What type of water is best for extract brewing??

[user 227424]

Personally I've got two options on hand, RO water which is essentially distilled, and hard well water: high mineral content, high alkalinity, and high pH.

So I can use either or any ratio of both. A 50/50 mix is about ideal for my aquarium fish, but I dunno if yeast/beer likes what fishies like?

Thanks!

 

[Biscuits]

I'd use all distilled / RO.

 

[tiredofbuyingbeer]

I had good luck with 50/50 distilled/tap when I was doing partial mash and not using a water spreadsheet.

 

[applescrap]

I have become a firm believer that one of the most important aspects of brewing is water. This is debatable, and there is plenty of information that suggests certain minerals and properties for each and every type of beer. Each beer has a perfect profile so to speak. The way I see it, you have extract, hops, and the water. Water is 90% of the beer. You can pay to have your water tested and can compare that to gold standards by style. You can start with ro water and build the profile using online apps and programs. The well water sounds interesting to me and natural. I would give that a go over the ro unless it tastes really bad. Right now I am going to the store and buying the best spring water I can find/afford. The beer has reached new levels of awesome and I enjoy the experimentation of it all.

Maybe brew a small batch of each with a simple recipe and a mixed batch. When tasting have someone give you a triangle test. Two of one, one of the other. See if you can pick the odd one out.

 

[Pkrd]

When they made the malt they used the correct water profile for the style. They then boiled off most of the water leaving behind the right amount of minerals.
Using RO/Distilled returns it to the intended state.

 

[user 227424]

When they made the malt they used the correct water profile for the style. They then boiled off most of the water leaving behind the right amount of minerals.
Using RO/Distilled returns it to the intended state.

This is the answer I'm most finding on the web.

 

[user 227424]

Maybe brew a small batch of each with a simple recipe and a mixed batch

Good idea.

 

[JordanKnudson]

I second the RO water. The extract already has a mineral profile, a fact from which you can take two simple conclusions.
1. You don't know said profile, because that's not something that is included on the label, so messing around with your brewing water on top of that is nothing but a blind guess.
2. Part (but not all) of the function of the water profile is how it affects mash pH. Since you are brewing with extract, this part does not concern you, as it has been done by someone else. So, what remains is how the given mineral profile affects final beer flavor. In general, your extract is going to produce a fine finished beer with a balanced, middle-of-the-road mineral profile. If you know that you are trying to achieve something more specific, make the basic kettle adjustments that are common to most homebrewers -- small amounts of gypsum for a crisper, more minerally dry finish, and/or calcium chloride for a rounder malt character. Beyond this, I think it is not at all worth your time to worry about your water, at least when brewing with extract.

 

[Kent88]

If I were you I'd go with 75/25 ish in favor of RO/Distilled. Maybe a little more of the hard well water for styles with dark malts (like stouts and porters). I think (I'm no expert) a lot of the concern about water comes from creating ideal conditions for the mash enzymes, and then yeasts. You have no concern for a a mash. Malt Extract should also have the minerals essential for yeasts.

If you want to get into this a little further...

Look at the styles you make. Are they malty? Hoppy? Bitter? Roasty? Do recipes typically call for Burton Salts? Calcium Chloride? Gypsum? Look into how these are all tied together.

 

[applescrap]

Sorry, I didnt consider the mineral content of the extract process. If it already has what it needs then ro water would indeed be a great choice.

 

[Norselord]

Use the tears of your enemies.
Also if you can dry hop with the lamentations of their women, that would be ideal.

 

[user 227424]

Use the tears of your enemies.
Also if you can dry hop with the lamentations of their women, that would be ideal.

Ha! Reminds me of that Genghis Khan quote...

""The greatest happiness is to scatter your enemy, to drive him before you, to see his cities reduced to ashes, to see those who love him shrouded in tears, and to gather into your bosom his wives and daughters."

 

[mongoose33]

When they made the malt they used the correct water profile for the style. They then boiled off most of the water leaving behind the right amount of minerals.
Using RO/Distilled returns it to the intended state.

I'm having trouble visualizing just what this mean. My understanding, which may be wrong, is that when malting, the grain is soaked in water. The grain starts to sprout, at which time the malt is kilned to whatever level is desired by the maltster, meaning dark, light, whatever.

I don't recall reading about boiling off water. In what part of the process does that occur?

************

Or was this just a tpyo, in that you meant to say "extract" instead of "malt"?

 

[JordanKnudson]

I'm having trouble visualizing just what this mean. My understanding, which may be wrong, is that when malting, the grain is soaked in water. The grain starts to sprout, at which time the malt is kilned to whatever level is desired by the maltster, meaning dark, light, whatever.

I don't recall reading about boiling off water. In what part of the process does that occur?

************

Or was this just a tpyo, in that you meant to say "extract" instead of "malt"?

Although maybe he will answer differently, I assumed that he meant "malt extract."

 

[Pkrd]

Or was this just a tpyo, in that you meant to say "extract" instead of "malt"?

Good catch. Heck, I wasn't even drunk when I posted that.

 

[Norselord]

Ha! Reminds me of that Genghis Khan quote...

""The greatest happiness is to scatter your enemy, to drive him before you, to see his cities reduced to ashes, to see those who love him shrouded in tears, and to gather into your bosom his wives and daughters."

Actually, i was loosely referencing:

 

[jalc6927]

What is RO water?

 

[user 227424]

What is RO water?

Reverse osmosis. It filters almost everything out of water leaving distilled level purity.

 

[jalc6927]

Thanks

 

[jalc6927]

What if I just boil 8 gallons, then transfer to mash and HLT when the temp drops

Accomplish the same thing as using distilled or filtered?

 

[bleme]

What if I just boil 8 gallons, then transfer to mash and HLT when the temp drops

Accomplish the same thing as using distilled or filtered?

Boiling drives off chlorine. It doesn't do anything to the other minerals, which is the point of using RO water.

I get my RO water from those machines at the grocery store where you supply the jug for $.25/gallon.

 

[ncbrewer]

There is a very good thread about water chemistry: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=198460
There's some discussion that would apply to extract brewing.

ajdelange makes the point that you can add incremental amounts of calcium chloride and gypsum until you get the most pleasing result. When you brew it again, use the additional salts that worked for you.

mabrungard discusses adjusting the pH if needed for steeping specialty grains, and possibly for diluting the extract.

If you would like to read the posts, they are on posts #831and#915.

 

[jalc6927]

Are those machines legit?

 

[Yooper]

Are those machines legit?

You mean those big "water machines" at grocery stores and Walmart? Yes, for the most part. You will need a TDS meter, to double check that the RO water machine has been maintained, but they are cheap.

 

[applescrap]

You mean those big "water machines" at grocery stores and Walmart? Yes, for the most part. You will need a TDS meter, to double check that the RO water machine has been maintained, but they are cheap.

Last time I was at the store I pushed on the machine to see how heavy it was to gauge the amount of stuff inside. It felt hollow and very light. By my old gym there was a water store, and I could have swore he said the reverse osmosis machine was $100,000 or something. I saw the machine, it was big. I am very questioning of what is in those plastic reverse osmosis machines. Am I wrong? My dad used to sell water filters and I know they weighed more than what's in that machine.

 

[mongoose33]

You mean those big "water machines" at grocery stores and Walmart? Yes, for the most part. You will need a TDS meter, to double check that the RO water machine has been maintained, but they are cheap.

Last time I was at the store I pushed on the machine to see how heavy it was to gauge the amount of stuff inside. It felt hollow and very light. By my old gym there was a water store, and I could have swore he said the reverse osmosis machine was $100,000 or something. I saw the machine, it was big. I am very questioning of what is in those plastic reverse osmosis machines. Am I wrong? My dad used to sell water filters and I know they weighed more than what's in that machine.

Yooper's right--just get a TDS meter and you can test the water. I'm linking to one below on Amazon....$18.99 with PRIME. It's the same form factor as mine, different color scheme.

I got mine when I bought my RO system from Buckeye Hydro.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07411DS95/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[The_Bishop]

When they made the malt they used the correct water profile for the style. They then boiled off most of the water leaving behind the right amount of minerals.
Using RO/Distilled returns it to the intended state.

I wish people would stop stating this.

I have tried a few times to contact extract manufacturers to try to figure out this information, to no avail.

My thoughts on it are this:

How the hell do they know what 'style' of beer you're making with the extract?

What seems more logical to me is the water is (at best) very lightly mineralized or (probably more likely) whatever minerals the local water supply contains.

Assuming that it'll be 'correct' for your style of beer seems to be a losing game.