Is water the most important element of home brewing and what is the best water you ha

[processhead]

This^ this^ this^

I fell for the "if your water tastes good" myth when I started brewing. Well. It's very alkaline, suitable (if all-grain) only for stouts.

I don't care for stouts.

My first three beers were extract brews, and none of them were particularly good. One was not terrible. I attribute much of that to not understanding water. For instance, I had no chlorine control.

I think that part of the reason some people believe this myth is that their water just happens to be ok for the beer they're brewing. Put 'em in my town, with my water, and I think they'd find it's a different story.

I would concede that some people become accustomed to their water and find it "drinkable" without it really tasting good. What qualifies as "good" drinking water becomes subjective.

Many become accustomed to the background taste of chlorine in municipal water. Those that don't have chlorine in their drinking water tend to find it disagreeable. All would agree that chlorinated water is a detriment to good beer, even if the water is "drinkable".

 

[ba-brewer]

bad joke

 

[applescrap]

The Polynesian (and micronesian etc) palate for spam, canned ham, and the like is a relatively recent development in the anthropological record, c. 1941. Ive traveled to Fiji and spam is not prevalent there like it is in Hawaii, A. Samoa or even Guam. Black label canned hams fly off the shelves during the holidays. Near where I live in HI, you can pick up a spam musubi (fried spam on white rice with a garnish of seaweed) at a gas station or you can get it at Morimoto's, and sometimes at Roy's to go along with your filet.

I didnt want to say it, but is the lust for canned meat older and stemmed from , gulp, cannabalism? Ok wheres the kava, hey bartender.

 

[applescrap]

I would concede that some people become accustomed to their water and find it "drinkable" without it really tasting good. What qualifies as "good" drinking water becomes subjective.

Many become accustomed to the background taste of chlorine in municipal water. Those that don't have chlorine in their drinking water tend to find it disagreeable. All would agree that chlorinated water is a detriment to good beer, even if the water is "drinkable".

Thats right, once I made a comment about florida water being unusable and this guy said, hey I live in Florida and I love the water, there's nothing wrong with it.

Where we go in Florida the water would not be very good for brewing in my opinion, but if I grew up there instead of Fort Collins Colorado, I'm sure I would think differently.

It's my understanding that big breweries are now basing where they put their plants based on water.

 

[applescrap]

Adding all these responses together, there is a pretty vast diversity on this subject. Some people feeling beer is the sum of all parts, some people feeling their tap water tastes good or that it doesn't matter as much as process, some people feeling process matters so they use tap water, some believing process matters but are also interested in water, one on the fence but finds it interesting, couple people feeling you dial in then look at water, and on and on.

Let me clarify my position. I think if you go and get the most expensive water you can afford it will likely make an amazing beer. I am not sure why, but I really do think this is a good idea to do, for beer quality upgradeage.

 

[schematix]

Adding all these responses together, there is a pretty vast diversity on this subject. Some people feeling beer is the sum of all parts, some people feeling their tap water tastes good or that it doesn't matter as much as process, some people feeling process matters so they use tap water, some believing process matters but are also interested in water, one on the fence but finds it interesting, couple people feeling you dial in then look at water, and on and on.

Let me clarify my position. I think if you go and get the most expensive water you can afford it will likely make an amazing beer. I am not sure why, but I really do think this is a good idea to do, for beer quality upgradeage.

Reverse osmosis system is cheap and makes the best possible water because you can go anywhere when you've got essentially a blank slate.

 

[Pkrd]

Reverse osmosis system is cheap and makes the best possible water because you can go anywhere when you've got essentially a blank slate.

Well yeah, but you can't go to Fiji though, can you?

 

[mongoose33]

Adding all these responses together, there is a pretty vast diversity on this subject. Some people feeling beer is the sum of all parts, some people feeling their tap water tastes good or that it doesn't matter as much as process, some people feeling process matters so they use tap water, some believing process matters but are also interested in water, one on the fence but finds it interesting, couple people feeling you dial in then look at water, and on and on.

Let me clarify my position. I think if you go and get the most expensive water you can afford it will likely make an amazing beer. I am not sure why, but I really do think this is a good idea to do, for beer quality upgradeage.

Not knowing what the most expensive water would be, I can't comment on that.

Why not just start with RO, which is not expensive, and go from there? And if you need certain minerals to bring out a certain taste, add them.

 

[applescrap]

^^because the water that naturally occurs in the earth has special magical powers. I do like ro water, but to me it's spring water. mino choi, the most decorated Homebrewer, literally the most award-winning homebrewer, says that he uses spring water and doesn't adjust anything or ever worry about it. That's what I did and that's what I'll continue doing. I'm just hoping to share that with you. Are you in Wisconsin? That spring water is famous isn't it.

 

[processhead]

I wise old home brewer told me long ago that the cost of the water is not really important.
For really great beer you want to use the oldest water you can find. The age of the water imparts special brewing qualities due to the valences of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms making up the H2O molecule. New water doesn't cut it. No Joke.

 

[Singletrack]

Old expensive water is what you want. I have some. It will cost you, but OH, it is worth it!

 

[Jwin]

Hmm
Maybe I should fill my corsairs barrel with the strike water for my next batch.
Not sure that's even been done
Preemptive barrel aging

 

[applescrap]

@jwin starting with flavored water? Very interesting.

 

[triethylborane]

Where we go in Florida the water would not be very good for brewing in my opinion, but if I grew up there instead of Fort Collins Colorado, I'm sure I would think differently.

Englewood CO municipal water utility serves a good portion of the South Denver metro area; now plenty of breweries are located in it's service area. At one time, the water in the service area tasted pretty bad. Why? A pile of cedar caught on fire and the water from the FD ran off into one the municipalities water sources. Probably a pile of cedar shingles from a local roofing company after a summer of repairing hail damaged roofs (this was in the late 90s, cedar shingles are no-go by ins cos). Flavor was a nice charcoal tannin cedar flavor with plenty of root beer color. It lasted for a few years, luckily (glad I lived in Den Water). Reminded me of Tahquamenon Falls in da UP of MI, which gets a nice brown color from cedar stands.

 

[joshesmusica]

Here you go, have at it. And some of them are even old water!

http://www.therichest.com/expensive...ic-and-expensive-bottled-waters-in-the-world/

 

[applescrap]

Here you go, have at it. And some of them are even old water!

http://www.therichest.com/expensive...ic-and-expensive-bottled-waters-in-the-world/

Would love to cook and brew with some of those.

 

[secondbase]

Hmm
Maybe I should fill my corsairs barrel with the strike water for my next batch.
Not sure that's even been done
Preemptive barrel aging

I would be worried about extracting tannins at a higher temp like that. Ever boiled oak cubes? That water is nasty stuff. I'd personally save the barrel for a nice imperial stout. I see you live in Nashville. Need help filling it?

 

[Jwin]

I would be worried about extracting tannins at a higher temp like that. Ever boiled oak cubes? That water is nasty stuff. I'd personally save the barrel for a nice imperial stout. I see you live in Nashville. Need help filling it?

Well, was a joke mostly. But it is an interesting idea. Would use room temp water if I was crazy enough to try it

 

[mongoose33]

Best by dates are just a marketing ploy to scare the timid.

Well, maybe so, unless you've got the sand to tell it like it is:




And in case you can't quite make out the best-by date:






Probably used old water to get it out to that date.

 

[joshesmusica]

Would love to cook and brew with some of those.

or, you know, you could just... wait for it...

learn a little bit about what those specific waters contain as far as minerals, go buy some RO water, and then some different salts, and boom, you'll be cooking and brewing with that water in no time...

 

[applescrap]

I dont know about that. Water from the base of mount fuji, pulled from 2000 ft under the ocean in Hawaii, the arguably purist water in the world from Finland, and water taken from an aquifer 1500ft deep in the andes seems hard to make with some ro water and salts from a brew store.

 

[applescrap]

I can tell ya that Fiji water doesn't mean great beer, but I drank a ton of it anyway.

You really should add a pinch of kava if you want the authentic Fiji water experience

Well yeah, but you can't go to Fiji though, can you

The higher priced waters usually contain a proprietary mix of the following elements, and they are very common in many craft beers too:
http://cdn2.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The_Periodic_Table_of_Content_Marketing.


So this is the spam you decided to post on a thread about water importance in home brew. Do you feel good, came on my thread about water importance in brewing and posted this garbage. Hiding behind the rules of this forum. My ignore list is filled with people like you. Have a nice life pkrd!

 

[triethylborane]

I dont know about that. Water from the base of mount fuji, pulled from 2000 ft under the ocean in Hawaii, the arguably purist water in the world from Finland, and water taken from an aquifer 1500ft deep in the andes seems hard to make with some ro water and salts from a brew store.

To an extent I know what you are saying. There is a spring near Guanella Pass that miners in the late 1800s found and shoved a pipe into. The water just tastes so good, there is a purity to it that is something I think comes closest to that mental concept of water, but then I realize its just confirmation bias because you have to hike in 2 miles at 11,500ft to reach it and its cold water so of course its going to taste good.

 

[applescrap]

To an extent I know what you are saying. There is a spring near Guanella Pass that miners in the late 1800s found and shoved a pipe into. The water just tastes so good, there is a purity to it that is something I think comes closest to that mental concept of water, but then I realize its just confirmation bias because you have to hike in 2 miles at 11,500ft to reach it and its cold water so of course its going to taste good.

It sure is pretty up there isnt it. I really love the area.

 

[applescrap]

My last brew with the crystal geyser is outstanding. Cant wait to see where this water thing leads me.

 

[ChefRex]

My last brew with the crystal geyser is outstanding. Cant wait to see where this water thing leads me.

What style is this outstanding beer?

 

[processhead]

I dont know about that. Water from the base of mount fuji, pulled from 2000 ft under the ocean in Hawaii, the arguably purist water in the world from Finland, and water taken from an aquifer 1500ft deep in the andes seems hard to make with some ro water and salts from a brew store.

Pure water rarely exists in nature. All water will have dissolved minerals in it, therefore not pure. Any water from a groundwater source will have dissolved solids in it.

Pure Water? Distilled water is the only pure water. All others have "stuff" in them. Its that stuff that gives water its flavor.

 

[applescrap]

When did they move Mount Fuji to Hawaii? Why weren't we told?

Pure water rarely exists in nature. All water will have dissolved minerals in it, therefore not pure. Any water from a groundwater source will have dissolved solids in it.

Each water is different, it was a top ten list. Maybe, next time read the article before trying to make a funny.

 

[applescrap]

Reported, off topic and I will be reporting every off topic post from here on in. Sadly, some of you see a discussion about water quality and importance in brewing as trolling, i dont care. Post some bs on here and i will report it and likely ignore you as well. Dont like what I write or think, then dont read it or ignore me. Im done with some of you guys sorry posts

 

[ChefRex]

Each water is different, it was a top ten list. Maybe, next time read the article before trying to make funny.

Each water is different, some better for different types of beer.
What are you brewing?