Spring vs distilled

[baker1234]

Hey all,
Which is better to use to make mead, either spring water or distilled water and why?

Thanks for you help,
Baker1234

 

[OpenContainer]

Use the spring water. Distilled is stripped of all the good minerals that water should contain.

 

[baker1234]

Alright. Umm would an ro system work as and alternate to spring water?

 

[OpenContainer]

Sorry, I really have no familiarity with Reverse Osmosis.

 

[Tw0fish]

Distilled water also has a lot of its free oxygen removed, IIRC, by the distilling. The guy who invented(?) Skeeter Pee recommends reverse osmosis so.. I supose it'd work fine

 

[baker1234]

Alright sounds good. Thanks for your guys input

 

[biochemedic]

RO water is fairly similar to distilled or deionized water...probably not the best for brewing in general unless you're going to add back in some minerals...I'd certainly want to be sure to use nutrients and some yeast energizer.

 

[AndyinWA]

I no longer use either. I use tap water from a well. Much higher mineral content which is especially helpful in nutrient deficient honey.

 

[baker1234]

Alright so if I use distiller water or ro water I need to add enzymes and a yeast energizer but if I use well water I don't need to add either right?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Alright so if I use distiller water or ro water I need to add enzymes and a yeast energizer but if I use well water I don't need to add either right?

You really should use yeast nutrient/energizer and DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) in all mead primary fermentations. There are very few available nutrients in honey/water for yeast to use, lots of food in the sugars, but few nutrients. Few nutrients stresses the yeast & this can cause undesirable off flavours in your mead. Just think how tough it would be for you to survive for a month on nothing but honey & water. Proper nutrition will help to insure a healthy & trouble free fermentation.
Regards, GF.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

Imagine if you will going 24 hours with no sleep, doing strenuous activity the entire time then walking home up hill the entire way with no food, just your tap water and a plain rice cake you have to make last for sustinance....Thats kind of how your yeast will feel with no type of nutrients added...will it get the job done? probably, slowly, eventually it'll get there but won't be doing well or be happy about it. That's one of the things people mean when they mention stressing the yeast.

 

[huesmann]

Actually, IMO, distilled water is fine. As far as oxygen, you're going to be aerating your must anyway, aren't you? With respect to "nutrients", you should be using yeast energizer/nutrient anyway. You shouldn't be using distilled for rehydrating yeast, but IMO it's OK for must. That said, if you can get spring water for less than distilled (if you don't want to use tap water), then go for it.

 

[baker1234]

Alright, thanks for all the input. And for the great visual effects that helped a lot. So we don't have a brewing store in my town but would raisins and oranges be an alright nutrient to put in the mead for the yeast?

Baker

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

Raisins work, so does boiling bread yeast that you can get pretty cheap at most supermarkets

 

[baker1234]

Ok thanks. Is a active dry bread yeast made by fletcherman work pretty well?

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

Sure, like a half packet in a half cup of water, boil for 10 minutes or so, let it cool to match your must temp then pitch

 

[baker1234]

Alright cool! what the best grocery store ( preferably Walmart) yeast to use?

Thanks again guys for all you help and tips,

Baker

 

[biochemedic]

Alright cool! what the best grocery store ( preferably Walmart) yeast to use?

Do you mean to buy yeast to kill for nutrient or to actually brew with?

If it's for use as nutrients, you can buy it anywhere...like you said, Fleischmann's, etc. Generally, you wouldn't use supermarket yeast to actually brew with, although there's always the classic Joe's Ancient Orange Mead (JAOM) recipe that does use bread yeast for fermentation as an integral part of the recipe.