Treated water vs plain filtered tap water

[andyfarke]

@hopfenundmalz

@mabrungard

Most water supplies have more alkalinity then desirable for brewing pale beers and adding acid to neutralize alkalinity, will have a profound effect on their pale beers.  Crisper and brighter flavored beers will be the result.  As reported by txflyguy, it is worth your attention.

This was definitely my experience here in the greater Los Angeles area, where our tap water has an incredible bicarbonate load (between 144 and 210 ppm bicarbonate, depending on the time of year). For years, I had issues with flabby blonde ales and pale lagers, and once I started getting serious about neutralizing alkalinity or building from RO, I noticed a big difference.

Andy, you don’t  know what some of us have in the Midwest do you? My bicarbonate is 364 ppm. Others report higher, even over 400ppm. RO water allowed me to make crisp lagers.

I had blocked that out of my mind, ha! The well water at my grandparents’ place had a ton of carbonates; thankfully our farm was on rural water from when I was a pretty young age! Growing up in my part of eastern South Dakota, well water could be either really awesome, or pretty awful! Dad brews with rural water (mostly taken from the Missouri), and it is excellent with minimal treatment.

[TXFlyGuy (Bel Air Brewing)]

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

Adding a few grams of this and that did seem to make a difference, but it’s impossible to know for sure.

But the last German Pils we brewed and put in the keg a week ago using treated water, has all of us excited. It will be entered in a contest the end of this month.

[erockrph]

@hopfenundmalz

@mabrungard

Most water supplies have more alkalinity then desirable for brewing pale beers and adding acid to neutralize alkalinity, will have a profound effect on their pale beers.  Crisper and brighter flavored beers will be the result.  As reported by txflyguy, it is worth your attention.

This was definitely my experience here in the greater Los Angeles area, where our tap water has an incredible bicarbonate load (between 144 and 210 ppm bicarbonate, depending on the time of year). For years, I had issues with flabby blonde ales and pale lagers, and once I started getting serious about neutralizing alkalinity or building from RO, I noticed a big difference.

Andy, you don’t  know what some of us have in the Midwest do you? My bicarbonate is 364 ppm. Others report higher, even over 400ppm. RO water allowed me to make crisp lagers.

I had blocked that out of my mind, ha! The well water at my grandparents’ place had a ton of carbonates; thankfully our farm was on rural water from when I was a pretty young age! Growing up in my part of eastern South Dakota, well water could be either really awesome, or pretty awful! Dad brews with rural water (mostly taken from the Missouri), and it is excellent with minimal treatment.

I’ve had the same experience with wells here in New England. Growing up I lived just a half mile uphill from a limestone quarry, and our well was pretty old and relatively shallow. Our shower head grew stalactites on a regular basis, and our tap water tasted a bit like skim milk. The house I’m in now is less than 10 miles away from that house as the crow flies, but we have a deep well and our water is fairly soft.

[fredthecat]

@TXFlyGuy

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

That is lucky. But heck, many traditional classic examples of german pilsners have been brewed using local water supplies. I guess your water supply just creates excellent examples of classic german pilsners.

[TXFlyGuy (Bel Air Brewing)]

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

That is lucky. But heck, many traditional classic examples of german pilsners have been brewed using local water supplies. I guess your water supply just creates excellent examples of classic german pilsners.

A small craft brewery in our town commented that the water profile of the city tap water is well suited to a variety of beers.
So yes, we are very lucky indeed.

[fredthecat]

@TXFlyGuy

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

That is lucky. But heck, many traditional classic examples of german pilsners have been brewed using local water supplies. I guess your water supply just creates excellent examples of classic german pilsners.

A small craft brewery in our town commented that the water profile of the city tap water is well suited to a variety of beers.
So yes, we are very lucky indeed.

the water comes from lake lewisville and lake ray roberts apparently, and its got chloramine rather than chlorine.

[TXFlyGuy (Bel Air Brewing)]

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

That is lucky. But heck, many traditional classic examples of german pilsners have been brewed using local water supplies. I guess your water supply just creates excellent examples of classic german pilsners.

A small craft brewery in our town commented that the water profile of the city tap water is well suited to a variety of beers.
So yes, we are very lucky indeed.

the water comes from lake lewisville and lake ray roberts apparently, and its got chloramine rather than chlorine.

Chloramine is not listed on my City water report, from either LL or RR.
It does show Chloride - LL @ 20.13
                                  RR @ 15.87

Pretty sure our filter catches this.

[fredthecat]

@TXFlyGuy

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

@fredthecat

@TXFlyGuy

That has been our experience, brewing with the local water supply, with little or no treatment. The beers have ranged from good to very good.

That is lucky. But heck, many traditional classic examples of german pilsners have been brewed using local water supplies. I guess your water supply just creates excellent examples of classic german pilsners.

A small craft brewery in our town commented that the water profile of the city tap water is well suited to a variety of beers.
So yes, we are very lucky indeed.

the water comes from lake lewisville and lake ray roberts apparently, and its got chloramine rather than chlorine.

Chloramine is not listed on my City water report, from either LL or RR.
It does show Chloride - LL @ 20.13
                                  RR @ 15.87

Pretty sure our filter catches this.

if youre in the dallas area, you likely (not 100%?) have chloramine in the water. do you use campden tabs?

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Yes - the City of Dallas uses chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) as a disinfectant.

water_quality_information

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

@TXFlyGuy

the water comes from lake lewisville and lake ray roberts apparently, and its got chloramine rather than chlorine.

Sure that’s not Ray Hubbard?  I went to school overlooking that lake (Lakeview HS).

[TXFlyGuy (Bel Air Brewing)]

@Buckeye_Hydro

Yes - the City of Dallas uses chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) as a disinfectant.
water_quality_information

Yes, the City Of Denton uses that. And thank goodness, my water filter removes ammonia! We are about 25 miles north of DFW Airport.

[TXFlyGuy (Bel Air Brewing)]

@BrewBama

@TXFlyGuy

the water comes from lake lewisville and lake ray roberts apparently, and its got chloramine rather than chlorine.

Sure that’s not Ray Hubbard?  I went to school overlooking that lake (Lakeview HS).

Our water supply is from Lake Ray Roberts, and Lake Lewisville (Lake Dallas).