I am getting a water softener and a RO system installed in my house. I’ve read in Jamills book that you should never use softened water for all grain brewing. Would I be able to use it if I made chemical additions to the water, and if so, what will I need to add?
The sodium content in softened water is too high, so unless you can get the water before it hits the softener, you’re kinda screwing yourself over with that one.
Why would you use the water-softener-derived water over the RO-derived water, anyhow?
I have softend water also and am looking to start all grain brewing. Can you dilute the water with distilled water to lower the sulfate content?
I mean sodium content
Why would you use the water-softener-derived water over the RO-derived water, anyhow?[/quote]
My hardness is bad enough that I have to run it through a softener before putting it through a RO unit. If I don’t, it’ll plug the RO unit.
Using a water softener prior to a RO system will reduce the amount of cleanings needed and will allow your RO system to work more efficiently. The RO system should remove the sodium.
But if you have concerns, you should be able bypass the softener.
Your RO will remove the sodium and any other minerals in your water. Its not 100% H2O but close, should be around 97-98% and this wouldn’t cause you any problems.
And if you get tired of guessing just send a sample of your water to Ward Labs and know for sure what it really is…
John
I think the water goes through the RO system first, then gets softened, hence the reason for this thread.
Not with most systems. They are typically used prior to the RO system in hard water areas. It will make the RO system run more efficiently and help reduce scaling in the membranes.
I suppose you could but I think you’d need more than 1:1, so it might be easier to just buy RO water at Walmart for $1.60/gal. Its a pain though.
Or figure out a way to get water prior to the softener, hard water can be diluted easier and has more applications than softened.
I guess the answer to the question is ultimately:
- Yes, use the RO water, and add minerals as necessary
- Or, buy RO water, and add minerals as necessary
- Or, send hard water to Wards Labs, get it tested, and adjust it as necessary (if possible).
I agree with others who have said to send a sample to ward labs - find out what you are really dealing with before trying to decide how to “fix” it.
I suppose you could but I think you’d need more than 1:1, so it might be easier to just buy RO water at Walmart for $1.60/gal. Its a pain though.
Or figure out a way to get water prior to the softener, hard water can be diluted easier and has more applications than softened.[/quote]
I think you are right. That’s what I often do, even tho my water hardness is minimal. I do it because of the other junk the city adds… like fluoride. My water, while not too bad tasting has a weird smell if left in a glass overnight. Don’t know what it is.
Anyhow, my question is… $1.60/gal at WalMart? That must be bottled water?? There are many stores in my area that have R/O water machines. Safeway (or whatever the local equivalent is) supermarkets have R/O water machines inside that spit out water, in your container, for about $0.35/gal.
Start this way and you can brew with it as is for extract brewing… or, if AG, you can build your water from a consistent base and have the proper mineral content for most beers. R/O water, to my understanding, is “naturally” soft. You build your hardness, etc from there.
$1.60 for 5gal, not 1gal. I see its now $1.85, so your price is about like mine. Around here Walmart’s bottle water is cheapest.
Use your water I’m in the same situation my water is 75 grains o hardness with iron on top of that. I’ve always brewed all grain for the last 8 years. I have a softener and then the water goes through my ro, all I’ve used in all that time is 5.2 in my mash tun, I’ve had no problems with hitting my gravity targets and my beers taste great (not just my friends and my opinion but several judges). Just the last couple of batches I’ve started to play with water chemistry. I would go ahead and buy 15 gallons from Walmart so that you have the jugs. I put a tee and valve between the ro tanks and the faucet so Thai can fill my jugs faster, I can get all 3 jugs filled in about 5 days with 2 of the small ro tanks
