[BrewBama]

I recently visited Keith at Yellowhammer and I knew he was busy but I did have one brewing question ready in case I got a chance to ask. The question was: what do you do to condition your water?   He took the time to school me on his thought process. I live within 15 miles of the brewery so I figured what's good for Yellowhammer is good for Big Deck BBQ and Brew. LOL

I feel like that's my next step so I ask the same question here: what do you do?


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[Stevie]

100% RO. I buy it at the grocery store or a local ice house. I use the paid version of bru'n water to add salts back.

[denny]

I use my well water.  It's fairly, but not completely, neutral.  For extremely light colored beer, I'll either use all distilled or cut my water with distilled.  Otherwise, I just adjust with CaSO4, CaCl2, NaCl, pickling lime, etc.

[HoosierBrew]

100% RO. I buy it at the grocery store or a local ice house. I use the paid version of bru'n water to add salts back.

+1

[yso191]

100% RO. I buy it at the grocery store or a local ice house. I use the paid version of bru'n water to add salts back.

+1

+2 
Except that I have an under-the-sink RO system, so I buy filters not water.

[duboman]

I use my tap and add lactic acid to adjust pH as per the bru'n water suggestions, calcium and gypsum as well depending on styles

[chumley]

I have very soft water.  For the vast majority of brews, I just add a half teaspoon of calcium chloride per five gallons to the mash and call it good.  If its a hoppy ale, I used gypsum instead (same ratio).

For pilsners, I will add 3 oz. of acid malt per 5 gallons. And that is about it.

[morticaixavier]

100% RO. I buy it at the grocery store or a local ice house. I use the paid version of bru'n water to add salts back.

+1

+2 
Except that I have an under-the-sink RO system, so I buy filters not water.

+4

[erockrph]

I am lucky enough to have a well with a very low mineral content. I input my well profile into Brewer's Friend and Brunwater, then adjust to fit the profile I'm looking for.

I use gypsum in my hoppy beers. I use a combo of gypsum, CaCl and kosher salt in my malty or balanced beers. Then I adjust my mash pH to my target using lactic acid or baking soda if needed.

I used to play around with my water a lot more to match a specific profile, but now I just K.I.S.S. 90% of the time. Just like in cooking, if you taste the salt(s) then you used too much. In the right amounts they just amplify certain flavors.

[S. cerevisiae]

I use my tap and add lactic acid to adjust pH as per the bru'n water suggestions, calcium and gypsum as well depending on styles

+1

[klickitat jim]

Well that has been Ward Lab tested
Adjust pH with lactic
Calcium with SO4 and CaCl

[dzlater]

I carbon filter my tap water and brew away.
Sometimes I toss a bit of gypsum into the boil kettle.
If I understood water chemistry better I might do more.
I don't want to be the guy who posts, " I got my water tested, what do I do now?"

[philm63]

Tap water - Ward Labs tested; pretty soft already - run through an under-sink carbon filter, campden tablet, then Bru'n Water (Paid copy) for salt adjustments. Salts on-hand: Gypsum, Calcium Chloride, Epsom, Chalk, Kosher Salt. 10% Phosphoric acid to adjust sparge water to pH 5.8 (room-temp). The salts that the spreadsheet recommend for the sparge just go in the boil.

[braufessor]

I have high bicarbonate levels in my tap water.  So, I carbon filter my tap water (for chlorine)  into gallon jugs that I have in my brewroom for brew day.  I also have 6x3gallon jugs I fill with RO water from Walmart or other stores nearby.  I will use a combination of my filtered tap water and RO water in conjunction with Gypsum and CaCl depending on what I am going to brew - using B'run Water.
To be honest, most of the beers I brew are probably 80-100% RO water - all my light lagers, my APA's, IPA's, Wheats, Bitters,etc.
My Ambers, Scottish, Milds, are generally 60-80% RO. 
My Browns, Porters, Stouts are 30-50% RO.

[Pinski]

Whole house GAC filter
Gypsum and CaCl2
Lactic acid for pH adjustment