so I was at the local culligan water store this weekend to see if I could buy RO water from them. well It was to expensive but what I did find out is that the RO refill stations in the local food stores used to be installed and maintained buy them,“culligan” and it used to be real RO water. now they do not maintain them any more it may say RO but most likely is just filtered water. so do not believe what you read on those water stations to be the truth.
Now on the pole I voted RO but I guess I still do not know what kind of water I’ve been getting at the refill stations. the stuff probably has chorine in it. witch would explain some of my beers tastes.
I currently use my tap water. I have yet to get a water report and get into additions, but it is one of my 2014 brewing goals.
Jugs of “purified” (not distilled) water from Target. The water softener in my house is gross, and I’m too lazy/impatient to sort out water chemistry. Seems like a happy medium to me. Sounds like I’m in the minority, though, so I’m sure someone could convince me to take on water additions at some point.
Are you referring to the store brand water that is labeled as “drinking water?” If so, check the fine print. It is very possibly from a local/regional source that has been filtered (possibly with RO) with minerals added for flavor.
I thought about buying distilled vs. “drinking” water and decided to go with distilled since the price is the same and the ion level is probably be more predictable (in theory, it should be zero). My SOP is to pick up a couple gallons of distilled whenever I go to the grocery store, Target, etc.
Are you referring to the store brand water that is labeled as “drinking water?” If so, check the fine print. It is very possibly from a local/regional source that has been filtered (possibly with RO) with minerals added for flavor.
I thought about buying distilled vs. “drinking” water and decided to go with distilled since the price is the same and the ion level is probably be more predictable (in theory, it should be zero). My SOP is to pick up a couple gallons of distilled whenever I go to the grocery store, Target, etc.[/quote]
I’m sure it is basically tap water through a filter. I choose that over distilled because I want some mineral content. I just can’t be bothered to do the math.
[quote=“uberculture”]
I’m sure it is basically tap water through a filter. I choose that over distilled because I want some mineral content. I just can’t be bothered to do the math.[/quote]
I used bottled “drinking water” for my first couple AG batches. It does not have enough mineral content for flavor enhancement and yeast health. My beer improved a lot when I switched to tap water and started using Bru’nWater. It’s worth checking out. No real math involved. Just plug numbers into cells on the spreadsheet.
I used bottled for my first couple extract batches but when I switched to all grain I read somewhere…probably here that if your water tastes good, use it!
Which I do now. I have a well (415 feet Denny! :cheers: )
I have been reading up on water recently and will probably try a few things if I can find my water report.
[quote=“Kgetch”]I read somewhere…probably here that if your water tastes good, use it!
[/quote]
That’s flawed advice as a standalone statement. If your water tastes good AND you have the data to modify it for a given recipe (to achieve proper pH and ion concentrations for flavor and yeast health), use it. 
I’ve always used tap water. I am going to be switching to either all bottled water or 50/50 tap and bottled. Tried to figure out Bru’n Water once. Damn near sold all of my gear and gave up the hobby. Water chemistry is definitely not in my future.
I use distilled because the store where I usually buy my water from stopped carrying RO for some reason.
I’ve made great beer with my tap water before as well, though it needs to be treated with Camden tablets to remove chloramines.
That’s about how I feel about the subject. I brew pretty loosy goosey, so all the chemistry just makes me want to give up. I’m sure I’m holding back my beer’s potential in some way or another, which does bug me, but I just can’t even get myself in the right state of mind to learn about this stuff.
You don’t have to learn a lot about water chemistry or even understand it to use Bru’n Water. Its really this simple:
Get water report
Enter your water profile in Bru’n Water
Choose profile (ie amber malty for amber ale)
Enter brewing additions until you get close to your target profile
Look at sparge addition and total mash make up page which will show probable pH
Its really that simple.
i use tap water with campden tablets. Never had any issues and have made great award winning beers from it.
[quote=“Loopie Beer”]You don’t have to learn a lot about water chemistry or even understand it to use Bru’n Water. Its really this simple:
Get water report
Enter your water profile in Bru’n Water
Choose profile (ie amber malty for amber ale)
Enter brewing additions until you get close to your target profile
Look at sparge addition and total mash make up page which will show probable pH
Its really that simple.[/quote]
So if you just buy all distilled, do you start with all zeroes? Or change the distilled percentage to 100? The PH thing totally baffles me.
[quote=“uberculture”]
So if you just buy all distilled, do you start with all zeroes? Or change the distilled percentage to 100? The PH thing totally baffles me.[/quote]
I asked that same question previously and Martin replied that he just changes the dilution percentage to 100%. That will zero everything out. Just be sure to make that same adjustment on the Sparge tab.
Ditto from Cleveland.
From October to May, just tap water with some added Camden and gypsum/CaCl depending on what I’m brewing. This water is super soft so pretty much a blank slate. May to October is blended with the Missouri River water so I’ll cut with more RO as necessary.
