Our water is not disgusting - we have one of the best water qualities in the country. You can notice chlorine in the morning, but later, it clears. ours comes from the dam, and sunlight kills chlorine. Husband has made beer for 37 years. always used tap water.
mm12345,
Feb 14, 11:20pm
Not in my opinion. It's full of chlorine. You are exposed to it every day - so don't notice. If you're used to water which isn't chlorinated, then it's pretty obvious.
survivalkiwi,
Feb 15, 12:51am
Here in Blenheim our water is perfect strait out of the tap for my beer. I have done about 200 brews with no problems. I have had a problem over the last few months with my brews. (coopers). Out of the last 9 I have had 5 dud brews. They taste like burnt plastic. I run two 23lt drums and do two brews at a time. I had one dud one. Then two good ones. Then two dud ones. and then one dud one.Then two good ones then one dud one. After my first two dud ones I changed my boiling jug, Put new rubber rings on on both drums and replaced both airlocks and rubbers. Cleaned everything including can opener and sissers I use to open yeast with, with cold water detergent and then sterilised. But then got more dud batches. Anyone else having problems? Or ideas as to why I am having problems.
aprilguy,
Feb 15, 1:51am
I would guess contamination but I have found the beer process quite forgiving; I have successfully made non-coopers brews after just rinsing the barrel, or even mixing the dregs of the previous brew. Sounds like your cleaning is up to scratch and you use airlocks, so do you by chance open them up to add anything during the process, like, say finings? That would be a time something could get in, but again, I open mine up and no plastic tastes so far.
survivalkiwi,
Feb 15, 2:48am
No I dont open them up untill I fill the bottles.
aprilguy,
Feb 15, 4:07am
Maybe you should ask the manufacturer if other customers are reporting problems.
survivalkiwi,
Feb 15, 11:25am
Yes. That is what i feel it may be.
ive25506,
Sep 24, 1:47am
For 23 litre DIY beer, do you think it is better to buy distilled water which is clean and use directly ?
johotech,
Sep 24, 2:24am
I had a dabble a long long time ago, and didn't let the tap water I used stand, to release the chlorine. Let's just say that it was beerly drinkable.
So the better the water, the better the beer.
mm12345,
Sep 24, 2:56am
If it was full of chlorine like disgusting Dunedin (or Auckland) tapwater, I'd run it through an activated carbon filter. Distilled water is too clean. I suspect that the yeastie beasties might like the trace elements etc in "normal" water - but not like the chlorine.
hulloitsme,
Sep 24, 4:25am
Use water from your hot tap and let it cool. It should be sterile and in the cooling process the chlorine vents off.
lythande1,
Sep 24, 2:18pm
Are you kidding? Might as well buy commercial beer then, it would be cheaper. Husband has made beer for 35 years. always used it from the tap. Auckland is not full of "disgusting" chlorine. Do you know chlorine is killed by sunlight? You'd rather it was full of disgusting germs that killed you like in the old days? First thing in the morning you can notice the chlorine, later not at all. You do sterilise the equipment and the bottles before using you know, that's all you need to do.
mm12345,
Sep 24, 10:39pm
Auckland water is full of chlorine. You just get used to it. If you're not used to it - then it's very noticeable - and not just "first thing in the morning". Commercial (including "boutique" micro-) breweries treat/remove the chlorine before they use it - so do other food and beverage makers. A good home brewer should too.
cannonbait81,
Sep 25, 12:30am
Tap water for me, tastes fine
ange164,
Sep 25, 12:34am
We've used both. We prefer the results from spring water off my parents farm, but tap water is acceptable.
mojo49,
Sep 25, 4:49am
Used to make it with boiled tank water from the roof on a rural property. Great flavour, no added chemicals, just naturally rotting dead things in the bottom of the tank!
howgoodisit,
Sep 26, 1:41am
Move to Cromwell Otago. best beer i have ever made was there. lots of lime in the water.
lythande1,
Sep 26, 12:16pm
LOL, we have a small tank too - I can tell. and no it's not all day. Guess it depends where you are but ours comes from the dam in the Waitakeres and sunlight kills it off. Try it yourself, put some in a bucket, leave it in the sun then check it again later.
mariner51,
Sep 26, 8:37pm
I always use the water from my kitchen filter. It removes chlorine but at least leaves some of the useful minerals in the water.
nick2707,
Jun 25, 12:35am
I boil my water; mainly because I am on tank water with no UV sterilisation or filter. Interestingly though, the latest Beer and Brewer mag does not rank water very highly as one of the major components to taste / clarity. Temperature control and Yeast - mainly the pitching of it, are the biggest contributors.
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