What water do you use

[Tomy]

I am currently using Hinckley Springs water then boiling. I have read that even bottled water should be boiled as there could be som bad stuff in there (germs). My city water is terrable tasting stuff due to the chemicals the state mandates they use. Now I could go out back into the woods where their is a pipe driven into a limestone cliff that is flowing with great tasting spring water. Thanks for your answers Tomy.

PS: sorry for the stupid question that has been ask probally 20 times before.Edited by: Tomy

 

[dfwwino]

I don't worry about boiling water for winemaking, though I do for beermaking. The prefermentation addition of sulfites should eliminate or significantly reduceany harmful bacteria that might be in the water, but I really doubt bottled water has much that could affect the flavor of your wine. I have been using store-bought spring water for years when my residential water did not taste very good. Now I live in an area where the water supply is very good and I just use that.

 

[smurfe]

I have well water that I don't know what all is in it so I use bottled water. We have a dispenser that holds those 5 gallon carboys. I just draw out what I need. I have been thinking of getting my well water tested to see if it is OK to use though.

 

[redwineleo]

Just don't use your tap water if it goes through a water softener...been there done that!

 

[masta]

Just don't use your tap water if it goes through a water softener...been there done that!

What happened?


I have read this often and pretty sure i have proven it not to be a problem at least with the softened water I have been using for the past 4 years!

 

[Wade E]

I use my well water as I had it tested when I moved in 6 years ago and about 2 years ago when I refinanced for a much lower interest rate. Both times had very good results. I also have heard that using a water softner was bad but dont know why.

 

[Trubador]

I use my well water as I had it tested when I moved in 6
years ago and about 2 years ago when I refinanced for a much lower
interest rate. Both times had very good results. I also have heard that
using a water softner was bad but dont know why.

Probably due to a high sodium content in the water after going through the water softener.

 

[scubaman2151]

I use gallon jugs of water that I buy at walgreens or CVS. I have used both drinking water and spring and havent notice a difference.

 

[laneygirl]

I've used Brita filtered water for making beer for several years with very positive results. My town has very hard water, with a pretty nasty taste and I've found the Brita to reduce that immensely. I've used the same since started making wine and think it works very well.

 

[Wade E]

I liked the Brita filter when i lived in a town with city water but found that the PUR filter was a much better alternative as it rids the water of a lot more unwanted stuff then the Brita did.

 

[redwineleo]

My experience on the soft water was with a WE Selection Cabernet (my first kit). It fermented fine, etc. but the taste just isn't there. The aroma is fantastic but the flavor is rather flat. I suppose it's because it took out all of the minerals? It's been bottled about 1 & 1/2 years to 2 years now. I can't bring myself to toss it, so I keep trying a bottle every few months in the hopes it will taste better, but so far no luck.

 

[lockdude]

I use the local city water because its pretty good.I picked up a whole house water filter at a yard sale for $5 and installed it on my tap in the basement.The filter has some carbon in it so it works good.We had a brewery here for over 100 years,but its gone now.The water has to be good to have a brewery.

 

[PeterZ]

I use Memphis City water straight from the tap. Water here comes from the Memphis Sands Aquifer, about 1600' deep. That aquifer had its water laid down about 3000 years ago. Hardness and total mineral content are relatively low (TH 44 ppm, total mineral content ~150 ppm). Memphis may now be the most violent city in the US, but we got good water.

 

[laneygirl]

I'm surprise about the PUR removing more than Brita. Do you have a reference for that information? I'm willing to switch...

 

[Wade E]

Okay, I did little more research on this as I do not have one anymore. Since then Brita has made a faucet mount filter and it seems to remove more than the PUR filter does but also removes fluoride which we would rather leave in as my dentist would say. The Pur filter is way better than the Brita pitcher filter though. If you google PUR versus Brita you will get a lot of websites rating the 2. They also say that the Pur filter fits any faucet as it comes with more adapters to fit any sink but Brita fits most.

 

[bovinewines]

I sat through a testimonial from someone who used a backpacking unit for PUR when they got trapped on some island in the middle of Michigan or Wisconsin and all that was on the island was water that had been, shall we say, "used" by the numerous deer on the island. He swears the PUR filter did the job and neither he nor his companion got sick drinking the water until help could arrive.


Probably more information than you wanted to know...but I figure I have a lot of useless information rattling around in my head, I might as well tourure the rest of the world with it!

I've been buying to 2.5 gallon spring water from Sams or Walmart. I would use Dallas water...but I hate the taste. I figure if I don't like the way my tap water tastes, then I'm not going to like it in my wine...

 

[PolishWineP]

Good choice on the bad tasting tap water. I like our water but would never use Grand Forks water for wine. It used to be good but now itTastes Terrible.