Removing chlorine from tap water.

[MashBag]

Nothing to do with water treatment (alkalinity and minerals)

Why should I add sodium or potassium metabisulphate to tap water to remove the chlorine?

My water is fine to drink.

My yeast works well in all concoctions and does not seem effected.

I don't have any off smells or tastes?

So what problem would I or should I be fixing?

 

[Stu's Brews]

If you have chlorine or chloramine in your brewing water then there is a high chance that polyphenols created during the brewing process will bind with them to form chlorophenols, which give a medicinal off-flavour.

There may be some sort of threshold on how much of either would be a problem but I have no idea what it is.

What I do know, from bitter experience back when I started out brewing, is that it tastes awful and makes a beer pretty much undrinkable.

 

[jof]

All I know is that adding a crushed Camden tab to the water even an hour before starting a brew works a treat with my tap water.

 

[Sadfield]

Why should I add sodium or potassium metabisulphate to tap water to remove the chlorine?

No reason if you don't have a problem. Although, doing so would be an insurance against the local authority increasing the level or changing the type of chlorination used. Or, switching your supply source with no notice.

I do think polyphenols from chlorine has the potential to be confused with fermentation issues. So, habitually using Sod. Met. rules out one variable when problem solving a phenolic off flavours.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I don't have any off smells or tastes?

So what problem would I or should I be fixing?

You don't have a problem. Don't worry about fixing it.

I don't do anything to remove the chlorine/chloramine either, and haven't done so in almost 20 years of brewing.

 

[Rwilts]

I never treated my water when I was kit brewing for years (did it cause issues? Not to me) . I did Camden tablet when I moved to BIAB , did I notice any difference, not really but overall the beer was better. Then I started full water chemistry treatment , did I notice a difference, not really! I think it's all subtle and definitely not necessarily, but as with all hobbies there is always something can buy, 'improve' or tweak

 

[homebrewdev]

All I know is that adding a crushed Camden tab to the water even an hour before starting a brew works a treat with my tap water.

Hi, are you saying crushed whole tablet like this? Next to aaa battery. The whole thing for 20 litres?

 

[Clarence]

Hi, are you saying crushed whole tablet like this? Next to aaa battery. The whole thing for 20 litres?

Even a quarter of that is more than enough for 20 litres. Fortunately you can't do any harm by using a single tablet.
Don't forget to do you sparge water as well.

 

[Rwilts]

Yep, I use a whole tablet for 20L well over the top but ....

 

[homebrewdev]

Lol cool. Finally I know the answer to the question that bothered me for a while now.... thanks

My next question gonna be about small batch brew like 9 litres.... going to have fun with dividing that tablet ☺ or simply gonna use 1/4 of that if no harm in doing so

 

[jof]

Yes. I use 1 tab divided in about 35l to cover mash & sparge.

 

[RichardM]

Lol cool. Finally I know the answer to the question that bothered me for a while now.... thanks

My next question gonna be about small batch brew like 9 litres.... going to have fun with dividing that tablet ☺ or simply gonna use 1/4 of that if no harm in doing so

You can buy it in powder form from the Malt Miller, that way you don't have to cut tablets up.

 

[Jim Brewster]

When you boil the water during the boil that removes the chlorine so it won't make it to the point of pitching the yeast, although I always use a Campden tablet anyway just to remove the potential of an off flavour from chlorine in the hot liquor for the mash and sparge stages. It'll also leave the water by itself at room temp although of course it takes longer. Chloramine isn't removed by the boil but if you had that in the water you would already have noticed it

 

[Agentgonzo]

When you boil the water during the boil that removes the chlorine anyway, although I always use a Campden tablet anyway just to remove the potential of an off flavour if there is any chlorine in any of the liquor

I think the point is that the chlorine will react with phenols in the mash (before the boil) to produce TCP and other nasty flavours which won't get boiled off. Or something along those lines

 

[MashBag]

Lol cool. Finally I know the answer to the question that bothered me for a while now.... thanks

My next question gonna be about small batch brew like 9 litres.... going to have fun with dividing that tablet ☺ or simply gonna use 1/4 of that if no harm in doing so

Crush it between two spoons, and then divide the powder.

 

[Spike.]

I live in Middlewich, Cheshire. The tapwater is undrinkable because of the Chlorine/Chloramide stench. it is pervasive even in a hot shower!

A sodium metabisu;phate tablet the evening before fixes it.

 

[MashBag]

I have learnt from my water company that chlorine becomes Chloramine when they add ammonia after disinfection.
Chloramine has no smell and taste, negating my opening comments.

Which leads me to think, boiling or standing won't remove Chloramine (only chlorine - which is anyway long gone anyway )

Might try a pitch of potassium metabisulphate and monitor the results. Although I do agree I am fixing a problem I don't think I have.

 

[Nashbrew]

I Live in a hard water area.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I tried all sorts of water experimentation and ended up back where I started with a drop of CRS.
Mash remember the hallucinogenic beer

 

[dad_of_jon]

Lol cool. Finally I know the answer to the question that bothered me for a while now.... thanks

My next question gonna be about small batch brew like 9 litres.... going to have fun with dividing that tablet ☺ or simply gonna use 1/4 of that if no harm in doing so

I use 1/2 a tablet crushed( not easy to crush mind) and bin the rest. I thought our area had moved to chloramine but apparently not. In the case of chloramine boiling wont remove it and in the case of chlorine I don't boil long enough to remove it and don't want to let the liquor sit overnight.

I used to use bottled water when it was 17p for 2 litres but no longer.

 

[Sozzled Sab]

Our water tastes and smells fine most of the time but occasionally when I have a glass of water the chlorine smell hits you before you take a sip so I always use a Campden.