RO water for beer ?

[Scaff]

hi all

after a long time away, im back making pop.

i have a 100gal a day RO machine {keen marine fish keeper} im thinking....ideal for beer production, or does the water have too much stripped out of it by the RO machine?

has anyone sucessfully made good tasting beer with RO water ?



thanks


scaff

 

[rodwha]

You could certainly use RO water but it'll need nutrients put back in to it. Yeast will need a bit of calcium and magnesium for health, and you'll want sulfite, chloride, and a little salt for flavor. And then there's the bicarbonate levels of which you'll need more of if making a darker beer. Light beers are good to go with very low bicarbonate levels.

I'm just beginning to learn about water and what's needed.

 

[Scaff]

I'm trying it 50/50 with tap water


Scaff

 

[rodwha]

Do you have a water report for your local water? This will tell you all you need to know.

 

[mabrungard]

Yes, you can make fine beer when starting with RO water. But it can still be very important to make adjustments to that water for brewing use. There is a decent summary of things to consider about brewing with RO water on the Bru'n Water Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brun-Water/464551136933908). Look for the article on "Do I need to worry about adjusting RO water?"