilot

Recipes 

I have to use a charcoal filter on my tap water. Without the filter I get a bandaid/medicine flavor. It was barely noticeable in my darker brews. But in the lighter ones it was quite strong.

__________________
A great man knows that he knows NOTHING

vfinch

Recipes 

A PUR or Brita filter setup isn't that expensive, and takes a potential variable out of your brewing. However, I did get a big reminder yesterday how slow the pitcher style Brita filters are (I think it was like a quart every 5mins!). Next time I'm going to pre-filter all my water before my brewing!

__________________
In Primary: English Brown Sept 2011
In Secondary: Summer Smash 2011
Keg: Noble Cascadia Amber Ale
Next Up: Something...

tomtom

Recipes 

Yep, I used a Brita also this weekend, thought I'd never get my batch topped-off to 5 gallons. With my first two batches I used Zephyrhills spring water though.

__________________
Primary:TT's Thrill Hill Pale Ale
Bottled: TT'sTHPA

Hoosierbrewer

Recipes 

I buy RO water for $.25 a gallon. I recently started using my tap water some too. I used it 100% on 2 beers and they were ok. I brewed a lighter beer last night and did 50/50 since it was an all-grain. If you water is drinkable, I would say use it. I would caution though if you brew a light beer, then you cuold get more off-tastes. Most old breweries of Europe adapted the beer to their water over time.

Primary: German Ale/Kolsch
Secondary: American Wheat
Next up: IPA

springer

Recipes 

clorine can be removed by either boiling-filtering or just letting it sit. When the kids had fish would to have to let water sit out for a day or two when topping off the tank. But you run the risk of wild yeast and bacteria that way.

__________________
'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.'- Ronald Reagan

malkore

Recipes 

but boiling doesn't touch chloramine...which is what many water supplies use...because it doesn't just evaporate like chlorine.

campden tabs can neutralize chloramine...but I don't have enough in my tap water to matter. all my beer is from tap water and never has had the 'bandaid' aroma or flavor in it.

__________________
Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10