Reverse Osmosis water usage?

I would like to start using reverse osmosis water for brewing since it is a lot cheaper than spring water. Is this possible for all grain brewing? Somewhere I thought that I read to stay away from RO water. However, that could have been when I first started brewing if that has anything to do with it. Does RO water have the minerals and PH levels for proper conversion or will additives be needed? I would be filling from a Glacier Springs rig at my local Giant Eagle (AKA: dirty bird). Thanks

I think you will need to add minerals back into the water to help the yeast. I don't know how it affects the mash. Promash has a handy water calculator that allows you to profile your water to a desired style (say Burton-on-trent for english ales). You would just need to pickup a small scale that reads in grams and the necessary water salts. Really isn't very hard to do. The promash calculator will tell you how much of each salt to put into both your mash water and sparge water.

You will be fine with reverse osmosis water. RO water will lack minerals which might make your mash Ph differ from when you use spring water. The Ph of reverse osmosis water should be 7 – 7.5, but will have less minerals for a buffer. All you will need to do is check the mash Ph and adjust with brewers salts accordingly. Here are the Beer Ph strips that I use

You will also want to check water profiles for the style of beer you are brewing, to match the taste.

RO water should be thought of the same as distilled water. pH 7, and NO minerals. RO is great for AG, as long as you adjust the pH and minerals. I recently tried using distilled water because i've been thinking about going to RO, and i used the info on this page to add the right minerals. Using just gypsum (CaSO4) and table salt (NaCl) you can achieve the proper ratios of the 4 most important minerals in your liquor. I also add the 5.2 buffer to my HLT, and my efficiencies are great.

All I use is RO water and been very happy with it. I do build my water with minerals for a particular style I am trying to brew. I also use 5.2 from five star to keep the PH inline but I only use 1/2 the recommended amount.

Recently I began diluting my high bicarbonate well water 50:50 with RO water and adding some gypsum to up the calcium for brewing pale ales. I'm really pleased with the results, so I endorse the idea of using RO water and mineral adjustment.

+1 on adding the minerals back in if you are using straight RO water. I posted a mash water calculator in the software forum that is Excel based (must have the Solver add in loaded) that will help find the right additives based on the beer you are making.

I think you get the jist based on the other replies, but I will just state it plainly.

You can not mash with RO water unless you add back some minerals. You get Ca from gypsum, you can get Mg from epsom salts.

My water is extremely alkaline. I have to dilute with RO water to brew pales that are not astringent.

Martin F said:

I think you get the jist based on the other replies, but I will just state it plainly.

You can not mash with RO water unless you add back some minerals. You get Ca from gypsum, you can get Mg from epsom salts.

My water is extremely alkaline. I have to dilute with RO water to brew pales that are not astringent.

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Not sure that is totally true I have done many mashes with straight RO water and they turn out fine. A brew buddy of mine has won a few first place blue ribbons with just RO water. That begin said I am advancing my brewing knowledge and I do now build my water with minerals to match a style. Just goes to show you anything goes when it comes to homebrew.

minerals are for yeast during initial fermentation. PH is the concern in the mash tun. Some municipal water is way too alkaline, and unless your brewing a stout, the PH will not be low (acidic) enough for enzymatic conversion. In this case, the best solution is to mix the municipal water down with distilled or RO. If you use all distilled or RO, your yeast propagation will suffer, but the mash will work fine. BTW you guys that try to match your water to the region where the style comes from are my fricken heroes! I have a hard enough time making the process work without a hitch, ya'll are taking this to a whole new level:rockin:

Brew-boy said:

Not sure that is totally true I have done many mashes with straight RO water and they turn out fine. A brew buddy of mine has won a few first place blue ribbons with just RO water. That begin said I am advancing my brewing knowledge and I do now build my water with minerals to match a style. Just goes to show you anything goes when it comes to homebrew.

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Wow. I'm shocked. It was my understanding that minerals were necessary for enzymatic activity in the mash.

Is it possible that all RO water is not the same?...

No, the minerals are for the yeast. All RO water should have all the minerals removed. I wonder if the yeast nutrients that you can put in when making wine would be sufficient. Anyone ever tried that?

I use half the recommended yeast nutrient every time mostly for a safety factor. However, on my last brew I used almost all distilled water (about two quarts of filtered tap). I used the recommended amount. The yeast took a little longer to fire off this time (about 6 hours later than the previous two with the same yeast), but there was plenty of activity after a day and a half.... actually krausen was flowing out the top like a model volcano for a little while (next time, I'll have a blow off ready to go).