Boil water first?

[h22lude]

I have been home brewing for over 2 years now and have been looking into making my own wine. My first kit will most likely be Eclipse Cab Sav or Cellar Craft Showcase Cab Sav. Anyway, I have read some instructions and they mention adding water to the bag to get everything out and topping off.

Do I need to boil that water first to kill bacteria?

 

[cmason1957]

There is no need to boil the water you add to a kit, unless you have reason to not drink the water.

 

[seth8530]

yup, no boiling water on this side of the fence.

 

[PoppaCork]

I use gallon jugs of spring water that I buy at the store. I don't use our city water because of the stuff they add to it.

 

[h22lude]

Thanks all. I figured they would have put that in the instructions but I wanted to make sure.

PoppaCork, I was thinking about doing the same. My water is drinkable but for some reason when I use it for beer it has an off flavor. I have been using distilled water with mineral additions for brewing.

 

[seth8530]

typically, their ifs nothing wrong with using tap water for wine, so long as the water taste good.... their ifs also nothing wrong with spring water either.

 

[GreginND]

This is a common question from beer makers when they begin making wine. Wine is more forgiving than beer. Because of the higher alcohol and acid, any bacteria that is harmful to people can't live in it. And most bacteria that cause problems for beer also do not live in wine. The bacteria that might be problematic for wine (e.g, acetobacter) are well controlled with sulfites.

 

[MrKevin]

I use gallon jugs of spring water that I buy at the store. I don't use our city water because of the stuff they add to it.

I do the same, Fairbanks water has chlorine in it and taste terrible. It's worth the 3 dollars for 2.5 gallons.


PappaCork.................Nice Bike, I ride a Electra Glide Ultra Classic

Kevin

 

[GaDawg]

Do not boil the water, boiling will drive out the 02 and the yeasties need the 02 at the start of fermentation.

Use drinkable water, if you drink your tap water use it, if you wont drink it use what you will drink.

 

[iVivid]

I know that you can draw off your water into a bucket and let it sit.
I'm told the chlorine is gone in 24 hours (the smell went away in mine when I stayed in town for a while).
May not be a solution for everyone, but certainly may help some of you!
It's a bit like k-meta... the gas dissipates.

 

[PoppaCork]

PappaCork.................Nice Bike, I ride a Electra Glide Ultra Classic

Kevin

Thanks, It's a 2002 Dyna Low Rider, I added the fairing and saddlebags, air shocks and radio for the long rides.

 

[BernardSmith]

H22lude, Hi. I know that beer makers are very wary of chloramines in drinking water (when municipalities add chlorine and amonia). The resulting bacteracide reacts with phenols in the beer creating off flavors. My very limited understanding is that boiling does not evaporate off chloramines like it does chlorine. I don't know that wine makers advocate using chloramine-free water but I personally use State sealed spring water.

 

[reefman]

chloramines are tough to get rid of as Bernard mentions. I have well water that is sediment filtered (50 micron), and it tasted good. I've been making wine with this water for almost three years now with no problem.
My very first batch was made with spring water from WalMart.

 

[h22lude]

Awesome info, thanks everyone.

My water tastes ok but for some reason just makes weird tasting beer. I'll probably be using spring water for the wine kit just in case. I can deal with $30 of beer not tasting like I wanted but not $150 wine lol

 

[cmason1957]

Spring water is always a good choice. Well worth that $3 or so.