Well water and PH

[nyer]

You may have been duped by Google. I see that they changed the layout of the file download area on the Bru'n Water site. If you click on the Excel file name, it brings up the file in Google Docs. Unfortunately, Bru'n Water will not work properly in Docs.

At the far right-hand side of the file download page for Bru'n Water, you will also see downward-pointing red arrows. Those are what you click to begin the download process.

Thanks for screwing me, Google. I've added text on the web page to help users find the proper icon to click and download the file.

It seems to work now, thanks.

 

[nyer]

Holy crap, I spent the last hour reading and playing with BruN water and my head is ready to explode. I almost wish I didn't start thinking about my water.

 

[ajdelange]

Fiddling with water chemistry is not for the beginner. It is a very intricate if not complex subject. At the outset you should be concerned with making good beer. There is plenty of time to study the intricacies later. The Primer was done for people like OP. His water is terrible for brewing. There are things that can be done but it is going to be much easier and the results much more consistent if he throws it out (or dilutes it to the point where it is effectively thrown out i.e. 9:1) and starts with a clean sheet of paper i.e. RO water. The Primer was written for people in OP's position.

 

[nyer]

This is not what I wanted to hear. I ran a dedicated water line to my system so I didn't have to carry buckets of water anymore. Now it sounds like I might have to go buy it and haul it home too. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty sure I'm moving from NY to Florida next year so I hate to invest in a system to fix my water unless it's something I can take with me. Is there some type of small RO system I can install easily and then remove and take with me when I move? I'd rather invest in a home system than buy and haul water.

 

[ajdelange]

Yes, there are small RO systems for a little over $100. They produce 5 gallons a day and are small enough that they can be installed in one house deinstalled and moved to another. I gave two such systems to other brewers when I upgraded and AFAIK they were both successfully installed in their houses. If you plan to do that I'd be careful about saving cartons, bits not used in the current installation etc.

 

[DSmith]

What's an approximate upkeep cost per year for a $100 RO unit?

 

[ajdelange]

$0.00

If all you are using it for is brewing you can't be taking more than a couple of hundred gallons a year from it. One of the units I gave away had been in service for at least 4 years and other probably for 2. I never replaced anything but then I'm on a well so I never had to change the carbon filter to deal with chlorine/chloramine.

 

[nyer]

It's going to be at least a few more weeks before I will have a chance to brew again. I'm going to buy some water for the next brew so I can see the difference it makes. I can buy gallons of distilled water or Walmart has a machine that sells water in 5 gallon jugs. I'm not sure what kind of water that is yet, I have to go take a look.

 

[ajdelange]

It will be RO.

 

[nyer]

It will be RO.

Is one better than the other?

 

[Homercidal]

My work recently switched from RO to spring water. Having some relatively inexpensive Ro water readily on hand was nice.

I estimate that a $150 RO unit would take 2.5 years to pay for itself if I brewed once a month, which is probably accurate enough.

I'm debating on whether to get one or not. It may be worth it to not have to go to the store to get water and I could use it for things other than brewing too.