What Water Do You Use

[freakshow10mm]

Nope. Does your tap water make you sick?

Not talking about us getting sick, the beer being infected by bacteria and minerals from the water. There are things in water that are fine to drink but will ruin the beer. That's what he was talking about.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Does that make your water/beer taste chlorinated?

Haha, no, I'm not adding chlorine. I'm treating for chlorine and chloramine, not with them. I use campden tablets (sodium metabisulfate). One tablet clears 20 gallons of water. My water smells like a swimming pool if I don't use it. Afterwords, my tap water tastes and smells pretty good.

 

[muse435]

Haha, no, I'm not adding chlorine. I'm treating for chlorine and chloramine, not with them. I use campden tablets (sodium metabisulfate). One tablet clears 20 gallons of water. My water smells like a swimming pool if I don't use it. Afterwords, my tap water tastes and smells pretty good.

I should have read more clearly

 

[knotquiteawake]

I don't like the taste of my tap water so I wouldn't use it in brewing.
I just buy the $0.99 per gallon albertsons "spring water" and that seems just fine for my uses in partial mash.

 

[Airborneguy]

Brewing is the only hoppy I've been around where people obsess about being cheap.

It's not always being cheap. Why would I buy water when my tap water produces great beer? Bottled water has no inherent aspect that makes it better than tap. In a lot of cases, you are merely buying a filtered version of your tap water anyway.

 

[GuldTuborg]

^^^ Several bottled waters in my area state on the label which municipal water supply they use. Many of them are just steam distilling or filtering someone else's tap water (or maybe even yours). I'm not claiming you shouldn't use bottled water, just that it's often nothing special or different from standard tap water, once treated for a few remaining nasties.

 

[tucsonmike]

I have hard water, so I use 1/2 tap water(for mash) and 1/2 RO water. It's been working good.

 

[azscoob]

I have hard water, so I use 1/2 tap water(for mash) and 1/2 RO water. It's been working good.

I have had pretty good luck with a 50/50 ratio myself, makes for a fantastic ESB!

 

[ktm250]

I have always used untreated tap water. Never have had an infection. My well is hand dug, 20 ft. deep, 130 yrs old., filled in with 57's and 2's and covered. We get it tested for nitrates and such every couple of years due to the fact that we live in a village where everybody has a well and a septic system on their half acre lots.

 

[cklages]

I selected other. Usually I get my water from an artesian well in a ditch about 50 miles south of town. That stuff is crystal clear, cold and tastes awesome, but is pretty light on the minerals. I've started adding a bit of calcium to try to keep the haze down, but that is subject to some further experimentation.

My latest batch is an experiment with my 'tap' water which is just untreated lake water. I am interested to see if I can detect any off flavours or odours, but seeing that I shower in the stuff, I might not be the best judge. Of course its not like I enter competitions, so if I can't taste it then who cares...kind of a tree falling in a forest that nobody hears.

 

[gio]

I use brita filtered water. I have one of the small pitchers (like 1 quart) and it takes FOREVER. I usually filter and then boil 8 gallons the night before I brew. It takes several hours. I'm not really sure why I do it. I think I'm going to stick to simply boiling the water beforehand especially if the brita is removing essential minerals.

 

[HDChef]

Tap from a well, with a chlorinator and filter system

Tastes good and brews good

 

[superjunior]

our well water taste and smells like ass. I wouldn't drink it and definitely won't brew with it. turns our appliances orange. we have to invest in a water softener but thats a large chunk of change. so for now we're brewing with ro water (at $.35 a gallon) or some clean tap water brought over from a buddies house

 

[cactusgarrett]

My response isn't captured in the options. I use water pre-tap (before it goes to the water softener) mixed with DI water. EVERY batch i do is made with water cut at LEAST in half with DI due to my city water being so hard.