Does water quality make a difference?

[bradh]

Hi guys. I have been brewing for about a year, put down about a dozen brews with great results. All my brews are easily drinkable (i think) but i have noticed in all of them a very subtle aftertaste. Does water quality make a difference to the final result? I live in rural SA, a long way from any hb shops or quality water. I used to use rain water, but read hard water is better. I made the change to tap water but the water out here is only really good for the sheep to drink. I have tried pre boiling 20l tap water and using it in fermenter, which i don't think really changed anything. A couple of days ago i threw in a campden tablet with 20l water and let sit for 24hrs. I couldn't even drink the water as it tasted terrible.
Was also wondering if the plastic fermenters give the water or wort a certain taste? I clean my fermenter well after i bottle and give it a good steralize before i put another one down, but sometimes i think i get a "plasticy" aftertaste in some beers. Should i use bleach the odd time to make sure all the nasties are out?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated to help me produce a clean crisp beer!
Cheers Brad.

[dhc4ever]

I would say YES water quality would make some difference.
I hold up Southwark as exhibute A.
Ive not had much experience as the water where I live is hard but quite palatable, I would say filter your rain water and stick with that.
I havent noticed a plasticy taste with mine.
You can use bleach, about 1/2 a cup to a full fermenter, let sit for an hour or two and then wash out with very hot water until the smell is gone.
There are many tips and tricks to makeing a clean crisp beer, none of which I know, have a read of this site and its stickys , do a search and wait to the gurus chime in on this and see what they say.

Water quality and South Australia, can you even use those two terms in the same sentence?

Happy Brewing.....

[drsmurto]

Water quality and SA..... used to be an oxymoron but seems to be getting better, albeit slowly. And if the selfish bastards further up the river actually allowed some water to flow down it might improve even more

Anyway, Brad - what water you use should depend on what you are brewing. I will assume since you have only been brewing for a year that you are using kits? What are you making? Lagers? ales?

For ales i happily use Adelaide tap water as it contains more of the minerals that help accentuate the hops in APAs and ESBs. For more subtle beers like pilsners and weizens i use rainwater. I don't pre-filter my rainwater but i dont have any trees overhanging my catchment area and i KNOW whats in my water.

Cleaning wise (and please remember as brewers we SANITISE not STERILISE)- bleach works fine when diluted enough and rinsed thoroughly afterwards. I used it happily for many years. Many people use napisan or the home brand versions which contain sodium percarbonate. This is how i clean taps, hoses, fermenters etc and anything that needs a good soak - this doesn't sanitise it, only cleans it. For sanitising i use a few mLs of orthophosphoric acid with a drop or 2 of a liquid hand soap diluted up to a few Ls which is a no rinse sanitiser that i use for fermenters prior to use, kegs and measuring equipment and even my hands when playing with yeast samples.

I've been using the same plastic fermenters for years, 1 is more than 10 years old now and i dont believe they contribute any off flavours to beer.

Cheers
DrSmurto

[rwh]

Here's a good rule of thumb: if you can happily drink it then you can happily brew with it. When you said that the water's only fit for the sheep alarm bells started to ring! Hard water is only good for dark beers, and it's only really relevant if you're doing all-grain. If you're doing kits or all-extract brews (with or without steeped specialty grains), then go the rain water. It sounds like your highest quality option. As the brewer at the Monteiths brewery said: water is the most under-appreciated ingredient in brewing. It makes up 97% of your beer, so don't skimp on the quality.

[Kevnlis]

Water is the majority of your beer. For K&K it is not crutial (as long as it tastes alright you should be fine), but for all grain brewing it is of course the most important aspect of the process.

[bradh]

Cheers for the replies. Yes I am brewing kit beers. Have done a few lagers a few ales a stout and a just bottled a pilsner.
I stock up with goodies when i'm Adelaide at a hb shop. Can get some stuff out here at the supermarket, but not a great range. I've really only experimented with dry malts, malt extracts and a few different hops. Still tyring to figure out exactely what i like in a beer. Tried to incorporate some fruit, but lets just forget that one.

I may have exaggerated a little about our water quality, but it's not great. It's not the same as Adelaide water, it comes from Beetaloo Valley, which is by Crystal Brook. I have been there many times and lets just say i would think twice before swimming in it.

I think i will stick with my rain water as i know my gutters are (fairly) clean.

As for my fermenter, it think i will use some bleach and give it a good soak, I haven't done this in a year.

And as a brewer i will remember I sanitize and not steralise my equipment.

Could spring water bought from the supermarket be used? I know it's an added cost and from what you guys say, not really needed for doing kit beers, but if i really wanted to impress the missus' old man, would it improve my beer?

Cheers again for the replies. Brad

[drsmurto]

Sanitise - leaves the z's for the yanks.

Spring water is actually higher in minerals than rainwater. I reckon in kit beers water will make very little difference so just stick with your rainwater.

[Kevnlis]

Sanitise - leaves the z's for the yanks.

Spring water is actually higher in minerals than rainwater. I reckon in kit beers water will make very little difference so just stick with your rainwater.

We will take the z's you can have the zed's

I would recommend boiling all the rainwater you use, just to be sure to be sure.

[rohanbutler]

I would say YES water quality would make some difference.
I hold up Southwark as exhibute A.

Thats an interesting thought which raised some questions in my mind?

Which one? (There are at least three beers with the "Southwark" branding or just all three)

Being an Adelaide boy I'm a fan of Southwark Bitter but not for its taste there are many many better beers than it. I grew up drinkning Southwark (when you were too poor to buy CPA or CSA ) When I get back to SA I nearly always have one.

I would have thought the taste issues with Southwark would have been the same as all the other megaswill (mass produced) beers (VB, Carlton, Tooheys New etc) rather than specifically water? Am I wrong? Thats the next point it raised and it probably belongs in another thread "What makes these beers so bad?"

And if we are going to get into "Adelaide water", then I ask the question is the water going into Coopers beers different in someway?

[drsmurto]

Neither West End nor Coopers use mains water, they both have access to springs beneath the brewery. You can buy the spring water in bulk from out the front of West End!

[Longwood-65]

I haven't used the town water here to brew, it's fairly highly chlorinated.
I used filtered Tank water.
I have found the quality of my beers increased dramatically after I have chilled the water in the fridge for at least few days first.

I find there is a difference in the taste of the water after being chilled for a day and being chilled for a week, the water chilled for a week seems to be drier on the pallet.

It could be physiological poppycock but it does appear different to me

Maybe the scientist could elaborate

Cheers
Ron

[KEG]

given enough time to sit, the chlorine could be dissipating?

[Longwood-65]

given enough time to sit, the chlorine could be dissipating?

Not sure if it is chlorine and/or chloramine used, Chlorine dissapates relatively quickly compared to chloramine, either way I don't drink it tastes like a puplic swimming pool.

cheers
Ron

[bradh]

Sanitise - leaves the z's for the yanks.

Spring water is actually higher in minerals than rainwater. I reckon in kit beers water will make very little difference so just stick with your rainwater.

Yes. Sanitise. Lived in Canada for a while, still got some nasty habbits, like flicking the wipers on when i go round corners.

[Kevnlis]

Yes. Sanitise. Lived in Canada for a while, still got some nasty habbits, like flicking the wipers on when i go round corners.

Took me ages to stop hitting the bloody wipers!