Rain Water Brewing

[Ducatiboy stu]

It is very hard to predict the quality of water that results: as an example, I recently spent a couple of weeks in Qld looking after my elderly mother who has a roof collection tank. The water is unuseable without boiling due to Giardia from the possum ****: even when boiled it deposits a lot of iron, presumably due to the rust on the roof.

This is oh so true.

Rusty roofs and gutters kill water profile.

My last place had brand new galv iron and gutter, so the water was really good.

Also had a big fat 2ft x 4" 4 micron filter at the pump

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Rain near the coast can pick up a fair few salts, I used to collect data for a research project looking at salts along a gradient moving inland from the coast. Basically the further inland the less salt in the rain water. Comparatively speaking. Oils ain't oils and rainwater ain't rainwater.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Interesting as I am near the coast. but the rain always comes from the opposite direction

 

[good4whatAlesU]

If you're in Grafton your rain will be coming from multiple directions. Aa the water falls it will be passing through the atmosphere and taking on some of the minerals as it goes.

Edit; I was just a data flunky/ sample collector at the time out in Deniliquin, but they used to send me the salt maps from time to time, I'll have to try and dig one out it was quite interesting. Prior to synthetic fertilisers, many plants (natives especially) partially relied on nutrients and minerals coming in via rainwater (not to mention from salts accumulating in the soil profile).

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

If you're in Grafton your rain will be coming from multiple directions.

Mostly it just falls in a downward direction

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Rain near the coast can pick up a fair few salts, I used to collect data for a research project looking at salts along a gradient moving inland from the coast. Basically the further inland the less salt in the rain water. Comparatively speaking. Oils ain't oils and rainwater ain't rainwater.

True that.

For a while I did weekly water analyses on the town water in Bright, VIC, which is taken from the Ovens river and is thus mostly from the high country.The worst we saw was a TDS of around 28 ppm, roughly a third of a good day in Melbourne.

 

[Wolfman]

I love tank water.

As for adjusting the water profile...did it...not worth the stuffing around unless you want a really bold profile like Burton

Thanks for quoting something from nearly 5 years ago. I see things haven't evolved on here.

 

[Wolfman]

Rain water itself is effectively distilled water (after all it has evaporated from some water source and precipitated out of the vapour state, that's the definition of distillation).

The water in the tank, however, has passed over a collection surface, though a downpipe system and into the tank where it remains for a period which may be many months.

It is very hard to predict the quality of water that results: as an example, I recently spent a couple of weeks in Qld looking after my elderly mother who has a roof collection tank. The water is unuseable without boiling due to Giardia from the possum ****: when boiled it deposits a lot of iron, presumably due to corrosion of the roof surface.

Yer mate his is a brand new shed. Not a tree or possum to be seen. However he has another house tank he's been using and I suspect some of the issue could be this. It's good enough to drink but you he other tank would b better.

Rain near the coast can pick up a fair few salts, I used to collect data for a research project looking at salts along a gradient moving inland from the coast. Basically the further inland the less salt in the rain water. Comparatively speaking. Oils ain't oils and rainwater ain't rainwater.

Cheers mate. He's just south of Horsham so salt won't be an issue.

If you're in Grafton your rain will be coming from multiple directions. Aa the water falls it will be passing through the atmosphere and taking on some of the minerals as it goes.

Edit; I was just a data flunky/ sample collector at the time out in Deniliquin, but they used to send me the salt maps from time to time, I'll have to try and dig one out it was quite interesting. Prior to synthetic fertilisers, many plants (natives especially) partially relied on nutrients and minerals coming in via rainwater (not to mention from salts accumulating in the soil profile).

Good valuable information. Also great to have a real expert share knowledge.

True that.

For a while I did weekly water analyses on the town water in Bright, VIC, which is taken from the Ovens river and is thus mostly from the high country.The worst we saw was a TDS of around 28 ppm, roughly a third of a good day in Melbourne.

TDS? I guessing he's that means not much in the way of variability?

Thanks lads. I'll measure his pH for him and basically he has a blank canvas. Using Beersmith and adjusting his salts to style should see some improvement for him. Just got to get him to leave it the fermentor a little longer .

 

[malt junkie]

TDS: Total disolved solids.



Google is thy friend.

 

[Wolfman]

TDS: Total disolved solids.
Google is thy friend.

So many smart people on here.

TDS = Total dissolved solids would have been enough. The old google it is still in fashion I see. But thanks for the hot tip malt junkie.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Horsham will get a bit of dust (farm topsoil laden with minerals) draped over it from time to time (dry summers especially). You see it on your car after a dust storm, a bit of that will wash in the tank from time to time. Although I think some tanks have a mechanism to reject the first minute or so flow off a roof?

Dust can move a long way, did you know that the snow mountains in New Zealand occasionally glow orange with dust depositing on them from Australian desert / denuded farmland?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Thanks for quoting something from nearly 5 years ago. I see things haven't evolved on here.

Well the reason I said that was because I did try playing with additions with my rain water...and apart from way out there profiles like Burton I could not notice a difference in the beers

I often think brewers do things because they think its trendy..or they are hipsters..

I like the placebo effect

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Dust can move a long way, did you know that the snow mountains in New Zealand occasionally glow orange with dust depositing on them from Australian desert / denuded farmland?

The famous "terra rossa" of Coonawarra is composed of dust from the red centre deposited on top of the limestone.

Melbourne 1983, image courtesy ABC.

 

[Matplat]

So many smart people on here.

I think he was just offering you a friendly piece of advice, so that in future, you can find the answers you're looking for sooner....

 

[hellbent]

I'm a bit puzzled about people who worry about the water quality when using rainwater being contaminated by dust or rusty roofs, etc. and instead prefer to brew using water from the local supply.
Have you ever thought of how much rust and **** has built up in the water main to the property and the outlet pipes the water passes over before it goes into your kettle?
I renewed a lot of the water pipes around home recently and was horrified in what I saw, its a wonder water even got through them at all they were so clogged up with rust and crap.
Best Idea is just...make beer/drink beer/ be happy... filling your head with doubts about the water quality will have you searching for off tastes that probably aint even there .... Be honest after the first 3 or 4 schooners you wouldn't care if it was passed through a swaggies underpants, you'd still enjoy it !

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

As the say...if the water is good enough to drink, it is good enough to brew beer with

Sometimes people prefer to wag the dog

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

The famous "terra rossa" of Coonawarra is composed of dust from the red centre deposited on top of the limestone.

Melbourne 1983, image courtesy ABC.

Grew up in the Riverina. Saw plenty of dust storms as a kid