Do you boil your bottled water?

[mjs483]

I've been brewing a few years and always brew with bottled water from the super market. I typically do about a 3 gallon boil and then top off to 5 gallons with the rest of my bottled water.

I've never had a problem, but it has just occured to me that maybe I should be pre-boiling the top off water...

It's an extra boil + cooling step, so I only want to do it if there is significant risk in not boiling the extra water.

What do you guys think?

 

[Brewpastor]

If it isn't broken don't fix it.

Bottled water that is run through an RO filter is pretty stripped down, but it is clean. Unboiled water has lots of O2 in it but if you are using it prefermentation, why not? I do full boils and there are advantages to that but... see my opening comment.

 

[NitrouStang96]

So you've been just using the bottled water without boiling it for 3 years and have had no problems? Sweet. That would cut out a lot of waiting time for me.

 

[seethe303]

I don't boil my bottled water. however, my first batch is still bottle conditioning, so

 

[Soulive]

I've never boiled my bottled water in many batches. Now if I were topping off a keg, I'd consider it, but not for anything pre-boil...

 

[Professor Frink]

When I was doing extract batches, I never bothered boiling my top off water, and I never had any issues.

 

[DeathBrewer]

When I was doing extract batches, I never bothered boiling my top off water, and I never had any issues.

same here and i use my tap water. s'good water, tho...lotsa brewers in this area use it

i got a friend that gets his water from the delta. we don't let that water TOUCH the wort

 

[mjs483]

Let the non-boiling continue! :rockin:

 

[SteveM]

I use delivered water that goes in our stand-up cooler. I do two gallon boils and have never boiled the rest - but I keep it capped until it goes into the fermenter.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I don't even use bottled water, let alone boil it. I use water form my tap and have been happy with my brews.

 

[sirsloop]

If there is nothing wrong with your tap water, then use it! When I say wrong I mean off flavors or smells like sulfur. I use city water that makes excellent beer.

 

[Beerthoven]

I use my tap water and don't boil it before topping off the fermenter on extract brews.

I don't do any water adjustments of any kind for my AG brews either. At least one good micro brewery uses the same water without any adjustments. If its good enough for them its good enough for me.

 

[cclloyd]

I use bottled spring water and the occasional bag of store ice (gasp!) and have had zero issues.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

I don't even use bottled water, let alone boil it. I use water form my tap and have been happy with my brews.

Same here. I likes me tap aqua so's I brew wit it.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I just filter my tap water. No problems in all these years.

 

[trainfever]

I do a 3 gallon boil and then top off from my faucet using the hose sprayer which helps in aerating my wort.