What Water to Use?

[Boleslaw]

I'm considering starting a batch of Mead for next year Fall and considering what water to use. I was thinking of using my unfiltered well water. Thoughts?:confused.

 

[Drewed]

Do you like the taste of your well water? If so use it. You really only need to worry about municipal water sources as they tend to add chlorine and other bug killers to the water.

 

[growlrr]

At a minimum it should be two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen.

 

[Lefou]

Good question.
Does anyone really take their water seriously for wine or meads? I would, but it's generally less of a concern unless you're brewing beer. I brew beer and pay attention to my water's mineral composition for a couple reasons. The first one is yeast health. Yeast requires calcium and free amino acids for good propagation. Malt rich wort with a bit of calcium chloride added to the brewing water helps out, but wine must might come up short, so this is why many wine or mead makers add nutrient additions.
The second reason beer brewers take mineral composition into account is balancing malt sweetness with hops. This is something you won't need to worry about with mead if you aren't hopping or spicing.
Bottom line, if you have good chlorine-free water to drink it will be ok for mead.

 

[Drewed]

At a minimum it should be two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen.

But two hydrogen and two oxygen would be bad.

Good question.
Does anyone really take their water seriously for wine or meads? I would, but it's generally less of a concern unless you're brewing beer. ....
Bottom line, if you have good chlorine-free water to drink it will be ok for mead.

I think it is less of an issue for meads, as the honey is so lacking in any yeast nutrient that we tend to add all the nutrients that the yeast need regardless of what may or may not be in the water already.

 

[ike8228]

I used filtered bottle water (Niagara), bring to a boil, cool to 160-170 before adding honey. I usually add about 1/4 tsp of nutrient per gallon of Mead. I don't usually use nutrient when doing melomels, as the fruit has sufficient nutrients in itself, and I have had no issues so far. I am of the fruit in during the primary boat. If you add fruit at secondary you probably want to add nutrient for primary.

 

[growlrr]

If I remember my chemistry. it would get really bubbly when you tried to drink it....or you could decide to go blond instead...

 

[MarkKF]

All I know is I use mineral water right outta the ground instead of tap water with chlorine & fluoride.

 

[robson1015]

At a minimum it should be two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen.

That's funny !!