Using 5 gallon jugs of water instead of tap

I am just wondering what the thoughts are on using a jug of water like for a water cooler for making wort instead of using tap… my tap water in my dorm tastes like crap…

If your tap is crap, don’t use it. Or at least run it through a charcoal filter.

If the water tastes like crap as water, it will probably taste like crap as beer. Though if you know more about the tap water in question there could be things you can do to fix it.

Yes, store bought water is usually great. If you can take a look at what is in the bottled water it could help.

I find most bottled waters where I am are fairly neutral mineral wise, and very good for brewing. However, not all are the same and you can find the odd one that is less optimal than others.

Only downside is cost as opposed to free tap water. I don’t use my local tap water because it is very hard. Otherwise I would prefer free.

Avoid distilled water unless you plan on adding your own minerals.

I think some guys on this forum (Ken Leonard?) use distilled to cut their local stuff down to optimal hardness which seems like a pretty good idea if the ppm work out.

I should add that my beer improved imensely when I started using better water.

How does your beer taste? If you feel there is room for improvement you could try changing water. It obviously adds a bit of cost but is easier than messing with additives and if it helps it’s worth the extra five bucks or whatever water costs.

I do pretty much extract brewing. My tap water tastes fine so I use it in the initial partial boil. For topping up to 5+ gallons I use the 2.5 gallon jugs of spring water with the built in tap that have been in the freezer for a few hours. It’s clean water and pretty cold so it helps me get to pitching temp quicker, too. For about $2, it’s worth it to me. If you do use bottled water for the whole batch, make an allowance for evap from the boil. You’ll need at least 6 gallons I’d say