Does anyone filter their brewing water?

There's nothing particularly wrong with the tap water where I live, but I definitely prefer the taste of it after it's gone through a Pur filter. On this basis I've run all the water for my brews (just pitched yeast on batch #7) through the filter. It's a little time consuming but I feel like it's helping to ensure I'm working with the best available ingredients. I guess I'd need to try an identical recipe with unfiltered water to really know if it's making a difference--meanwhile, does anyone else do anything like this?

I use a chacoal cartridge filter in line connected to my faucet. the water where I live is great, but there is lots of clorine in it.

I've been using PUR filtered tap water for brewing since 1994.

I also use an under counter (two stage) filter for my brew water.

I use half tap and half RO/DI water. I have a large saltwater tank so the RO/DI filter was installed years ago. Never had a water test done, but through trail and error this works great for me.

Sure, but something like this:

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16762/102362/Water_Filter_Kit_-_10_inch

will work just as well and be faster and easier for large volumes. A lot of people mount these on their brewstand (such that they have one).

Note, I posted the link to B3 because it shows everything you need if you are starting from something with garden hose threads on it. You can buy all that stuff locally (hardware store).

I just use a Pur faucet filter.

I run mine through a Brita pitcher. Takes FOREVER. But I just start doing the 10 gallons the night before and the morning of. Doing it right now actually hoping to be able to brew later in the afternoon.

I run two $20 10" housings in series. One has a 2 micron carbon filter the second has a .5micron carbon filter. Then like in the https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/water-filter-setup-29145/ I installed a hose connection and shut off valve. Now I fill buckets of water a day or two ahead of brewing and drop a little bit of campden in to be sure I'm rid of chloromines.

The best long term solution for simple carbon filtering is a whole-house housing with cheap replaceable 10" cartridges. It's to to be cheaper than the proprietary PUR replacements. Two pack of carbon filters at walmart is $10. Not to mention how much more surface area they have.

Will the carbon filters do anything other than remove the chloramines? I obtained a water report for my city and was trying to figure out if there was a way to filter this water to get decent brew water. I'd like to go up to 10g batches but don't want to keep buying jugs of water.


Hardness – 295 mg/L (as CaCO3)

Alkalinity – 290 mg/L (as CaCO3)



The mineral profile includes:



Fluoride – 0.235 mg/L

Chloride – 10.45 mg/L

Barium – 458 ug/L

Sodium – 3.88 mg/L

Iron – 0.15 mg/L

Nickel – 1.75 ug/L

Manganese – 0.035 mg/L

Magnesium – 32.5 mg/L

Calcium – 64 mg/L

Chromium – 3.6 ug/L

Zinc – 4.65 ug/L

pH – on average in laboratory 7.1 – 7.5 s.u.

Total dissolved solids – average 1070 mg/L

(ug = micrograms per liter which is parts per billion)



Antimony – ND

Aluminum - ND

Arsenic - ND

Beryllium - ND

Cadmium - ND

Chromium - ND

Mercury - ND

Selenium – ND

Silver - ND

Thallium – ND

(ND = undetected in sample)

Just out of curiosity (I also use a Pur water filter, mostly because I have one installed in my kitchen), do chloramines cause any problems with beer? I can tell when there is a lot of chlorine in water, but I'm not sure about chloramine. If you just use plain old tap water, will there be any noticeable difference?

Campden tablets will remove chloramines. I use a charcoal filter and let the water sit out for a few days. The night before brewing I drop half of a crushed campden tablet.

Not me I use only RO and build my water profile from there.

If it tastes good, go with it.

CreekBrewery said:

Will the carbon filters do anything other than remove the chloramines?

Click to expand...

http://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/carbon-water-filter.php

Carbon filters are NOT generally successful at removing dissolved inorganic contaminants or metals such as minerals/salts

Click to expand...

Looks like you will need to keep buying water or get a RO system.