Water

[Rossco]

Im not happy with the taste of the water coming out of my taps. The house is old and im sure the pipes are even older.

Im sure I could filter it with something like waht adzmax has suggested, but for now I just buy two * 10L of bottled water containers.

That and I can put them in the fridge overnight to reduce the wort temp

 

[PartyPooper]

I use filtered water with my kits not because I have to but simply because a filter is already fitted to the kitchen tap anyway (it's one of those KMart jobbies with a replaceable carbon filter good for about 400-500 litres). The only downside is that it's slow at filling the fermenter - takes about 5 mins.

I thought about boiling the water after recently being informed that it removes dissolved oxygen but further reading has convinced me its not really worth it given that oxygen from the air dissolves back in as you wait for the water to cool.

 

[Airgead]

I'll throw something different into the mix - I brew with rainwater from my tank. Mostly because I'm a hippy. Not for any great benefit I think it brings to the beer. I run it through a charcoal filter because our neighbours have treeferns and if I don't I get *&%^# fern spore in my beer.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Farnk]

Tap water is the usual for me as I'm just brewing from kits.

For those in Melbourne, there is a fair variation in water, depending on which res your water is coming from. Sth Eastern and Eastern subs get water from the Thomson Dam, via Upper Yarra and Silvan. This is very clean water and undergoes very little in the way of treatment. North and Western subs get theirs from Sugarloaf, where Yarra water is pumped in. This water gets a fairly heavy treatment.

Of course if your house plumbing is old and rusty / clogged, you will get heaps of crap in your water irrespective of where it originates.

I have been experimenting with some brews using catchment water that is taken between the filtration stage and the treatment stage. (i.e bugs and crap removed, but before it gets hit with Chlorine, etc.)
One brew (cascade golden harvest) is fantastic, the other went south due to some sort of yeast issue.

The last brew I bottled used this water as well. It will be interesting to see how it goes in a few weeks.

 

[shonky]

I thought about boiling the water after recently being informed that it removes dissolved oxygen but further reading has convinced me its not really worth it given that oxygen from the air dissolves back in as you wait for the water to cool.

Hi partypooper,

You actually want oxygen in your water/wort when you are ready to pitch your yeast. It is at the 'hot side' of brewing for the AG and partial brewers where it is an issue and after around 24hrs after pitching when you want to avoid oxygen.

Couple of reasons why you might still boil and chill water used for kits is to remove chlorine and to kill any bugs that might be in it.

Cheers

 

[enoch]

I do tap water with a bit of Sodium Metabisulphate to drop out the chlorine/chloramine and some PH5.2 in the mash.
The former seems to work - I forgot it for the lastest Bitter and it just doesn't taste quite as good as usual (still OK though).
The 5.2 seems to be more of a faith thing although the break does seem to happen a lot sooner in the boil with it than without.

Edit: should have read from the start - obviously I'm talking AG not topping up a kit. I would be reluctant to use anything other than straight tap water or boiled and cooled for topping up.

 

[PartyPooper]

Hi partypooper,

You actually want oxygen in your water/wort when you are ready to pitch your yeast. It is at the 'hot side' of brewing for the AG and partial brewers where it is an issue and after around 24hrs after pitching when you want to avoid oxygen.

Couple of reasons why you might still boil and chill water used for kits is to remove chlorine and to kill any bugs that might be in it.

Cheers

Thanks for clearing that up shonky, muchly appreciated . I guess by having a filter attached to the kitchen tap, I don't need to worry about chlorine & bugs

 

[pcmfisher]

Until we recently got a filter, I didn't realize how much Adelaide water tastes and smells like crap.

Not only the chlorine, it smells like a swamp.

I don't know if its psychological, but I am sure I can taste swamp water in my beers.

My next brew will be using filtered water.

We shall see

 

[kram]

I do tap water with a bit of Sodium Metabisulphate to drop out the chlorine/chloramine... in the mash.

How much do you use? A 'pinch' like many recommend? I've been using 0.8gms after reading something on here.