I am getting ready to do my first american lagers and I had some questions about water quality. When brewing, I always use the city water. The quality is good and is neither hard nor soft. However, chlorine is added to the city water and is detectable on occasion, usually following a period of heavy rain.
The chlorine is not too much of a problem, I know boiling or allowing the water to air overnight will take care of it. But has anyone run into unexpected flavors when using water? I know I will run into the same problem using bottled water, so I am considering distilled water.
Should I use distilled? Does the chlorine need to be taken out before the mash? Should I even care? The water here is really pretty good, not like Salem, NH where the water tasted and smelled like sewage runoff.
I know the books talk about this, but they don't seem to point me in any direction, mostly just lay out a bunch of options.
Oh well, it probably doesn't really matter anyway since the person I am brewing for doesn't really like anything but Coors Light.
The chlorine is not too much of a problem, I know boiling or allowing the water to air overnight will take care of it. But has anyone run into unexpected flavors when using water? I know I will run into the same problem using bottled water, so I am considering distilled water.
Should I use distilled? Does the chlorine need to be taken out before the mash? Should I even care? The water here is really pretty good, not like Salem, NH where the water tasted and smelled like sewage runoff.
I know the books talk about this, but they don't seem to point me in any direction, mostly just lay out a bunch of options.
Oh well, it probably doesn't really matter anyway since the person I am brewing for doesn't really like anything but Coors Light.