Best Water to use?

[kstoff327]

I'm about to brew my first batch tomorrow and was wondering if anybody could tell me what type of water is best to use. I'm brewing an oatmeal stout.

 

[Golddiggie]

Depends on where you are. For me, it's the water I get from my filter system. It leaves enough minerals in the water to be really good for brewing the styles I brew. Some brewers in the area use straight tap water. Others, in different parts of the country/world, use other waters. Some store bought, others from RO systems, some add things to their water to make it optimized for what they're going to brew. If you're going to add things to the water, you need to know EXACTLY what's already in it for best results (usually a lab report on a sample you send in).

I would start by at least getting the publicly available water report from your source. I believe that's available to anyone in the US, with a search on their town's web site. Or, at the very least, from the water company's web site. Some are more detailed than others.

 

[dadshomebrewing]

I use tap water, but the water here is very good.

If you are brewing tomorrow, and you have good water where you are, it's the easiest

 

[kstoff327]

Thanks. I think I'm just going to buy some mineral spring water from the grocery store. I'm not for sure how our water is i live outside of Raleigh North Carolina.

 

[dadshomebrewing]

That will work fine, too.

 

[mufflerbearing]

I use publix (local supermarket) drinking water. It is .67 a gallon. Or I have a big water cooler jug and I fill it there also for I think $1.50 for 5 gallons. Good luck with your first.
Ps. Check out the " lessons learned from your first batch" thread. It will get You a head start on what not to do.
Here is the link.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/lessons-learned-your-first-brew-369928/

 

[brewfreeordie]

I got a water test and found our water to be pretty neutral. Little on the hard side which might explain why my best beers have been IPAs.

 

[jmprdood]

The rule of thumb is that if you can drink it you can brew with it. Now if you get into trying to clone specific recipes, you may have to adjust the chemistry of your H2O, but for most of us that's not a problem. I've brewed all over the world, and have found if it is safe to drink, it has given me good results.

Cheers!

 

[ingchr1]

Like others have said the general rule is if your water tastes good then it should be fine for brewing. If you really want to delve into the subject then the Brew Science section of the forum has a lot of good information including a primer on water that is a stickie. Now that I've got several brews under my belt the next thing I'm starting to look at improving is my water chemistry.

 

[Yooper]

The only thing "wrong" with most tap waters is chlorine or chloramine. If you have a public water suppy, you probably have chlorinated water. Chlorine boils off but chloramine does not. If there is chlorine in the water, the beer can have a "plastic" taste in the end. That's why it's good to use bottled water (without chlorine) if your tap water contains it.

 

[unionrdr]

The tap water in my area is good for extract PA,APA,IPA's & the like. But for partial mash,I tried distilled,& it worked pretty good. But I tried Ohio spring water this time,& we'll see how different it is compared to distilled.

 

[twbalding]

Any one know where you can send a water sample to get tested?
I live in Savannah and our water comes from the northern Florida aquifer but I can't seem to find any data online. The water company said they would email me twice in the past three months and I haven't heard from them yet.

 

[unionrdr]

Your water company should be the one with that information. Maybe try calling them?

 

[Yooper]

Any one know where you can send a water sample to get tested?
I live in Savannah and our water comes from the northern Florida aquifer but I can't seem to find any data online. The water company said they would email me twice in the past three months and I haven't heard from them yet.

Ward Lab is the place. You can find their information on line. The test you need is $16.50 I believe.

 

[Greyhound]

Water chemistry is more important if you're all-grain brewing. If you're an extract brewer, if your water tastes good, use it.

If you want to have your water tested, Ward Labs offers a home brewers water test.
https://producers.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.aspx

 

[HopsMan]

Ward Lab is the place. You can find their information on line. The test you need is $16.50 I believe.

Crap! That is a great price...I paid 30 something for my "Homebrewers" test. I'll have to remember this one for next time.