using tap water or bottled water to brew

ethangray19 · 07-27-2007, 02:41 AM

I have brewed all my beers so far with bottled drinking water but want to get cheap and use tap water, What do you think??

Thanks

**davidr2340** · 07-27-2007, 02:44 AM

Tap water for me... Beer turns out great! Just let the faucet run for a bit first.
I do use bottle water if I need to top off though.

homebrewer_99 · 07-27-2007, 04:49 AM

I use tap water through a PUR filter.

**kb9vzh** · 07-27-2007, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

I use tap water through a PUR filter.

I have read a ton of books and online forums on brewing water. What I have learned is if you like the taste of your tap water, you can brew with it. I do however suggest the PUR filter or similar. You may want to use a PUR filter with the carbon filter. They make a three stage filter with the carbon added. This will remove most unwanted chemicals such as chlorine.

homebrewer_99 · 07-27-2007, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb9vzh

I have read a ton of books and online forums on brewing water. What I have learned is if you like the taste of your tap water, you can brew with it. I do however suggest the PUR filter or similar. You may want to use a PUR filter with the carbon filter. They make a three stage filter with the carbon added. This will remove most unwanted chemicals such as chlorine.

That's the one...

FlyGuy · 07-27-2007, 02:06 PM

I don't even bother to filter my water. It tastes good right out of the tap.

But I do use campden tablets to remove the chlorine. One half a tablet is all I need to treat all my brew water for a typical 5 gal batch of beer.

My water is a bit hard and alkaline, so the only time I use bottled water is when I need to reduce the mineral content of my tap water. I dilute half my brew water with de-ionized (RO) water, but only for really light beers.

**DeathBrewer** · 07-27-2007, 02:40 PM

mine tastes good right out teh tap, too

i usez it

**johnsma22** · 07-27-2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb9vzh

What I have learned is if you like the taste of your tap water, you can brew with it.

This is absolutely true if you're brewing extract beers. However, the same cannot be said when brewing all grain beers, where the waters' ion concentrations and grain choice will determine mash pH.

FlyGuy · 07-27-2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsma22

This is absolutely true if you're brewing extract beers. However, the same cannot be said when brewing all grain beers, where the waters' ion concentrations and grain choice will determine mash pH.

Yes, this is a very good point. You definitely need to pay attention to more than just taste when brewing AG. Water chemistry (namely mineral content) also becomes important. However, you can still brew with tap water, provided that you are aware of any adjustments that need to be made. Alternatively 5.2 stabilizer will allow one to make almost any brew (except only the lightest and darkest of beers) with most good tap water.

david_the_greek · 07-27-2007, 04:26 PM

I'm located in a small community right on the edge of Detroit (waters great from Detroit as it is, and no thats not sarcasm

), our city has its own system and sends out a water report every so often. Our water seems to be a pretty good make up according to some of the local brewers so I am going to starting to use tap water I think. Thus far I have used about 25gallons of spring water. Yesterday when I brewed my hefeweizen I used tap for the wort and chilled spring in the fermenter.