Newbie with questions about water and carboys

[Froglady]

I've made some really simple hard cider and now want to branch out into meads and wines. I have 3, 1 gallon batches going right now: 2 meads and a really weird wine.

I'm really tight on the money front and was wondering about two things:

Can I use the water bottles (3 and 5 gallon) that I can get at the local grocery store as carboys?

and

How about the water from the Primo self-serve water stations? It's RO, right? My tap water has both chlorine and chloramine in it. I checked with the rural water dept. about it when I first moved here because I was wanting to do a bunch of sprouting. Which is better: spring water in the 1 gallon jugs ($0.88 gal.), the RO water from the self-serve thingie ($0.37 gal.) or try to "treat" my water using either Vitamin C or Campden tablets? For the moment, especially since I'm making such small batches, I've been buying the spring water @ $0.88 gal.

TIA!

 

[Drewed]

It depends on which water bottles you are using. If they are the heavier duty ones, then yes, you can use them. If they are the cheaper milk jug like, or disposable water bottle style, then, yes, but only as a primary fermenter, as they tend to be porous to oxygen. Actually I'd play it safe and only use either as a primary fermenter.
I work in water filteration for laboratory reasearch. You want spring water. It has trace minerals that the yeast like. The self service machines are the most bacteria laden water sources around. They are also feed with the same tap water you have at your house.

 

[Froglady]

It depends on which water bottles you are using. If they are the heavier duty ones, then yes, you can use them. If they are the cheaper milk jug like, or disposable water bottle style, then, yes, but only as a primary fermenter, as they tend to be porous to oxygen. Actually I'd play it safe and only use either as a primary fermenter.
I work in water filteration for laboratory reasearch. You want spring water. It has trace minerals that the yeast like. The self service machines are the most bacteria laden water sources around. They are also feed with the same tap water you have at your house.

Thanks for the quick feedback. I pretty much had figured that would be the answer on their water itself.


The water bottles are the heavier-duty hard plastic type. I think the orange carboy caps with the two "outlets" on them will fit these, right? They sell 3 gallon and 5 gallon bottles where I live.

Any ideas on me trying to treat MY water? That would be awesome if I could use my own water and just treat it with either campden tablets or vit. C.

 

[Drewed]

Best would be a carbon filter. It will suck the cl2 right out of there. Cheaper would be a "brita" faucet adapter or pitcher. Heck, if your fridge has a filter on it for chilled water, that will take out the chlorine ( if it has been regularly changed.) Supposedly campden will work. I've never tried it. It kind of depends on how chlorinated your water is.

 

[Froglady]

Best would be a carbon filter. It will suck the cl2 right out of there. Cheaper would be a "brita" faucet adapter or pitcher. Heck, if your fridge has a filter on it for chilled water, that will take out the chlorine ( if it has been regularly changed.) Supposedly campden will work. I've never tried it. It kind of depends on how chlorinated your water is.

I'm not as worried about the chlorine - that can be dissipated out or filtered out pretty easily. It's the chloramine that worries me. Everything I've found (so far) says that filtering only works with a carbon filter - a VERY expensive one (which I can't afford) - and is very slow. But everything I've found, so far, says that campden or Vit. C. will neutralize chloramine. I have both of those items and would much prefer to just do that IF it actually works.

 

[Froglady]

https://inspiredliving.com/chloramine-filters/vitamin-c-removes-chloramines.htm

 

[Froglady]

By the way, does anyone actually use the water bottles and, if so, what is your experience with them? I'm concerned about the fact that they have a handle on the side. Does that present issues trying to clean and sanitize them?

 

[z-bob]

I use 4 gallon disposable water bottles. Like this: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/member-s-mark-purified-drinking-water-4gal/200757.ip?athcpid=200757

No handle, and they are made of PET plastic (same as soda bottles) They are about the same size as a 3 gallon glass carboy, and they fit in a standard 5 gallon bucket.

To get rid of chloramine and chlorine, add a pinch of potassium metabisulfite to several gallons of water, or half a Campden tablet (I think 1/2 is the right amount for 5 gallons), or a crushed vitamin C tablet. I've used Vit C and sulfites and they both work.

 

[Froglady]

I use 4 gallon disposable water bottles. Like this: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/member-s-mark-purified-drinking-water-4gal/200757.ip?athcpid=200757

No handle, and they are made of PET plastic (same as soda bottles) They are about the same size as a 3 gallon glass carboy, and they fit in a standard 5 gallon bucket.

To get rid of chloramine and chlorine, add a pinch of potassium metabisulfite to several gallons of water, or half a Campden tablet (I think 1/2 is the right amount for 5 gallons), or a crushed vitamin C tablet.

Thanks! What do you use to cap them and/or use for the airlock? I was looking at getting some of the orange carboy caps. Those are supposed to fit water bottles also.

 

[z-bob]

The orange caps work, and large rubber stoppers (I think they are number 10.5) work.

Edit: I just found one of my large stoppers and it's a 10 1/2.

 

[Froglady]

The orange caps work, and large rubber stoppers (I think they are number 10.5) work.

Edit: I just found one of my large stoppers and it's a 10 1/2.

Do you like one over the other? Stopper or cap?

Also, do you have any issues with all the ribs in that bottle?

 

[Froglady]

How about this bottle? Do you think this one would work? It's actually a lot cheaper than the one I was looking at before. I have access to a Walmart to pick it up but not a Sam's Club for the one you linked to.


https://www.walmart.com/ip/American-Maid-5-gal-Water-Bottle/51200565

 

[z-bob]

I don't trust those because of the handle. At least the recycle code is one (and not seven).

I buy most of my water bottles at Menard's because the local Sam's Club doesn't sell them. I bought one at Sam's when I was visiting my parents in Texas because I liked the almost-clear plastic. The Menard's bottles are green

 

[Froglady]

I don't trust those because of the handle. At least the recycle code is one (and not seven).

I buy most of my water bottles at Menard's because the local Sam's Club doesn't sell them. I bought one at Sam's when I was visiting my parents in Texas because I liked the almost-clear plastic. The Menard's bottles are green

I read the reviews and someone else was skeptical about the handle also, but then said that it held up very well. I guess I could get one to try it out and then just use it to treat my water with the campden tablets or Vit. C.

I checked Menard's online and couldn't find any large water bottles there. We just recently got a Menard's about 45 miles from me.

Thanks!

 

[Froglady]

Well, I checked Sam's Club for the one that you linked to...... they don't carry it in any of the Sam's in my area. I also double-checked about the one from Walmart with the handle and they will charge me shipping, which would make it more than just buying the 5 gallon Primo bottle. Guess I'll look at those again and see if I think they would be suitable.

 

[IslandLizard]

To get rid of chloramine and chlorine, add a pinch of potassium metabisulfite to several gallons of water, or half a Campden tablet (I think 1/2 is the right amount for 5 gallons), or a crushed vitamin C tablet. I've used Vit C and sulfites and they both work.

It's a crushed 1/4 Campden tablet per 5 gallons. Or a good pinch if you buy the K-Meta powder. You can't overdose it at those quantities, even if you'd add 3 times the amount needed. After adding, give it a good stir. Done! Always pulverize the tablet, easier to dissolve.

 

[IslandLizard]

Well, I checked Sam's Club for the one that you linked to...... they don't carry it in any of the Sam's in my area. I also double-checked about the one from Walmart with the handle and they will charge me shipping, which would make it more than just buying the 5 gallon Primo bottle. Guess I'll look at those again and see if I think they would be suitable.

If you get them sent to your (local) Walmart store for pickup there's no shipping charge. Takes a few days usually.

 

[z-bob]

I read the reviews and someone else was skeptical about the handle also, but then said that it held up very well. I guess I could get one to try it out and then just use it to treat my water with the campden tablets or Vit. C.

I checked Menard's online and couldn't find any large water bottles there. We just recently got a Menard's about 45 miles from me.

Thanks!

I can't find the water on the Menard's web site. It's $5.49 in the store. Not sure that it's worth it to drive 45 miles and check, though.

I did find this at Office Depot: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/880629/Office-Snax-Natural-Spring-Water-4/

 

[growlrr]

This may sounds ludicrous, but I was wondering is perhaps a fresh water aquarium filter might work? They pump the water through activated charcoal and continually recirculate it. NOTE: I've never tried this, but it seem that a fairly inexpensive (like $30) Hagan filter hung inside a 3-5 gallon bucket of tap water ought to do the trick in a a couple of hours...

 

[Drewed]

https://inspiredliving.com/chloramine-filters/vitamin-c-removes-chloramines.htm

That article is true, but they are also trying to sell you something.

A whole house carbon filter is quite expensive, but if anyone is drinking municipal water they really should have some type of filtration on it ( Britta pitcher, facet mounted thingy, fridge filter.....)

 

[Froglady]

If you get them sent to your (local) Walmart store for pickup there's no shipping charge. Takes a few days usually.

Yes, that's what I thought too, but it gave me no option for that.

Update!
I figured out that I had to actually go to "check out" to get the "deliver free to store and pick up" option. LOL