Brewing Water

[DeRoux's Broux]

Just wanted to take a survey here and see what people use for their brewing water:

1. Tap water from kitchen sink (I did for grains/extract batches)
2. Bottled gallon jugs of drinking water, or other bottled water
3. Water from garden hose to lauter/mash kettle
4. Natural water source.

Since I went all-grain, I started using regular bottled drinking water (gallon jugs). Mainly for ease of measuring my mash and sparge water. I don't mess with pH measurement yet, but will as I get more comfortable w/ all-grain brewing. I don't boil prior to brewing to reduce the chlorine either (even when I used tap water). I'm sure the bottled water has less than my muni water, even though my muni water is graded as "Superior" and taste good.

Just wanted to compare techniques.

Cheers!
DeRoux's Broux

 

[ryser2k]

I use tap water for my mini-mashes and plan to use it when I go to all-grain in a few batches...

 

[Pirate]

I use bottled water as my well has too much iron and the PH is through the roof. 8 I think. The bottled water has a PH around 5 -5.5, and this stays within range throughout. Don't even need to check any more.

 

[Janx]

Yeah water that is that basic (8) will definitely emphasize a harsh bitterness in beers.

I use my spring water. Never taken a pH reading.

 

[lalenny]

I have a local spring that suppies all the beer water that I need. Never checked the Ph. Seems to make good beer though.

 

[user 574]

carbon filtered water out of my tap

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

I, too, am quite lucky with the local water. Tap water here in Alaska is great but I did bottle up about 10G of glacier runoff while we recently had a warm spell and I'm excited about its effect on my latest creation.

 

[user 574]

I, too, am quite lucky with the local water. Tap water here in Alaska is great but I did bottle up about 10G of glacier runoff while we recently had a warm spell and I'm excited about its effect on my latest creation.

Cool, ancient beer!

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I, too, am quite lucky with the local water. Tap water here in Alaska is great but I did bottle up about 10G of glacier runoff while we recently had a warm spell and I'm excited about its effect on my latest creation.

SWEEEEEEET! What are you gonna make with it??????

Glad to know I'm not the only one being lazy with the pH thing

 

[homebrewer_99]

I, too, am quite lucky with the local water. Tap water here in Alaska is great but I did bottle up about 10G of glacier runoff while we recently had a warm spell and I'm excited about its effect on my latest creation.

I know we would all like a perfect world where the glacial water is as pure a heaven, but I drank from a glacier river (200 feet from the glacier) and caught hepatitis once. It stays with you forever. Now I can't donate blood anymore.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I know we would all like a perfect world where the glacial water is as pure a heaven, but I drank from a glacier river (200 feet from the glacier) and caught hepatitis once. It stays with you forever. Now I can't donate blood anymore.

iieehh! bummer. i would assume that the "natural" water would be boiled prior to brewing?

i know when we would go to colorado they would always tell us not to drink the water from the snow run-off. no telling what deer, marment, bear, etc. had been it it.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Yeah, this was in British Columbia (far above the treeline).

I tell everyone I drank Pterodactyl Pee.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

Yeah, this was in British Columbia (far above the treeline).

I tell everyone I drank Pterodactyl Pee.

was it hoppy or malty?

 

[wwgiese]

Just wanted to take a survey here and see what people use for their brewing water:

1. Tap water from kitchen sink (I did for grains/extract batches)
2. Bottled gallon jugs of drinking water, or other bottled water
3. Water from garden hose to lauter/mash kettle
4. Natural water source.

Since I went all-grain, I started using regular bottled drinking water (gallon jugs). Mainly for ease of measuring my mash and sparge water. I don't mess with pH measurement yet, but will as I get more comfortable w/ all-grain brewing. I don't boil prior to brewing to reduce the chlorine either (even when I used tap water). I'm sure the bottled water has less than my muni water, even though my muni water is graded as "Superior" and taste good.

Just wanted to compare techniques.

Cheers!
DeRoux's Broux

I use tap for ale and get the filtered water from the grocery store for pils and hefe.

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

I know we would all like a perfect world where the glacial water is as pure a heaven, but I drank from a glacier river (200 feet from the glacier) and caught hepatitis once. It stays with you forever. Now I can't donate blood anymore.

I know what you mean. Drinking downstream is a bit dicey as animals use the water more than we, but it's pretty safe at 1800ft at the glacier head. And yes, I brought it up to temp to kill any lingering prehistoric beasties, but didn't want to spoil the flavor. Right now I have a nice sharp Bavarian in the primary with a good part of my "ultra pure".