Water - The Thread

[squeegeethree]

I'm fortunate that I live in a city with great water that is ready to brew with for most styles. Also our public water is rather affordable. I thought maybe a thread devoted to it as an ingredient might be nice. I just installed a APEC filter at work because nobody ever filled up our Britta pitcher (workmates don't trust our pipes). You can find all of the APEC systems on Amazon and they are reasonably priced
https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/products/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpPKBh8n24gIVx1SGCh3WvgGVEAAYASAAEgJAXvD_BwE

Since our water is good to begin with I got the simplest 3 stage filter with tap. Everyone at work is thrilled. They also make RO systems with UV sterilization if you need to go that route. RO is slow from my experience and not that useful in high demand situations. IMO shipping water is stupid, bottled water is a sin and everyone on the planet deserves clean drinking water as a human right.

[Grantmesteven]

Couldn't agree more that clean water is a human right

[wilcolandzaat]

Here on bonaire good water as well. Me confused reading the water book. To complicated for me.

[Rburrelli]

Just doing my first batch with adjustments today. Lots of reading beforehand. Doing distilled and basically some gypsum and calcium chloride. No acidification needed.

I hope it works. Doing a blonde ale. Five gallon batch,

[voodoo_donut]

My tap water pH is 7.6, so I always have to add lactic acid or citric acid, even with gypsum and CaCl addidtions. I don't brew a lot of stouts(any stouts) so on those I might not need acid....
My water is ok for brewing. I have on my to do list to update my water report with Ward's Lab. It's been a while.

The more reading you do(to a point, I find I get glassy eyed after awhile) and video study you do the better(I've said it before, there are some good you tube videos on applied water brewing chemistry,more helpful to me).

Of course there is no substitute for actual brewing water treatment, the more you do, the more comfortable you will become, and your brews will improve.

[sneezles61]

Some things that just haunt my questions...
I wonder HOW it became the idea to alter there water... I surely had to happen BEFORE all this science of water... Perhaps, even chasing after taming the off flavors in the lighter brews that made the scientist take note and then the water altering began?
I believe, the boiling before brewing, IS the beginning to water altering... Once I can push my old gas rig out of the shed, I need to brew with pre-boiled water... I think after its boiled say... 10 minutes, I could rack off my total quantity to BIAB system... I'm trying to use a simple gizmo, TDS meter, to find... where is the sweet spot for light colored brews..
The quest continues..
Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

For the Bohemian Pilsner after doing water calcs i cut my water with distilled done. German and American Pils i dont adjust at all. They all get acid malt

[sneezles61]

I've been doing that for quite a few brews.. It does get to be a PITA getting and disposing of the jugs...
Lets try to surmise it like this... When its colder out, boiling and the such MAY be very viable... When its warm, then the water in a jug is the better alternative.
Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

You could just get am RO filter. I don't think boiling the water is not the same thing as distilled

[sneezles61]

Correct... But then, using distilled water, you are just stomping down your well water.
To alter the RA... that is the key.. Boiling does do just that...
Sneezles61

[voodoo_donut]

You Bumping this thread may give me the kick in the pants to finally get my water retested at Wards....since my last post above we've moved....locally....same general water source but my test was in 2014-2015 time frame.....

[sneezles61]

Im going to really stretch my neck out and put it in a noose..
Residual Alkalinity/RA is the "whole" factor to great light colored brews.
You do need to have minerals... but not much.. TDS... I'm looking for that "number area".
RA isn't of much concern with darker and hoppy-er brews...
Do we need to fool with adding a teaspoon of this or that? I'm really out to lunch.. BUT...
the style along with the grainbill... THAT is going to dictate the finished brew...
I hope this gets more of your thoughts..
Sneezles61

[dannyboy58]

If they all get acid malt then "I don't adjust at all" isn't quite accurate is it? I hear ya...That's all I'm doing for my lagers now. IPA's I only add gypsum to increase sulfates. I'd do more if necessary but according to Brunwater this gets me pretty spot on for the styles I brew most.

[squeegeethree]

A good RO water filter wastes just as much water as it filters (and the bad ones waste even more than they filter). I really want one but that really bothers me

[Rburrelli]

Preboiling will reduce residual alkalinity as long as there is also sufficient calcium in your water to allow the bicarbonate to precipitate as chalk ( which must then be removed before brewing or it will reabsorb into the water).

I just installed a RO system as my water is very high in chloride which meant diluting so much that it was not worth it. I agree with the waste issue, but if you can find other uses for the runoff it helps you feel better.

[sneezles61]

I was going to try boiling just out of doors where I brew... Then to pump the boiled water into my mash... While thats happening, boil more water to get to my total targeted amount..
I've seen/heard that adding acid for mash pH is suppose to be the cure for all... I don't agree... A very light Pils will still become "weighted" down from the Alkalinity (ground up sea shells, coral and such)... That stuff needs to be minimal... Part of its make up IS calcium... Hence the Ca in Bicarbonate.. Once you remove the "magical" calcium number, then your left with RA...
I'll bet back centuries ago, water was boiled for drinking because it was so bad, they adopted that for brewing... Someone realized the brews tasted better.. There really wasn't any sort of chemistry going on with most of the breweries.. I'd bet, from their findings back then, chemistry then started its journey...
Perhaps Squeegee, with his knowledge and expertise with the PC will find some info... and debunk me... A swift kick in the shins... "get the story right".
Sneezles61

[dannyboy58]

Yea that's a bunch of malarkey but if you're having fun keep ruminating. If you think pre-boiling your water eliminates the need to adjust mash pH you're completely misinformed.

[squeegeethree]

I have heard most of our "founding fathers" were drunk by noon because, as you stated, the hard cider and ale they drank was safer then the water... which they had F'ed up by deficating in like drunken idiots.

[sneezles61]

Oh no... Ive not said that or even hinted at that... pH adjustment is needed for the lighter brews... and many others in the "paler" category ...
What I'm pointing out... solely for those that are NOT aware, is the water needs to be manipulated with to produce an above average brew very light brew...
Sneezles61

[sneezles61]

Bru'n'water has some reading materials... Just was there for half an hour reading... great info..
Sneezles61