Water: Tap, filtered or distilled?

[Chchadder]

Any thoughts on water source preferences? Does anyone use bottled/distilled water exclusively? How about a filtration system at the tap? Brands/types?

Thanks!

 

[Jack]

I filter my tap water with a Brita activated carbon filter, boil it (to drive off chlorine), and then cut it 50-50 with distilled water.

EDIT: I filter my water because I don't like the taste of my city's water, and I dilute it with distilled because the water here is outrageously hard. If I liked the taste of my tap water and it weren't so hard, I wouldn't do either of those steps.

I have used distilled water exclusively. Contrary to what people will tell you, it works just fine and resulted in a fine beer. (It only is pure distilled water until you add stuff to it. Like malt.)

In general, I don't like to use bottled waters because you don't know the water profile. At least with my municipal water I can get a report off the internet.

 

[Coastarine]

At least with my municipal water I can get a report off the internet.

Where do you go about getting that?

 

[Wrathbone]

What I did on the last batch (second batch...) was to use a Brita jug and fill up the secondary carboy throughout the day. Just dump the water, fill up the jug, wait for it to filter through, repeat. That way, when it was time to brew, there was 5+ gallons of filtered water waiting to be used.

 

[MNBugeater]

I buy the 5 Gallon 'bubbler' water jugs locally. The brand that is most common around here is Kandiyohi. But there are many brands of drinking water that supply the 5 Gallon jug water for stand alone drinking water dispensers (bubblers).

We have well water and while we treat it with an EcoWater system, to pull 15-25 gallons off of that at one time takes most of the capacity and it then has to refill and we go through salt like crazy.

I find the 5 gallon jugs not only convenient but its good quality water.

 

[FlyingHorse]

IAt least with my municipal water I can get a report off the internet.

Where do you go about getting that?

Try Googling <your city name> water quality. If your water supplier posts it online, that should get you to it. If not, call the water dept. and they'll send you the report. They may not test for all the relevant brewing minerals, though. In that case you'll have to send a sample to be tested. One option: http://www.wardlab.com/, test W-6 for $16.50

 

[scinerd3000]

thank you....i finally found it:rockin:

 

[Lucky Dog Brewing]

Someone on here or a couple people use the filter for campers. I can't find the link but I was thinking about that since I have well water that is high in sulfur. Anyone have that link?


BMW-LDB

 

[BierMuncher]

Someone on here or a couple people use the filter for campers. I can't find the link but I was thinking about that since I have well water that is high in sulfur. Anyone have that link?


BMW-LDB

Here ya go:

It's what I use to rid the chlorine.

 

[Lucky Dog Brewing]

Thanks Bier Muncher,
I got a question for you. Ok I have well water and it is pretty bad on the sulfur smell. So my whole house runs through a whole house filter and though the softner. My hose spigot do not run through the softner. Do you think I would be good just using one of these RV filters right from my hose spigots to use the hard water or should I use the softened water? I don't have a water report on my well water but I have been thinking about getting an analysis done, but I don't know what its going to cost for that and if just getting the rv filter will set me up nicely I'd rather just do that. Let me know what you think. Thanks for any advice anybody my have for me.


BMW-LDB

 

[BierMuncher]

Thanks Bier Muncher,
I got a question for you. Ok I have well water and it is pretty bad on the sulfur smell. So my whole house runs through a whole house filter and though the softner. My hose spigot do not run through the softner. Do you think I would be good just using one of these RV filters right from my hose spigots to use the hard water or should I use the softened water? I don't have a water report on my well water but I have been thinking about getting an analysis done, but I don't know what its going to cost for that and if just getting the rv filter will set me up nicely I'd rather just do that. Let me know what you think. Thanks for any advice anybody my have for me.


BMW-LDB

Certainly it would be an improvement over straight tap water from the spigot.

 

[carnevoodoo]

I put a hose connector on the input end of a normal house water filter. I think it was 20 bucks at Home Depot and it works like a champ. I used to use water from a local RO machine and it worked fine too, but I got lazy.

 

[Lucky Dog Brewing]

Certainly it would be an improvement over straight tap water from the spigot.

So go with the hard water and not the softened water?


BMW-LDB

 

[Evan!]

So go with the hard water and not the softened water?


BMW-LDB

Yeah, definitely go for hard water. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I was reading the homebrew answer book a few weeks back and he mentions that it's a problem if you have a water softener, because it messes with the magnesium ions or something. You're much better off going with hard tap water than soft. Water Softeners are mainly to eliminate the mineral deposits that hard water can create...you're not worried about that in beer.

Just be sure not to use your standard old garden hose to feed this thing. They're not foodsafe and can leech bad stuff.

 

[Jack]

Yeah, definitely go for hard water. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I was reading the homebrew answer book a few weeks back and he mentions that it's a problem if you have a water softener, because it messes with the magnesium ions or something. You're much better off going with hard tap water than soft.QUOTE]

Agreed. Water softeners work by ion exchange resulting in more sodium in your water, which doesn't make for good brewing.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

+1 on the RV filter and drinking water hose! I used to draw water from my Pur "under the sink" filter, but it was agonizingly slow to collect enough for an all-grain batch. Plus, the filter cartridges cost a fortune and don't last long for brewing purposes.

The RV filters are cheap and effective. Now I fill my HLT in a minute or two.

 

[Lucky Dog Brewing]

Yeah, definitely go for hard water. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I was reading the homebrew answer book a few weeks back and he mentions that it's a problem if you have a water softener, because it messes with the magnesium ions or something. You're much better off going with hard tap water than soft. Water Softeners are mainly to eliminate the mineral deposits that hard water can create...you're not worried about that in beer.

Just be sure not to use your standard old garden hose to feed this thing. They're not foodsafe and can leech bad stuff.

Yeah I am definatly getting the drinking water grade hose with the filter. So I should be good to go from there. Thanks for all your help guys


BMW-LDB

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I use tap water and am pleased with my results.

 

[ghart999]

Biermuncher - that is the worst keggle cutting I have ever seen.

Props to you.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Biermuncher - that is the worst keggle cutting I have ever seen.

Just so you know, that treacherous keggle has earned nearly mythical status here on HBT.

 

[BierMuncher]

Biermuncher - that is the worst keggle cutting I have ever seen.

Props to you.

My junk may be ugly...

...but it makes some beautiful beers...

 

[AnonyBrew]

Where would you get a "water grade" hose from? and how would you know it was "water grade"?

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Where would you get a "water grade" hose from? and how would you know it was "water grade"?

Anywhere that sells RV accessories will have it, Walmart comes to mind. They have the filters too.

They'll be clearly labeled, and are usually white or clear.