Rainwater? Good or bad

[Ghizo]

Hi all I have just moved into a new house and while I have town water I also a good sized water tank, is this any good for brewing? Or better to use tap water?

 

[user 36151]

Are u in populated area if so may not be a good idea, pollution settles on roof and washes into tank rural areas with a correct plumbing would be fine taste it and compare with tap water

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Made my best beers with tank water.


Had 70,000 Ltrs across 3 tanks on my old place, cant beet rain water. :super:


I miss that place

 

[Benn]

I use rainwater from the holiday house next door, no problems that I've noticed. I pour it straight into the fermenting vessel (extract brewer) without pre boiling and haven't had any infection issues etc.

 

[leighaus]

if it tastes good as a water, it should taste good as beer.
i have filtered water and mains water at my house. The mains water is actually quite good where i am, so i dont bother with that much filtered water (just for additional time really). I did use it once, but didn't notice anything drastic asides from more time spent.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My best beer done with rain water was SAAZ Pale Ale

5% light crystal
10% wheat
Ale Malt

SAAZ 6%AA

SG 1055

IBU 35ish

27ish IBU @ 60m
5ish IBU @10-15m
5ish IBU at 5-0m

Yeast.


Note. Proper SAAZ is very low in AA% so you need a lot.

 

[superstock]

So, the birds & possums don't poop on your roof, the frogs don't live in the rotting leaves in the gutters and nothing washes off the roof material itself?
Wouldn't take the chance myself. If you must use, boil first.

 

[Benn]

A bit off topic but...I opened a pouch of Saaz pellets that I bought the other day and they smelt quite different to other hops I've smelt. They smelt more earthy and woody than bright and "hoppy" is that typical of Saaz? I've never smelt them before.

 

[spog]

Helps build up your immune system.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

So, the birds & possums don't poop on your roof, the frogs don't live in the rotting leaves in the gutters and nothing washes off the roof material itself?
Wouldn't take the chance myself. If you must use, boil first.

I had frogs living in my tanks.

Thats are sure fire way of telling if the water is good

Water was always really sweet to taste....I used to go into town and think the water was make of concrete

 

[Mozz]

Not so sure about that Ducati Stu. Currently fighting with about 5 green tree frogs for the dunny bowl at the moment. [emoji37]

 

[rockeye84]

Done 40+ brews with rain water, with salt additions of course, never an issue.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Not so sure about that Ducati Stu. Currently fighting with about 5 green tree frogs for the dunny bowl at the moment. [emoji37]

Bastard things they are...

Had them in both inside toilets....

Used to love turning the verandah lights on and then turning it off after and hour and watch the frogs have a feast of insects

 

[real_beer]

Not so sure about that Ducati Stu. Currently fighting with about 5 green tree frogs for the dunny bowl at the moment. [emoji37]

When one of my mates had a party at his house in the 70's we used to hang out close to the under house toilet and wait for the screams of horror from the girls using it for the first time as thy flushed the three resident frogs from under the rim into the bowl. Great fun and it never got old :lol:

 

[Mozz]

 

[real_beer]

I think Chernobyl rainwater would encourage some interesting new yeast mutations! Giant cells that can ferment a brew in 6 hours and fart so much carbon dioxide you could backfill a CO2 bottle. You'd probably have to re-enforce the fermenter with carbon fibre though.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1445946999.707071.jpg

Yep....been there.....etc...etc....

 

[manticle]

You've been to Mozz's loo?
I hope with permission.

 

[Cervantes]

I used to use rain water, but then bought an RO unit.

When I dismantled the rain water butt and saw the crap in the bottom I was pleased that I'd switched.

And I live out in the sticks and have gutter guard fitted.

But to be fair the beer made with rain water was always very good...............

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You've been to Mozz's loo?
I hope with permission.

I just want to know how he knew where I lived so he could take that photo

 

[rockeye84]

I used to use rain water, but then bought an RO unit.

When I dismantled the rain water butt and saw the crap in the bottom I was pleased that I'd switched.

And I live out in the sticks and have gutter guard fitted.

But to be fair the beer made with rain water was always very good...............

Did you notice any improvement switching from rainwater to RO water? Just made the switch my self. Yet to taste my brew, RO water def has less taste than rainwater.

 

[Aces High]

Your tap water goes through old crappy pipes for hundreds of kms. How could you think that was cleaner than tank water. Tank water is great to brew with, tastes so clean compared to fluoridated tap water

 

[Midnight Brew]

I'm all for rainwater brewing and used it for a while now with salt additions to suit the profile of the beer. When it comes from your roof you do need to be aware if the roof has any lead flashings, as this renders the water undrinkable.

 

[spog]

Tell that to the population of Port Pirie.
The way the media was beating it up years back they were dropping dead in the street.
I've a relo over there who is rail thin but weighs 160 kg.

 

[Spohaw]

Check your ph and use salt additions

I've been using rain water and my beers have been coming out astringent and acidic , entered beers in the wa state beer comp and "check your water" was the main comment I got back

My rain water turned out to be a bit acidic .... Lower than the ph strips and a water hardness test kit that I was given could read

Done two brews since with salt additions and 5.2ph stabiliser , I got a better mash efficiency for the last two brews ...... Hope this fixes the problems I've had

I boil all the water I use as well

I'm hoping these next two beers will be light years on previous ones ..... Not so acidic

 

[MHB]

Same answer as you would get to the question "Tapwater? Good or bad"
Short answer is maybe - it will depend on whether or not the water is good!
Mark

 

[Mozz]

Jokes aside and getting off topic. Sorry couldn't resist. Tank water would be great. It's going to be very soft requiring salt additions if you're mashing as said above but that is controllable, and then it's boiled anyway. If you're adding it straight to the fermenter without boiling? Experiment I guess. Even though it's not disinfected the microbial flora might be fine. Tap water is not sterile anyway and kit brewers add that straight to fermenters. Who cares about a few extra organics. Darwin has great water and comes with special saltwater croc additions.

 

[RdeVjun]

Fellas, putting all the hilarity and OT aside, being the wet blanket, this would be AHB's Kits & Extract board, so presume that the OP is not mashing with his rainwater but most likely diluting tins of goop with it.
I would urge caution using rainwater in a kit scenario as the microbiology may be unkind. IIRC its been done to death here before, but the take home message is that some treatment (eg. boiling it, Campden tabs etc.) may be worthwhile but many brewers use it straight from the tap without any problems.
A simple experimental batch without any rainwater treatment would be a pragmatic way to find out- if it's satisfactory and not infected then there's the answer, if not then it is time to work out if the infection is from the rainwater or something else perhaps (ie. a process of elimination).

 

[Bribie G]

New place has a handy sized tank, I'll be boiling mine first ... not a biggie, just let it cool in urn to 68 then away we go.

 

[Spohaw]

I'd still be looking at the ph with K&k brews , acidic water would still lead to acidic brews I think

Even though my gutters have been cleaned a few times living on a rural style block we get a lot of leaves and stuff in the gutters which have leeched into our tank

The water has turned a noticeable yellow colour , I'm thinking that's what has changed my water ph to 6 down to round 4