Florida Water?

[ctbrewer227]

Moving down to Florida the end of the month Orlando to be exact my question is how is the water down there for brewing? My guess is not so good Florida brewers tell me different?

 

[gator_brewer]

It really depends on the location... the water across the state is usually over chlorinated, I stick to bottled water personally. But then again my best friend uses his garden hose... best advice is to just taste it when you get there and judge for yourself.

 

[TampaTim]

Moving down to Florida the end of the month Orlando to be exact my question is how is the water down there for brewing? My guess is not so good Florida brewers tell me different?

Like the second poster said...depends.

If you're gonna be on well water then do this experiment.

Urinate in your brewpot for a week...then for good measure...poop in it after a night of heavy drinking and enjoying your favorite greasy food. Stir well, and cover.

The smell is a dead on example of Florida well water. I'd imagine the taste would be too!

The second option is municipal water. Which if you currently own a pool....get ya a bucket of pool water cover...let sit over night, and take the top off and inhale. That is what our public water smells and tastes like.

Granted, you can let chlorine breathe out the night before a brew session, but you need some special chemicals to get the chloramine out. That is a big obstacle that we face, but I've heard of some guys installing Brita filters on their hoses. I haven't tasted their brews though..so I can't vouch for it.

'Til I get it figured out, I just stick with going to Wal-Mart for ten gallons of bottled water every session. It's not that expensive.

 

[Glubki]

If it is anything like the water down Sarasota I'd just stick to bottled water permanently - it smelled and tasted like sulfur down there...

 

[craigd]

I personally don't think Orlando tap water from OUC is too bad but YMMV. I live out a ways from there now and my tap water scares me with its chlorine level but we had some water contamination problems a few years ago and I imagine they are over compensating. I filter when I use tap but usually go find cheap spring water.

 

[TheProph3t]

I also buy wal-mart bottles.

Like the second poster said...depends.

If you're gonna be on well water then do this experiment.

Urinate in your brewpot for a week...then for good measure...poop in it after a night of heavy drinking and enjoying your favorite greasy food. Stir well, and cover.

The smell is a dead on example of Florida well water. I'd imagine the taste would be too!

The second option is municipal water. Which if you currently own a pool....get ya a bucket of pool water cover...let sit over night, and take the top off and inhale. That is what our public water smells and tastes like.

Granted, you can let chlorine breathe out the night before a brew session, but you need some special chemicals to get the chloramine out. That is a big obstacle that we face, but I've heard of some guys installing Brita filters on their hoses. I haven't tasted their brews though..so I can't vouch for it.

'Til I get it figured out, I just stick with going to Wal-Mart for ten gallons of bottled water every session. It's not that expensive.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Gainesville water is excellent for all-purpose brewing (except a bit deficient in calcium), but your mileage will vary depending on where in the state you are.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I live in an Orlando suburb and the water here is better than any other Florida water I've had but it's got chloramine in it and I'm pretty sure I'm desensitized to the sulphur so I just use bottled. Florida water is relatively hard too but where I currently live it's not that bad.

I just don't like to screw around with the ingredient that's 95% of my beer so I don't take any chances and use bottled.

 

[chefchris]

Gotta a lot of Gainesville people on here. We gotta start meeting up, group brew, or something!

 

[CGengo]

Agreed with most here - having lived most of my life outside Florida, I think the only people that could think our water tastes good are those that never traveled outside the state. When my wife lived in Orlando limits her tap water was basically undrinkable. I like to use Publix spring water for my brews.

 

[Coastarine]

My water in Milton (NE of Pensacola) is practically pilsen; very low in just about everything. Before I knew, I had trouble getting any bitterness, but now I know that my water is pretty much a blank canvas and I can treat it to whatever I need.

 

[ctbrewer227]

Thanks for the help from what I have read............Im going to stick to bottled.....Any preference on brand and which is a better water?

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I use Zephyrhills but only because it's the one I have the analysis on.

Just a general observation but Publix is the big grocery chain here and their Publix brand items are often just as good as name brand and in some cases better. Publix water is probably just as good but I want to be sure of the hardness/alkalinity so I can doctor my water to style/color...so I use the one I have the analysis for.

FWIW, Zephyrhills Spring Water is less alkaline and a tiny bit softer than their Drinking Water. So their Spring water is better for lighter brews (you might want to dilute it with Distilled water for really light brews) and Drinking water is better for darker ones.

 

[TampaTim]

I also buy wal-mart bottles.

You didn't happen to be the gentleman with about ten gallons of water at Wal-Mart of Valrico that I stood behind a week or so ago?

 

[masskrug]

I use unfiltered tap water. I treat it (10 gallons) with a Campden tablet and let it sit overnight. Much cheaper than bottled water!

 

[tarawa]

I live in South Florida. Well water is a real headache that chages constantly with water table. A few large bottles of water from the store is the way to go in my opinion. I only have one batch under my belt and it is very good.