Distilled isn't all that great for brewing unless you want to completely customize a water profile by adding different chemicals to it.
You don't want to use 100% distilled water because it lacks the minerals and things you want in beer. If you use, as you did, 3 gallons of tap water and 2 gallons of distilled, you will be in effect just be softening your water, which depending on your water profile could be a very good thing.
My tap water taste pretty bad so I do not intend on using that. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of water to get? Distilled? Drinking water? Thanks
That's true if you're mashing grain, but for an extract batch with steeping grains, distilled water is fine.
That's true if you're mashing grain, but for an extract batch with steeping grains, distilled water is fine.
Some grocery stores have those "water machines" that supply reverse osmosis water cheap, and that's an ideal brewing water.
I could be wrong, but as I understand the properties of distilled water (unrelated to brewing) you could have issues with super heating but that shouldn't be an issue with brewing I'd imagine.
I'm just against distilled and other forms of water because they're so expensive. I forget the exact number but it's like 2000 times more expensive to buy water than just use tap water. Say a 5 gallon jug of water is 10 bucks. If you brew 20 batches of beer in 2 years you've spend at least 240 bucks on water. If you buy a reverse osmosis machine for 200 bucks (so a pretty nice one) you still make out since your cost for tap water will be like 3 dollars.
But it's like 37 cents a gallon at the "water machine" in grocery stores, for high quality water.
True, tap water is often ok and can be cheaper. But removing the chlorine or chloramine, and perhaps removing bicarbonate if needed is often not practical for brewers.
I bought my own RO water machine about a year ago, so that I can have RO water in my home. I use some tap water, too, depending on what I'm brewing.
Distilled or RO water is always ideal for brewing, while sometimes people's tap water is fine. Some tap water shouldn't be used for brewing. It really depends on each person's water source.
hoppyhoppyhippo said:I could be wrong, but as I understand the properties of distilled water (unrelated to brewing) you could have issues with super heating but that shouldn't be an issue with brewing I'd imagine.
I'm just against distilled and other forms of water because they're so expensive. I forget the exact number but it's like 2000 times more expensive to buy water than just use tap water. Say a 5 gallon jug of water is 10 bucks. If you brew 20 batches of beer in 2 years you've spend at least 240 bucks on water. If you buy a reverse osmosis machine for 200 bucks (so a pretty nice one) you still make out since your cost for tap water will be like 3 dollars.
As I understand it, a charcoal filter (or leaving your water out overnight) removes the chlorine, and for chloramine a charcoal filter also usually works, but if you want to be safe a campden tablet will make sure you're good.
If I were to use the filtered water from a grocery store do I need to be worried about bacteria and such when adding it to the cooled wort? I can only boil about 3.5 gallons at a time.
Or should I boil that water separately, cool, then add to wort?
That's not so- chloramine is much trickier to remove, and a normal charcoal filter won't do it.
scoundrel said:I haven't used Campden tablets but I've heard rumors that it can affect fermentation. Has anyone run into this?
freisste said:I have heard that using too much can affect yeast viability. The article I read suggested ascorbic acid instead as it will neutralize chlorine and chloramines and overdoing it will not affect the yeast. Plus you need like 1/2 tsp for 5 gal. I think it is actually cheaper than campden tablets.
I haven't used Campden tablets but I've heard rumors that it can affect fermentation. Has anyone run into this?
No. When using the proper amount, the chemical reaction is quick and the sulfite is then "gone" so there isn't any sulfite left in the water.
It quickly removes chloramine and chlorine and is highly recommended.
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