[beerman59]

Hi everyone. Do I need to use campden in my mash water? I use Milwaukee city water, I BIAB so the night
before I brew, I heat up my water to mash temp then let it sit until I brew the next day. Yes I bring it back to mash temp the next morning.

[troybinso]

I've always found that heating up the strike water the night before drives off the chlorine - I don't live in Milwaukee though, so it might not work for you.

[Stevie]

You should eliminate chlorine from all brewing water. Check with your water district to determine if chlorine or chloramine is being used. If chlorine, your process should be fine. If your city is using district is using chloramine, you will need to use different methods.

[reverseapachemaster]

Is a campden tablet cheaper than the electricity/propane cost of heating the water? If the campden is cheaper then I'd opt for that route.

The exception would be if heating the water is precipitating minerals from the water and giving you a better water profile but I'm not sure mash temperatures and an overnight rest is enough to make much difference.

[PORTERHAUS]

Campden in cheap insurance. 1 tablet is good for 20 gal so I split one and then split that half between my mash and sparge water. If you ever had off flavors from chlorine, you will have no problem using it on every batch. A bag of campden tabs is only a couple bucks and will last a long time.

[Stevie]

Is a campden tablet cheaper than the electricity/propane cost of heating the water? If the campden is cheaper then I'd opt for that route.

The exception would be if heating the water is precipitating minerals from the water and giving you a better water profile but I'm not sure mash temperatures and an overnight rest is enough to make much difference.

Solid point

[kramerog]

I fill my pot the day before, leave the lid off but I don't heat the water beforehand.  I haven't had problems that I know of.  I'm on Chicago water.

[dmtaylor]

MKE uses a lot of chlorine.  Definitely use 1/4 Campden tablet per 5 gallons water.  Cheap insurance indeed.

[beerman59]

Ok you've convinced me campden tabs it is. Thanks for all your input. Milw. does use chlorine for the water report from the city.

[a10t2]

As long as it's just chlorine, by the time you've gotten the water to strike temperature it's been driven off.

[dmtaylor]

I have found evidence on the WI DNR website that Milwaukee has used chloramines since at least about 2005.  Campden then is your safest bet.  Search around on here if you like, that's where I got it from:

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/DrinkingWater/QualityData.html

[MDixon]

Most munis use chloramine today and then occasionally chlorine. You can carbon filter it out, but you must filter very slowly. I actually use a whole house filter for the...whole house...and then another filter at a much slower rater for the brewing water. I've never noticed any chlorine characteristics, but our water may be quite different than that of the OP.

[Steve Ruch]

When I found out for sure that my local water company uses chlorine I started leaving my brewing water out uncovered overnight and have had no problems.

[santoch]

I'm in the "campden is cheap insurance" camp.  You can buy a 25 pack from morebeer for 2 dollars.  At 1/2 a tablet per 10 gallons, you are talking 4 cents a batch.   I'd rather pay the 4 cents and not wonder if my filter is running slow enough actually get every bit of the chloramine out.  Chlorophenolic off flavors are detectable in very low amounts, and when they are there, they are horrible.

[dmtaylor]

I'm in the "campden is cheap insurance" camp.  You can buy a 25 pack from morebeer for 2 dollars.  At 1/2 a tablet per 10 gallons, you are talking 4 cents a batch.   I'd rather pay the 4 cents and not wonder if my filter is running slow enough actually get every bit of the chloramine out.  Chlorophenolic off flavors are detectable in very low amounts, and when they are there, they are horrible.

Yes!  Totally agree.  Campden is super cheap, and chlorophenol is horrible.