Food for thought - Tap Water

[Verio]

I know lots of people on here have opinions on tap water, and the advice I've read mostly says "Bad tasting tap water = bad tasting beer". In the case of my tap water, it's absolutely horrid, but it makes damn fine beer.

San Antonio's water is excessively hard and is some of the worst tap water I've tasted. However, the two brews I've made from it, have tasted excellent.

So, my only input here is, not necessarily is bad tap water the culprit in bad tasting beer.

 

[Alehouserock]

If your water is as bad as claim, then you have nowhere to go but up...right?


Try buying some water at one of those water stores or get some from a friends house with a reverse osmosis unit and see if you notice a difference.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Interesting? Do you do extracts then?

 

[Verio]

Interesting? Do you do extracts then?

Extract - Steeped grains first brew
Extract + Partial Mash was the next brew.

 

[Delorean1981]

I had to use RO water for my old salt water fish tank, some of the purest water I've seen yet. Check into a fish store nearby, they may be able to help

 

[Grinder12000]

So you say your tap water tastes horrible? And why did you use it in the first place. Nothing wrong with hard water for dark beer BTW!

I think people are talking about chemicals in the water like Chlorine and so forth.

 

[nmcjudo]

What about rust or iron? I have a water softener (that is currently not working) and my water is a goldish, urine color. It's safe to drink if needed, but tastes terrible. How would this do for making beer with; even darker beers.

 

[Verio]

So you say your tap water tastes horrible? And why did you use it in the first place. Nothing wrong with hard water for dark beer BTW!

I think people are talking about chemicals in the water like Chlorine and so forth.

I used it because I pulled the water quality report from the city, and plugged it into a few of these calculators, and it said it'd taste okay.... and it did.

I'm not complaining at all, I'm just telling people that bad tasting water may not be the culprit to their bad tasting beer. My bad tasting water made good beer.

 

[KAMMEE]

nmcjudo, Rust and Iron in your beer will cause problems not only with taste but with the quality of your fermentation. I would not use that for brewing as it can cause some terrible off flavors (metalic). If you get a charcoal filter to hook up to your hose it will remove those elements from your water and then it would probably be suitable to brew with.