Beer is only as good as the water??

The local municipal water system uses chloramines, therefore I have always used bottled spring water to brew with. I don't use distilled water as all the minerals have been removed. I have an R. O. (reverse osmosis) system which I have not as yet installed. This system has a sediment and charcoal filter prior to the R. O. system. Once I get that going will this watere be of good quality for brewing??

Reply to
gwoolam
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Wouldn't a filtration system, as you describe, remove mineral content which imparts subtle characteristics into the finished product? Anyone?

Rick

Reply to
voice of reason

RO water is not the best for beer. We have RO and even purer water availabe through the lab I'm in, and this stuff hardly even supports the yeast. I tested it one time, and it even messes up the mash; certain metals are required for the action of certain enzymes, and if the water is deficient in them, the enzymes won't work.

Stick with spring water, or make your own concotions based on known mineral content of water at the better breweries. This sounds simple, but it's not. Even in a lab where I have access to high-accuracy scales and high-purity salts, it's hard to get it right. And I'm used to making precise solutions. I'd reccommend sticking with the spring water.

J> The local municipal water system uses chloramines, therefore I have > always

Reply to
Jon Volmer

"Jon Volmer" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@track.earthlink.net:

Also if you're going to install that R.O. system, be sure to use cpvc (not copper or even regular pvc) to pipe it with. because with in a year or two the "purer" water will absorb the minerals from the copper adn it will turn to mush and you'll have to repipe it.

just a helpful hint.

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for info

Reply to
PackRat2112

More beer offers 6 regonal water contioning packs for ro and distilled water to minic water from several europen citys and one for clasic america beers

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Reply to
rpga

I hate to take issue with your statement bout RO water, but I can tell you as a probrewer of a 20 barrel brewery in FL, RO is what I use, and prior to being a pro brewer, I hombrewed for many years using distilled water. I would appreciate having a dialogue with you about water and share my experiences with you. It seems that you have a good grasp on water and mineral content. I will say that if it were ONLY the water that provides the necessary micronutrients for fermentation, then I would say yes, the water is not suitable, but this is not just water which can provide it. Have you checked out the micronutrient content of the malt itself? How do the brewers in Pilzen do it with such "poor" water?

Let's talk

Rob

Reply to
Rob Bernys

That link listed, among other things, gypsum. Which got me to thinking... (I know... it'll get me into trouble...)

Is there any difference in gypsum that you can buy at the LHBS and regular gypsum dust, say from gypsum wallboard? (food grade vs contractor grade, perhaps?) ;)

Steve

Reply to
freebeer-at-rogers-dot-com

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