Distilled Water?

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thood6

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In my arean we have good quality tap water. (Softer,less chlorine and sulphur) but could I use gallon jugs of distilled water instead of tap water and improve the taste of my beer? Just an idea let me know what yall thing.
 
distilled water really isn't good for brewing as is. It has been stripped of all minerals, which are important for both taste and yeast performance. Bottled spring water would be fine - this is what I use since my tap water is heavily chlorinated. Of course, if you're ambitious, you could use distilled to "build" your water by adding the proper salts.

BTW, a good resource for learning about the importance of the various minerals in your brewing water is John Palmer's "How to Brew" - http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15.html
 
Not true. You still use yeast in extract brewing, and they like calcium, for one.
And building water can be done, but it's easy to go overboard. I strongly recommend the
spring water, as mentioned above.
 
Extract brewing is fine with distilled water. I used it exclusively before I knew it was "wrong."
 
Not true. You still use yeast in extract brewing, and they like calcium, for one.
And building water can be done, but it's easy to go overboard. I strongly recommend the
spring water, as mentioned above.

Right, but in the making of the extract, the manufacturers would have used water "appropriate" for mashing the grains. We might not know what the mineral profile was, but when the extract is rehydrated, you're going to get all those minerals as well.
 
Right, but in the making of the extract, the manufacturers would have used water "appropriate" for mashing the grains. We might not know what the mineral profile was, but when the extract is rehydrated, you're going to get all those minerals as well.

This is exactly what I was thinking too. Beat me to it. :mug:
 
I brew extract (only 1 batch so far). I have pretty hard well water. So without worrying with getting water tests, adding minerals etc. I went 50/50 with distilled/tap water. Only been in primary for about 10 days, so can't tell you how it tastes yet.
 
I've used spring water to top off with. You can't taste the trace minerals in it,so it's nothing to worry about. The yeasties seem to love it,& my beer tastes better when I need to use it. I don't go along with the minerals needed in the LME/DME 100%. That would be dissolved into other things in the wort,forming different compounds,to my thinking.?
So adding what small amount that's in spring water will freshen them up to me.
 
I brew extract (only 1 batch so far). I have pretty hard well water. So without worrying with getting water tests, adding minerals etc. I went 50/50 with distilled/tap water. Only been in primary for about 10 days, so can't tell you how it tastes yet.

I have really hard water too (from a community well). I did the same 50/50 and made an awsome Dark Belgian Strong extract batch that won a gold medal so i'll be cutting it like that from now on. A water company treats the well water with what ever so I still filter it with a charcoal filter.
 
Spring water, or distilled, it won't make a big difference for extract brewing.

I'd use distilled, since the extract already has the minerals that came from the mash that the manufacturer did. It's not like they stripped the minerals from the extract before shipping.

And spring water should be ok too, but mostly because it probably doesn't have chlorine or chloramine. Quite often it's the same water that the locals drink, which may be very soft, very alkaline, or any manner in between. You just don't know. (unless you get a water report, and by then you are half way to understanding water chemistry).
 
We've used distilled water for all of our brews so far (extract w/ steeped grains) and it's fine. We also use yeast nutrient if you're worried about your little yeasties not being happy.

The water here in OC isn't the greatest. Maybe when we jump to all grain we'll get a charcoal filter, but so far with distilled water, our extract beer has been delicious.


joe
 
I use distilled in all my extract brews and they taste great. We have well water for our tap. It's somewhat hard (8.5 hardness). The minerals you need are in the extract.
 
You CAN use distilled water if you treat it with brewing salts. :rockin:
 
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