Minerals in water

[neon0107]

Hello All,

Hope this is in the correct forum. I have been a fan of using either distilled or RO water for my brews. My water here is just no good and even had it tested by ward labs. The magnesium is very high. It hasn’t been to much of a pain only needing 8 gallons or so. I am in the process of upgrading my setup and now brew 10 to 15 gallons so I want to go away with the bottle distilled water, but they replaced the RO system at the store with a new one called Hylyte Akaline H2O. I sent them an email asking if they had a profile for their water. The response I got was

due to the our proprietary method of remineralization as it would happen in nature, the resulting mineralization levels are variable. All resulting minerals are reintroduced in trace amounts.

and the minerals are
Quartz
Calcium Carbonate
Magnesium Dioxide
Sodium Chloride
Copper
Zinc
Iron

i believe the PH is 8.8.

would you use this water with these minerals at trace amounts and not worry?

just treat like normal and get PH down?

i have thought of home RO but don’t know if I want that hassle and storing large containers of RO and the runoff water so it’s not wasted.

TIA

 

[cswis86]

If they're at trace amounts it should be fine. Yeast need zinc for their metabolism anyway.

 

[Jag75]

Check with a TDS meter and see what it comes out to

 

[neon0107]

Check with a TDS meter and see what it comes out to

Never heard of one of these. Will look into it. Do you have one that you would recommend?

 

[Jag75]

Never heard of one of these. Will look into it. Do you have one that you would recommend?

I bought one on ebay I believe it was only about 10-15$. They're cheap

 

[neon0107]

I bought one on ebay I believe it was only about 10-15$. They're cheap

Thank you. Funny, I did a search on this also and found your post from last year. Lots of good stuff even with some of it over my head right now. Lol. Just use it to test TDS and if under 10ppm just go with it.

 

[IslandLizard]

but they replaced the RO system at the store with a new one called Hylyte Akaline H2O.

Probably charging much more now than the $0.39/gallon for RO at the Walmart or your local supermarket.
Trace amounts, huh? Most of those minerals listed won't dissolve much or at all. Really, Quartz?

A small RO system can be had for $100-150. If you brew a lot, that may be a good alternative.

 

[Jag75]

I've been thinking of making a move to get a RO set up . I pay 25 cents a gallon of RO water but I'm starting to get tired of lugging my 5 & 3 gallon jugs . I'd probably get a tankless set up.

 

[IslandLizard]

I've been thinking of making a move to get a RO set up . I pay 25 cents a gallon of RO water but I'm starting to get tired of lugging my 5 & 3 gallon jugs . I'd probably get a tankless set up.

Not a bad idea.

We are very "blessed" with our soft municipal water from deep wells 15 miles down the road. The only thing is that at times the "chlorine" levels are appalling, even more so when heated. You can actually taste it, very medicinal, like chewing on a bandaid. That makes me think they may actually be chlorophenols.

Now a good pinch of K-meta removes it totally.

 

[Brooothru]

I've been thinking of making a move to get a RO set up . I pay 25 cents a gallon of RO water but I'm starting to get tired of lugging my 5 & 3 gallon jugs . I'd probably get a tankless set up.

Since the lock down I've been using a portable RO system we used in an RV since most retail sources started limiting purchases to 2 gallons. It's worked well but does take a couple of hours to produce 10 gallons. Plus the rejection rate is about 3 gallons per each one gallon collected and we're on a well/septic setup.

The initial price tag was a little over $200, so cheaper than a home system, and the data sheet shows comparable performance. Another option for you might be sending a sample of your 'new' store-bought water to Ward Labs for analysis. $40 bucks would answer your questions and give you some piece of mind.

Brooo Brother

 

[Jag75]

Since the lock down I've been using a portable RO system we used in an RV since most retail sources started limiting purchases to 2 gallons. It's worked well but does take a couple of hours to produce 10 gallons. Plus the rejection rate is about 3 gallons per each one gallon collected and we're on a well/septic setup.

The initial price tag was a little over $200, so cheaper than a home system, and the data sheet shows comparable performance. Another option for you might be sending a sample of your 'new' store-bought water to Ward Labs for analysis. $40 bucks would answer your questions and give you some piece of mind.

Brooo Brother

I didnt realize that for every gallon of RO water collected 3 gallons goes to waste . Is that what your saying?

As for the RO water I buy , I check it with a TDS meter and consistently get 5-10 ppm

 

[Kaz15]

Yes there is always going to be "waste water" with RO systems. How much is lost depends on the efficiency of the system. I think mine is around 2.5/1. That being said, the waste water is perfect fine. The waste water on my RO filter passes through 2 prefilters before it is rejected by the membrane. So there's a good chance it's actually cleaner than the carbon filtered water from my refrigerator. On brew days I will collect the waste water to make sanitizer water and also to use around the garden.

If you're not in a hurry, I have been very pleased with this system.

http://www.reverseosmosisrevolution...sis-Revolution-Water-Purification-System.html
It takes a few hours to make 7.75 gals of RO water, which is what I typically need for a 5 gallon batch. But I usually collect most or all of the water prior to brew day. My TDS meter regularly reads 0-5ppm. Your mileage may vary. The membrane doesn't need to be replaced very often. I replaced the 4 pre/post filters for only $46. They lasted for about 7 months.

There are more expensive options which can make RO water faster and with less waste. If that's your preference.