Spring water

[Leglesstwot]

I have a spring locally that pumps crystal clear water out 365 days a year. I kit brew and have often wondered if I would get a better beer using this spring water. I have bottled some tonight and tested it with my aquarium water testers, pH is between 6 and 6.4, 0 chloride, general hardness is less than 7 and carbonate hardness 3, nitrate and nitrite 0. If boiled first would this improve my beer?

 

[Slid]

You should be able to get an analysis of the tap water of your water supplier from their website or by direct request. It would then be possible to compare the two options by reference to the sort of beer style you are intending.

I know very little about this as the water I am supplied with in Bolton seems fine to me. However I was in Watford over the weekend (Pottering about) and I can understand why a HB'er living there would think twice about making beer from basically slightly nasty tasting water. :whistle:

 

[Personal91]

I have a spring locally that pumps crystal clear water out 365 days a year. I kit brew and have often wondered if I would get a better beer using this spring water. I have bottled some tonight and tested it with my aquarium water testers, pH is between 6 and 6.4, 0 chloride, general hardness is less than 7 and carbonate hardness 3, nitrate and nitrite 0. If boiled first would this improve my beer?

is it tastey though?

 

[mattellis70]

Not too sure how to interoperate the numbers. I generally read water chemistry in ppm. But as stated earlier if it tastes good then go for it. I would get it tested for iron content. Small levels can ruin a beer. Recommend searching Ward Labs. They offer a complete Brewers analysis inexpensively.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Slid]

is it tastey though?

Probably the best question of all! If it tastes "sympathetic" to your beer preferences, it should be fine.

 

[Personal91]

Probably the best question of all! If it tastes "sympathetic" to your beer preferences, it should be fine.

this is it, taste is probably the most important factor :)

especially as each persons taste buds are a bit different

 

[Cqr]

I brew with spring water, Harty ferry faversham
Tastes lovely
I keep meaning to get it tested

 

[Cwrw666]

My water supply is straight from a spring up the mountain above us. Very acid water. Never noticed any problems with the taste of homebrew made from it, but there again we're used to the taste of the water.
But we do have to boil it all for homebrew as it's basically a colliform soup... Basically diluted sheep s**t.

 

[Simonh82]

My water supply is straight from a spring up the mountain above us. Very acid water. Never noticed any problems with the taste of homebrew made from it, but there again we're used to the taste of the water.
But we do have to boil it all for homebrew as it's basically a colliform soup... Basically diluted sheep s**t.

I was going to suggest getting the water tested for more than just brewing. It seems sensible to get the quality tested for bacteria/viruses and for things like pesticide residue.

Bear in mind that by boiling you can be concentrating any such residues in the finished beer.