Water Bottle

You need to know the starting point. Having all of the sources you mention, and not knowing what the content is for each one will not give you the best results. Better to use RO or Distilled and add the right amount of minerals that produces water tailored for the beer you are brewing.

 

Thank you.

 

Actually, I'm very interested in the chemistry. Thank you for your input.

 

If you are going to be brewing about 4 gallon batches then these work great if they a PET #1. I use these all the time now because I use the water to brew, ferment in the jug, and then return the jug, get my deposit back and repeat.

 

One point regarding extract brewing;the presence of minerals in the wort profoundly affects hop utilisation during the boil.If this is an issue then add salts to the RO or distilled water.

 

Distilled water, even without mineral additions, is fine (and maybe better*) for extract brewing, because the extract contains minerals from the water used to mash the grains from which the extract was extracted.

*I say maybe better, because this would depend on the original water profile and the style being brewed. Since the original water profile is generally not known, if I were doing extract brewing, I'd start with distilled water, and only add minerals to subsequent batches to improve flavor (or clarity) if needed.

 

Why is distilled water bad for brewing?

Water chemistry is still my weak point when it comes to brewing, especially with my tap water. I am thinking about starting to use distilled water (I don't have an RO filter) and adding in the minerals rather than adjusting my tap water.

 

Because its devoid of minerals, if you add the proper minerals to it then it's fine.

 

This is what I do for most styles. It gives me the most possible control over the outcome, and I don't have to worry about seasonal changes of mineral content in the water supply.

 

It is not bad for extract brewing.

For all grain it lacks the minerals needed for enzymatic conversion, Ca and Mg, it lacks flavor ions Cl and SO4, and it may not have the content to give the correct pH for the beer being brewed. That is why you need to add salts to get the right pH and flavor.

I buy RO water at the grocery store from a Culligan machine, and at $0.29 a gallon that is less than distilled water.

 

Gotcha, I read the post wrong. I thought he was saying it's not good to use distilled water even if you add brewing minerals.

 

Agreed. This is what I do. I take my 2-3 5 gallon jugs, and get them filled for .30 a gallon. I then add back what I removed, and start with a blank canvas. It's an easier starting point for me.

 

I think the better question is how do you brew all grain in New York City?