Doing extract kits

Jag75 · Feb 7, 2019

Is it true for extract kits you should use RO water and no salts, acids or ph balance is neccessary?

kh54s10 · Feb 7, 2019

Not necessary. Use any water that doesn't contain Chloramine or Chlorine. You can use Campden tablets to get rid of the chlorine. Though I just used my tap water for years. 1/2 year was all extract. Then infrequently after that.

cooper · Feb 7, 2019

Yup. It’s not necessary as they’ve done all the acid treatments when they were creating the extract. All we need to do is rehydrate a bit and boil. One caveat though is some styles can benefit from a bit more cacl2 or sodium in the boil but that’s largely personal preference and not needed.

camonick · Feb 10, 2019

I think plain, de-chlorinated tap or well water is ideal as long as it doesn’t taste funky. I brewed a Pilsner extract kit a while back using distilled water because I knew authentic pilsners are traditionally brewed with soft water and my well water is far from that. The finished beer has a very strange off flavor that I have a very hard time describing. I’m leaning toward the fact that it was the distilled water that is void of any flavor inhancing minerals. I have changed to the BIAB method and I am adjusting my water. I’m going to brew the exact same recipe using AG and compare it to a few bottles I saved to see if there’s a difference. That Pilsner recipe is the only one of my extract brews that I’ve used different water for and I wasn’t impressed.

Jag75 · Feb 10, 2019

camonick said:
I think plain, de-chlorinated tap or well water is ideal as long as it doesn’t taste funky. I brewed a Pilsner extract kit a while back using distilled water because I knew authentic pilsners are traditionally brewed with soft water and my well water is far from that. The finished beer has a very strange off flavor that I have a very hard time describing. I’m leaning toward the fact that it was the distilled water that is void of any flavor inhancing minerals. I have changed to the BIAB method and I am adjusting my water. I’m going to brew the exact same recipe using AG and compare it to a few bottles I saved to see if there’s a difference. That Pilsner recipe is the only one of my extract brews that I’ve used different water for and I wasn’t impressed.

You might have had a better taste with RO water . Maybe not though.