Water Filter Setup

[mabrungard]

It is quite possible for me to run the water through the filter faster than the ideal rate but even at full flow the water from the filtered faucet has less chlorine flavor than that from the unfiltered faucet. I usually cut the flow down when filling the brew kettle but still use a campden tablet for good measure.

It is good that you also add the campden tab to the water. You really do have to reduce the flow rate through a carbon filter unit in order to provide complete chlorine compound removal from water. Pushing water through at too high a rate does mean that some of those chlorine compounds make it through into the brewing water. It takes incredibly little of those compounds in your wort to screw up your beer. The campden dose should solve that problem.

 

[RationalRev]

It is good that you also add the campden tab to the water. You really do have to reduce the flow rate through a carbon filter unit in order to provide complete chlorine compound removal from water. Pushing water through at too high a rate does mean that some of those chlorine compounds make it through into the brewing water. It takes incredibly little of those compounds in your wort to screw up your beer. The campden dose should solve that problem.

That's what I do. I used to fill 5 gallon water bottles at the grocery store until I realized that all they do is sell me reverse osmosis'd city water.

One of the blue Dupont filters plus a quarter Campden tablet has changed my brewing water game completely.

 

[oregonparamedic]

Here's my build up. I've since added a shut off valve to the water "in" side and left the PVC joints unglued so I can rotate the arm out of the way for the HLT lid between fills.

 

[Brewdog2]

Wow, just starting getting into brewing and already a bit intimidated by all this.

Not sure at all what the best water filter to get for brewing would be, looks like you guys all went with whole house water filters?

I'm finding differing opinions on water filters all over the place and I don't know who to believe. Do these sites seem accurate to you guys?

https://www.pelicanwater.com/whole-house-water-filter.php

http://www.justaddcleanwater.com

I really don't know where to start, don't even know if I really need a whole house water filter or if I can just get something smaller.. ??? THanks a lot for helping!

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

We provide whole-house systems for home brewers, but that typically is only in cases where the water is really bad. In most cases the water comes from a residential well. The system can run $500 to $5,000 or more and it can include multiple pieces of equipment. Which equipment? it all depends upon the contaminants in the water, and their concentration.

If you are on "city water," chances are your water is pretty good, and a whole house system, or even a whole house single filter isn't needed. You may need/want a POU (Point of Use) filter for your brewing water.

An easy place to start is by getting a copy of the annual report your water utility publishes to see which disinfectant they use. It will either be chlorine, or chloramine. If you need help interpreting the report feel free to email it to us and we'll take a look.

That pelican system you mentioned would not be a good choice. It is a whole house carbon filter used to remove the chlorine. Typically best not to remove the chlorine until you use the water. The chlorine is added as a disinfectant, and its best to let it serve that purpose.

Russ

 

[mabrungard]

The chlorine is added as a disinfectant, and its best to let it serve that purpose.

Terrible things can happen when your home or business piping become contaminated with 'bad' things. While water disinfectants can impart undesirable taste and odor in the water, they are there for our protection. I don't ever want us to go back to the days when it wasn't there. For those that remember this, the Legionaire's Disease incident started from a hotel that used a whole facility disinfectant removal system and bacteria populating the shower heads. The result was deadly.

Removing the disinfectant at the point of use is wise.

 

[jafo28]

Used this thread to make my set up, but last year I made a mistake with it. I keep my brew equipment in my unheated brew shed, and after brewing a batch in fall of 2015 I forgot to drain the rest of the water out of the canister. Some months later I go out to the shed and discover pieces of plastic on the floor where the filter canister blew apart from the water that froze inside.

Lesson learned, I make a mental note to drain it every time now.

 

[Brewdog2]

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it. Very helpful.

 

[natefrog255]

Thought I might offer an update on the original post: You can still get all of the parts listed/shown at Lowes but whirlpool has gone to 3/8" fittings on the filter housing instead of what I think was 3/4" when johnsma22 put it together in 2007. The blue plastic line that comes with the filter (intended to hook up to your faucet) works great in place of the PVC and allows you to not build a mounting bracket. The whole setup cost about $60 last week.

Yes, bought a 3/4" male adapter from Menards yesterday and it was too big for the filter housing. I have the beer filtering kit from More Beer and just was using it with water filter. Want to build the PVC part to fill jugs up.