What are some options for water? I'm an extract brewer and since I started I've always just bought a 5 gallon Icemountain jug from homedepot. But as I been brewing a little more water cost is adding up. I live in Chicago so I know I have very good water just wondering what are some options to use my tap water.
Water
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flars
Well-Known Member
All municipal water is treated to prevent growth of bacteria inside the water system. Chlorine or chloramine is used to treat the water.
Chlorine will evaporate from a pot of water over a period of about 24 hours. Chloramine will not evaporate and also can not be boiled off. Chloramine has become the popular choice for water treatment because it does not come out of solution in the water system.
Treating your tap water with Campden will eliminate chlorine and chloramine. One tablet will treat 20 gallons.
Chlorine will evaporate from a pot of water over a period of about 24 hours. Chloramine will not evaporate and also can not be boiled off. Chloramine has become the popular choice for water treatment because it does not come out of solution in the water system.
Treating your tap water with Campden will eliminate chlorine and chloramine. One tablet will treat 20 gallons.
Although you are like right that you "very good" water do not assume so if you move to all-grain or partial mash...get a water report.
For the average extract beer, tap water that has had the chlorine neutralized is just fine. There are a couple of ways to handle the chlorine but the easiest is a campden tablet. In the old days just letting it sit open overnight was enough but with chloramines being used instead of old-fashioned chlorine in most water treatment plants, this is no longer the case.
flars
Well-Known Member
The jugs would be ideal for the purpose of treating the tap water with Campden.
I am not sure if the jugs can be capped tightly or if a loose foil cap should be used. Just using a loose foil cap may be the way to go for off gassing of the treatment products.
Hopefully someone will provide clarification on this point.
I am not sure if the jugs can be capped tightly or if a loose foil cap should be used. Just using a loose foil cap may be the way to go for off gassing of the treatment products.
Hopefully someone will provide clarification on this point.
I believe campden destroys the chemical structure of the chloramines, so the treatment is instant with no off gassing of anything.
Another alternative would be to get a reverse osmosis system at home. It would be an investment up front, but you'd have reliable brewing water for just the cost of replacement filters and it will be good for AG and drinking water as well.
Another alternative would be to get a reverse osmosis system at home. It would be an investment up front, but you'd have reliable brewing water for just the cost of replacement filters and it will be good for AG and drinking water as well.
As mentioned - chlorine/chloramine is your #1 issue as an extract brewer.
#2 issue would be if your tap water happens to be very hard/high in bicarbonate. If it is, it can cause you problems in hoppy beers - they will come off "harsh."
If your tap water is low mineral content, low bicarbonate - the above suggestions on getting the chlorine/chloramine out are good. If it is high bicarbonate - no big deal on dark beers. But, hoppy beers - could be a problem.
A cheaper solution if you buy water is to get a few 3 gallon blue water jugs that they sell and use the "refill" station that most Walmarts and many grocery stores have. You would want to make sure it is RO water or know what is in it, but usually if you are refilling jugs it is only .39 cents a gallon. If you are buying prefilled jugs/exchanging full jugs it is often $1-$1.50 per gallon.
#2 issue would be if your tap water happens to be very hard/high in bicarbonate. If it is, it can cause you problems in hoppy beers - they will come off "harsh."
If your tap water is low mineral content, low bicarbonate - the above suggestions on getting the chlorine/chloramine out are good. If it is high bicarbonate - no big deal on dark beers. But, hoppy beers - could be a problem.
A cheaper solution if you buy water is to get a few 3 gallon blue water jugs that they sell and use the "refill" station that most Walmarts and many grocery stores have. You would want to make sure it is RO water or know what is in it, but usually if you are refilling jugs it is only .39 cents a gallon. If you are buying prefilled jugs/exchanging full jugs it is often $1-$1.50 per gallon.
Steve3730
Well-Known Member
I have attached the most recent water reports from Chicago. I'd probably be Central plant. Would this water be ok to use with just treating with campden? Hoppy beers are my main brew I wouldn't want to affect them.
TheHopfather
Well-Known Member
Your water is fairly hard and low in sulfates (and chloride and calcium). You could boil it, rack it off of the minerals and use that. That would eliminate some of the hardness but you might want to add a little gypsum back in to get those sulfates and calcium up a bit. Your calcium should be up around 60ppm to keep your yeast happy. Sulfate will help with your hop bitterness.
hanuswalrus
Well-Known Member
I'm in Oak Park, just outside of Chicago. I use the same water as you, OP. I use Campden tablets to eliminate chlorine and chloramines and then, depending on the style, add small amounts of Gypsum and/or Calcium Chloride to my mash water (Gypsum to accentuate hop bitterness, and CaCl to accentuate maltiness).
I'm an all grain brewer and just started treating water. From what I remember reading when I was brewing w/ extract, water treatment is not as important as it is when brewing all grain. Still, there should never be any chlorine/chloramines in brewing water.
I'm an all grain brewer and just started treating water. From what I remember reading when I was brewing w/ extract, water treatment is not as important as it is when brewing all grain. Still, there should never be any chlorine/chloramines in brewing water.
While I do not live in Chicago I am pretty familiar with water from Lake Michigan in regards to brewing. For an extract brewer Chicago water is an excellent source for most types of beer right out of the tap with no filtration needed. Treating with campden is as easy as crushing and dissolving 1 campden tablet per 20 gallons while heating up your water in your kettle. The reaction is basically instant and campden tablets are extremely cost effective.
If you decide to go all grain, for your hoppy beers you can adjust your pH using Phosphoric acid, Lactic acid, or acidulated malt since your grain bills will likely be pale and lacking in buffering capacity to overcome the temporary hardness of Lake Michigan water. For all extract beers though acidification is not necessary. Take some time to read the brewing water primer that is a sticky post in the Brew Science area.
Do you belong to any local homebrew clubs? Chicago Home Brewers Group (CHBG) is an excellent club full of knowledgeable home brewers and commercial brewers that have experience brewing in your area. You can check them out online or on Facebook. Joining a brew club was one of the most beneficial things I have done to improve my beer.
If you decide to go all grain, for your hoppy beers you can adjust your pH using Phosphoric acid, Lactic acid, or acidulated malt since your grain bills will likely be pale and lacking in buffering capacity to overcome the temporary hardness of Lake Michigan water. For all extract beers though acidification is not necessary. Take some time to read the brewing water primer that is a sticky post in the Brew Science area.
Do you belong to any local homebrew clubs? Chicago Home Brewers Group (CHBG) is an excellent club full of knowledgeable home brewers and commercial brewers that have experience brewing in your area. You can check them out online or on Facebook. Joining a brew club was one of the most beneficial things I have done to improve my beer.
Steve3730
Well-Known Member
actually yes I'm part of Chaos brew club. I will be at their brew house tuesday and will discuss it with them. I'm planning on trying a couple PM brews so will need to know more about the water
When I asked a similar question about DC water I was told campden tablets removed chloramine but not chlorine. Most municipal systems use chloramine most of the time, and chlorine only occasionally. You need to read your local report to find out when they use chlorine.
Freezen2001
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Noob question here... But could you use rain water from a rain barrel? Since you boil it, that would kill any microorganisms in it right?
hanuswalrus
Well-Known Member
I believe Campden tablets get rid of both chlorine and chloramine.. based on everything I've read at least.
I went back and read teh advice I received more carefully, and I think you are right. A couple people told me they used Campden tablets for chloramine, and used other things for chlorine. I inferred that they used both because they had to, and not because they wanted to; I reached this conclusion in part because those other methods were more expensive than the tablets.
An even easier way to get rid of chlorine is to draw the water from the tap 24 hours in advance, and then simply let it sit uncovered. The chlorine will 'evaporate' from the water on its own. Boiling works, too.
An even easier way to get rid of chlorine is to draw the water from the tap 24 hours in advance, and then simply let it sit uncovered. The chlorine will 'evaporate' from the water on its own. Boiling works, too.
