Top off water, silly queston?

[mdawson9]

So with my paranoia around post boil process, I have a question and I don't see it addressed in the books I've read. What can be used for topping off the wort after the boil? I used spring water from the grocery. I did not boil it. Just dumped it in, then panicked.

 

[Doctor_Wily]

Hi,

I have been using spring water from the grocery with my last brews without issue. you'll surely be fine. I don't like to use my tap because of chlorine flavor and i'm really sensitive to the taste.

Cheers

 

[Conan]

Ya done good. Water's water- it came from a considerably clean source or they couldn't sell it, so no problem. Now, if you'd have siphoned it from a puddle somewhere, that'd be bad. Although, I'm not sure how one would siphon from a puddle. Kyle

 

[cepster]

First of all, don't panic Home-brewing is a surprisingly forgiving hobby. While doing my first extract brews I did not boil my top-off water, and I was going straight from the tap! I did eventually move over to boiling the top-off water, but I've never had an infection in any of my beers, regardless of method.

If you are using spring water from the grocery, I'd be willing to bet that it is mostly bug-free. Obviously, boiling is the only way to know for sure.....but if you didn't do that for a brew already in fermentation, then RDWHAHB.

Cheers!

 

[Doctor_Wily]

I suppose one could use distilled water if you were really worried about it. Anyone ever used distilled? I would worry about it being almost too squeaky clean flavor, but then again maybe that would make it really pick up the flavors from the grains and all.

hmm....

 

[fermentinginpa]

I wouldn't think you would want to use Distilled but I could be wrong. Aren't all the good minerals needed for a good brew extracted from water when it's distilled?

 

[Calder]

I just use my tap water. It is filtered through a charcoal filter to remove chlorine. Never had a problem. If you can drink it, you can use it; chlorine can give off flavors.

Spring water is fine. Distilled water is not. Distilled water has no minerals, which is bad for the yeast.

 

[Doctor_Wily]

that's what I figured with distilled. It's too pure.

 

[glenn514]

I've always used plain old tap water. I figure that, since I can and do drink it, there should be no problem...and I've not had a problem yet [knock on wood]. Our municipal water is clorinated, but very lightly...not much of a chlorine order at all.

glenn514

 

[Doctor_Wily]

Mine tastes like I'm drinking straight from the city pool :-/. We go thru brita filters like crazy.