[flbrewer]

Up to this point, I've only used distilled water for my extract brews. Any suggestions on what to use for my first All-Grain?

[morticaixavier]

that's a good start.

download bru'n water and get some salts (calcium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, and baking soda or pickly lime) and some liquid 88% lactic acid.

[jmsetzler]

I guess I have been lucky... I have never used anything but tap water for my beers

[ynotbrusum]

I guess I have been lucky... I have never used anything but tap water for my beers

You may be blessed with great tap water, but even with great soft water from the tap, you should eliminate chlorine or chloramine, if present, by using a Campden tablet treatment.  As you go all grain, water content becomes much more critical to get the right pH of the mash.  Once the mash pH is in the correct range, Al grain beer is improved significantly.

[jmsetzler]

I guess I have been lucky... I have never used anything but tap water for my beers

You may be blessed with great tap water, but even with great soft water from the tap, you should eliminate chlorine or chloramine, if present, by using a Campden tablet treatment.  As you go all grain, water content becomes much more critical to get the right pH of the mash.  Once the mash pH is in the correct range, Al grain beer is improved significantly.

I guess I lied.  I do use the 5.2 mash stabilizer in my mash...

[morticaixavier]

save yourself a couple bucks and leave the 5.2 out. it only works on a very specific water profile anyway and unless you know what's in your water to start with you're just shooting in the dark anyway.

[reverseapachemaster]

I guess I lied.  I do use the 5.2 mash stabilizer in my mash...

I've yet to find anybody who has checked on their ph and found it really hits 5.2 with that product but if your beer tastes good with it then that is the more salient test.

[jmsetzler]

I guess I lied.  I do use the 5.2 mash stabilizer in my mash...

I've yet to find anybody who has checked on their ph and found it really hits 5.2 with that product but if your beer tastes good with it then that is the more salient test.

I haven't had any issues with flavors and the ph does hit 5.2-5.3 consistently.  I have a cheap PH meter I bought to verify my Starsan.  I'd like to buy a carbon filter of some sort to prepare water.  Maybe I'll buy some water for my next brew and see if I can detect any variations.

[rodmanxxx]

I guess I lied.  I do use the 5.2 mash stabilizer in my mash...

I'd like to buy a carbon filter of some sort to prepare water.  Maybe I'll buy some water for my next brew and see if I can detect any variations.

This is what I use for filtering water, http://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Water-Filter-with-Hose/14504321