Brew Quality and Water Question...

[Haldedrums]

I have noticed a trend to my last few beers, and want to know if anyone has experienced this.

I notice that the maltyness and hoppyness of my beers seems to be very subtle, yet I feel like my recipes are either average in both grain and hops bills, or sometimes a little more on the hoppy side. Also, all my beers have a distinct taste to them. Not at all a bad taste, yet they tend all by the same "type" of flavor. Does this have to do with my water profile? I am thinking I need to send my water off to the lab to be tested so that I can make chemical alterations and use city water. Currently I use filtered bottled water from the grocery store.

Any thoughts about this? Maybe the filtered water I am using is to "thin", and lacks some essential chemicals and minerals that are needy for a good beer?

Any help and insight would be great. If anyone could recommend a lab to send my city water to as well, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

I sent a sample of my tap water to Ward Lab, and for $16.50 you get a complete profile of everything you need.

You water can't be "thin", as water doesn't have body but you definitely benefit from knowing your water chemistry and fixing it as needed.

 

[mabrungard]

Well if the water is from the machine at the grocery store, its probably RO water. Hopefully the OP is adding some calcium to that water in the form of either gypsum or calcium chloride. The Water Primer sticky in the Brew Science area will get you well on your way to providing the minimum needed for good brewing. If more information is needed, Bru'n Water is a good step up in brewing water knowledge.

I have tasted beers that were brewed with straight RO and they also had a non-descript emptiness to the flavor. That could be the case for the OP.