Water addition to make five gallons

[Chemcorp158]

I will be brewing my first batch tomorrow and have a question. I will be brewing a Northern Brewer Block Party Amber Ale kit and using a 3.5 gallon kettle. After cooling the wort and transferring it to the fermenting bucket does the water I add to bring up to the 5 gallon mark need to be boiled? The instructions with the kit say nothing other than add to make five gallons and a few YouTube videos seem to show them just adding straight tap water. "How to Brew" says boil three gallons and to put it cooled in the fermenter before adding the wort. I plan on using bottled spring water as our tap water sucks. So, do I boil the water addition or not? And thanks for any help.

 

[jmcd105]

You don't need to boil the addition water especially if it is bottled, but be sure to keep everything that hasn't been sanitized out of your chilled wort.

 

[flars]

Bottled water whether it is RO, spring, or distilled is considered sanitary. It does not need to be boiled. Never use municipal tap water without treating it to remove chlorine and chloramine.

The gallon markings on buckets are very often inaccurate. Check your bucket by pouring in measured gallons of water to make your own gallon marks.

 

[IslandLizard]

Jugs of spring water or RO water should be fine without boiling. If you can drink your tap water without getting ill, it should be fine to use too, aside from it having a bad flavor, mineral load, iron, chlorine, etc. that would make your beer unpalatable.

Just smell your jugs of water before buying or using. Someone noticed a strong chlorine smell in his "distilled" water.

 

[IslandLizard]

You don't need to boil the addition water especially if it is bottled, but be sure to keep everything that hasn't been sanitized out of your chilled wort.

Good point!
In that light, I'd wipe the tops of those jugs of spring water with a washcloth drenched in some sanitizer (Starsan) before opening.

 

[Chemcorp158]

Thank y'all very much. I figured the bottled water would be ok but I am a little nervous. I have been wanting to brew for years and my wife finally took the plunge for me and got me a starter kit for Christmas. Thanks again.

 

[BrunDog]

If you pitch a good quantity of fresh yeast, infection risk is also reduced.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thank y'all very much. I figured the bottled water would be ok but I am a little nervous. I have been wanting to brew for years and my wife finally took the plunge for me and got me a starter kit for Christmas. Thanks again.

Your wife has absolutely NO idea what she has started. Kudos to her!

Good sanitation practice is probably the most important aspect in brewing. As John Palmer (of How to Brew fame) said: "Sanitation becomes second nature after awhile."

I can recommend using Starsan. Prepare a small (1-2 gallon) bucket of it at a time. That, a small Starsan dedicated washcloth and a spray bottle is all you need. The working solution lasts for months.

No need to be nervous, just take your time brewing your first few batches, and read up on controlling your fermentation temperatures, possibly the next most important facet of making good beer. Start out with simpler recipes to get a hold on the process. No need to do a Double IPA with 8 ounces of hops for your first 5 brews, or even 10. You know when you're ready.

No secondary!
Whatever your kit instructions say about using a secondary fermentor after xx days. Ignore all that. Leave it be in your (primary) bucket and don't lift the lid until ready to bottle. You can peek inside through the grommet/airlock hole with a flashlight. Even siphon some beer out through the same hole for an "is it done" test after a week if you can't stand the suspense anymore.

Welcome to homebrewing!

 

[Chemcorp158]

Yes, she has no idea. I haven't even brewed my first batch and I can already feel myself falling down the rabbit hole.

 

[snakebyte]

I top off right out of the tap into the Primary. My beer has turned out just fine. Although I suspect mileage may vary depending on the quality of your tap water.

 

[flars]

I top off right out of the tap into the Primary. My beer has turned out just fine. Although I suspect mileage may vary depending on the quality of your tap water.

If you top off with water provided by the city you are adding chlorine and/or chloramine to your beer.

 

[jmcd105]

I top off right out of the tap into the Primary. My beer has turned out just fine. Although I suspect mileage may vary depending on the quality of your tap water.

I have also done the same numerous times and have never had a problem, sometimes I give the head of the faucet a spray with star san, just for good luck.

 

[GeorgiaTiger]

Yes, she has no idea. I haven't even brewed my first batch and I can already feel myself falling down the rabbit hole.

That forst batch is a high like you've never had. The problem with it is as soon as you get that first one in the fermented, you will be itching to brew another. I brewed today and I want to brew again tomorrow. Hell, I wanted to brew another one as soon as i finished the one today.

I hope your wife is aware that one kit won't do anything but light a fire. A firs that cant easily be extinguished.

Welcome to the dark side!