Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Carbon filtered water  (Read 14979 times)

Offline DW

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Carbon filtered water
« on: July 03, 2012, 04:04:19 pm »
Zymurgy's Two Hearted Ale recipe in 2011 called for carbon filtered water with 4g Gypsum added to it.  What is the purpose of carbon filtered water?  Isn't that just Brita filtered water?  If so, wouldn't I need to know Bell's water report to know if I need to add gypsum to it? 

Offline tom

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1109
  • Denver, CO
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2012, 06:04:05 pm »
Carbon filters will remove chlorine (and sometimes chloramines) and any other organic materials.  The underlying salts won't be affected.
Brew on

Offline nateo

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2336
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2012, 07:04:55 pm »
Yeah, "carbon filtered" isn't really helpful. AFAIK like much of the midwest Michigan has terrible brewing water, so I'd bet they're doing more than just carbon filtering it.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2012, 07:07:08 pm »
Isn't that just Brita filtered water?

Brita is more than a carbon filter.  It also contains an ion exchange resin which will change the salt composition of the water.
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline DW

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2012, 12:31:43 pm »
So what would you do?  My water in Fort Worth has 89-142 Calcium, 99-123 bicarb, 16-33 Chlorine, sulfate 23-36, total alk 99-123.  Do I add gypsum?  Do I even bother carbon filtering?  Do I buy spring water and add gypsum?  I'm really not sure

Offline nateo

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2336
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2012, 01:20:27 pm »
So what would you do?  My water in Fort Worth has 89-142 Calcium, 99-123 bicarb, 16-33 Chlorine, sulfate 23-36, total alk 99-123.  Do I add gypsum?  Do I even bother carbon filtering?  Do I buy spring water and add gypsum?  I'm really not sure

You should do something to knock out the chlorine. Carbon filtering or campden. I wouldn't add any gypsum with that water, as your calcium is already high. If your water happens to have single-digit magnesium, you might use epsom salt, but anything over like 25ppm of magnesium is pretty harsh. I don't know if they make food-grade potassium sulfate, but that'd be a pretty neutral way to raise your sulfate without off-flavors from the ion it's bound to.
In der Kürze liegt die Würze.

Offline tygo

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2622
  • Sterling, VA
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2012, 04:24:49 pm »
You could treat your water with campden and then cut it 50/50 with distilled water.  Then you'd have a little more leeway on the calcium side to bump up the sulfates.
Clint
Wort Hogs

Offline Mark G

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 898
  • Huntley, IL
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2012, 05:52:50 pm »
Is that 16-33 chloride? Or chlorine? Try shooting for this water profile... http://seanterrill.com/2010/06/28/tha-cloning/

You could dilute with some RO/distilled and then add gypsum to get an appropriate sulfate level.
Mark Gres

narvin

  • Guest
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2012, 06:13:13 pm »
You should always filter your water if it contains chlorine.  I personally would want more sulfates in an IPA.  For more delicate beers, you have a lot of temporary hardness that you could precipitate by pre-boiling your water, but I don't see a problem with just adding the gypsum for this one.  It would add something like 75 ppm of sulfate and 30 ppm of calcium.

Offline DW

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2012, 10:04:16 am »
How do you go about filtering the water to remove chlorine?  Someone mentioned Campden tablets?  How does that work?  Are there other ways to remove the chlorine?

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2012, 10:11:51 am »
carbon filter will remove chlorine and chloramine. however i have started using campden tablets very simple.  i think if you really want to match the water profile i would start with ro water.
Don AHA member

Offline DW

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2012, 10:21:37 am »
When you say carbon filter, do you mean a brita filter?  Also, do you know the water profile of RO water? IS it basically without ions?

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2012, 10:40:29 am »
i think ro water is basically deionized but i am not sure.
i do not know if a brita filter is a carbon filter. i use a filter housing like you would see at an rv park.  there was a thread not long ago discussing chloramine removal this way and as long as the flow rate is slow should work, however, campden tablets are very inexpensive and work great.  the rate is a tablet per twenty gallons, so i throw 1/4 in to my 4-5 gallons of water as i am heating it up for the mash.
Don AHA member

Offline DW

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2012, 10:59:14 am »
If I were to just buy distilled water, which basically has no ions in it, and add salts to it would that work as well?  I have BeerSmith and it basically tells you how much salts to put in to get a desired water profile.  I've never done this before, so I don't know if it really works.  When do you add the salts----when your heating up your mash water?, when you add the water to the crushed grains?

Offline weithman5

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1681
  • naperville, il
Re: Carbon filtered water
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2012, 12:08:36 pm »
probably be close but i don't think distilled is as "pure" as de ionized but should be close
Don AHA member