How safe is distilled water?

[ElDuderino]

I just got a couple of jugs of distilled water from the store. I've seen guys here post about using distilled water when working with yeast and I'm wondering if I should still boil it for fifteen minutes or if people here just trust it out of the jug... I am planning on using it to wash some yeast from a previous fermentation.

 

[user 70770]

Distilled water should be extremely pure in theory. But you can never be too careful. I'd boil it anyway.

 

[mabrungard]

If its a commercial product, it should be very clean. There should be no need to boil it, but since its your beer, you might want to boil.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I never boiled it when I added it to partial boils and never had a problem but as others said you may want to boil nonetheless.

 

[ElDuderino]

Thanks for the responses... I will probably boil it just so I don't worry about it. It's not like it's a lot of work, I guess...

 

[COLObrewer]

I believe it is know to cause cancer in California . . . . . .

 

[brewmonk]

distilled water?

better wash it first!

 

[itsme6582]

I believe it is know to cause cancer in California . . . . . .

I'm never moving to California. They seem to get cancer from a lot more things than anywhere else.

 

[kpr121]

I would say you are fine...

I use tap water without boiling for topup water when needed. Just shoot it straight into the fermenter from the filter I have attached to my brew-water PEX line.

 

[rjwhite41]

For yeast washing I would boil it no matter what kind of water you are using. You can never be too safe. Now if it was top up water or something I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[kpr121]

For yeast washing I would boil it no matter what kind of water you are using. You can never be too safe. Now if it was top up water or something I wouldn't worry about it.

What if it is top up water in a batch that you will be yeast washing?

 

[windbreaker123]

no need to boil it has already been sterilized. Tap water I would always boil

 

[rjwhite41]

What if it is top up water in a batch that you will be yeast washing?

What if it's the irrigation water for the grain you will be using to... I still wouldn't bother.

To windbreaker, tap water (unless coming from a well or you under a boil warning) is just as safe and sanitary as bottled water it just doesn't come in a plastic container and cost you $1 a gallon.

 

[kanzimonson]

The water may be clean when it enters the bottle, but I don't trust that the container has been treated aseptically. Boil it.

 

[EdWort]

I believe it is know to cause cancer in California . . . . . .

Pregnancy too!

 

[jangelj]

I thought the point of boiling water used for yeast washing was to remove the oxygen from the water (and sanitize, of course). I've only washed a couple of times, so I very well could be under the wrong impression, but I thought that the yeast LIKE oxygen, so the lack of oxygen would help keep them asleep.

 

[ElDuderino]

I thought the point of boiling water used for yeast washing was to remove the oxygen from the water (and sanitize, of course). I've only washed a couple of times, so I very well could be under the wrong impression, but I thought that the yeast LIKE oxygen, so the lack of oxygen would help keep them asleep.

I didn't think of that but it's a good point...

 

[rjwhite41]

I thought the point of boiling water used for yeast washing was to remove the oxygen from the water (and sanitize, of course). I've only washed a couple of times, so I very well could be under the wrong impression, but I thought that the yeast LIKE oxygen, so the lack of oxygen would help keep them asleep.

That's what the yeast washing thread says but I find it very hard to believe that oxygen isn't getting reintroduced when you dump it in the carboy, swirl it, and then transfer 2 times.

 

[bruin_ale]

i'm never moving to california. They seem to get cancer from a lot more things than anywhere else.

doh!

 

[sudsmcgee]

I believe it is know to cause cancer in California . . . . . .

Stupid prop 65. Nearly everything has a warning label.