Sgt. Major

Recipes 

I just received my 20 minute boil stout kit from midwest. It has liquid and dried extract with aroma hops (nuggets). Any helpful tips/hints/concerns reguarding this kit will be appreciated. Also, what do you guys and gals think of using distilled water vs. "spring" water? I don't know the makeup of our tap here, so I figured I'd go with a bottled water. BTW, this will be my second batch to make and any advise will be appreciated greatly.

Sgt. Major

Orfy

Recipes 

Distilled water it tasteless. I'd go for spring.
But if your tap water tastes fine then I'd stick with that.
I've no experience of the kit.

If it was me I'd be temped to steep some grain for added complexity and taste.

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Reno Homebrewer

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+1 on Orfy's comments. The chemistry of your tap water is basically a non-issue when it comes to extract kits.

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hoss75

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Is your water hard or soft? If you go for bottled water I would harden it with some gypsum.
It might help it to boil it longer than 20 minutes.

squeekysheep

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ya from everything i have heard when extract brewing it only matters that the water tastes good. i have never had a bad spring water

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Sgt. Major

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Thanks, ya'll. I'll be going with 5 gallons of spring water tomorrow (Brew Day). I'm contemplating on the "boil longer than 20 minutes" pretty hard. I think I'll go for at least 30 before adding the aroma hops for the last 3. The water around here is great tasting, in my opinion (then again, I am a Civil War reenactor; and those of you out there who share the hobby know what I mean. Think canteen water after 2 days...yeah.). I live way out in the country where the water isn't tainted too badly. Not really hard nor soft, just right. Again, thanks guys.
Sgt. Major