Brew with real spring water

I recently learned of a natural spring near my home. People fill water jugs down there all the time. I've had some of the water myself, and it tastes great.

I'm considering using it to brew. I don't have the equipment to test the water, but I know that the city tests it periodically to ensure that it's completely potable.

Has anyone ever tried this before? Is there anything I should know?

If the city tests it then they should have a record on file of the results available for public review. You'll want to get a copy of that. Since it's known to be potable then it should be okay to brew with but knowing the mineral content of the water will give you an idea of the styles the water is best suited for.

eddie said:

If the city tests it then they should have a record on file of the results available for public review. You'll want to get a copy of that. Since it's known to be potable then it should be okay to brew with but knowing the mineral content of the water will give you an idea of the styles the water is best suited for.

Click to expand...

That's a really good idea. I hadn't even thought about requesting the test results from the city. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'll let you know how the beer turns out!

Generally, if it's good to drink, it's good to brew with. Now, if you are going to do a style of beer that is specific to a certain water type, then you might need to find or "make" that water if you can, in order to do the style correctly. But, mostly you can use any good-tasting water.

There's a local brewery around me that uses their own natural aquifer for their water source. The water makeup is like that of Burton-on-Trent in England, and as such they stick to english and scottish styles for their beer types. They just tried to make a 'weizen' for summer with the same water, and it didn't taste right at all. When you use all natural water, its going to pretty much determine what kind of beer you make with it.

mike