[russell]

I have been looking into waters to use in brewing that don't come from the faucet. I realize I can adjust my home water or install an RO water system but was wondering about bottled water.
 Which of these do most brewers use, Glacier bottled water or Primo bottled water.

[tommymorris]

I use Glacier. It is RO water that you buy from the machine outside the grocery store. RO water gives you the most flexibility.

I don't know primo. It may not be in my area.

[HoosierBrew]

I use RO water as a base to build on, but I wouldn't trust either brand to always be what you want. You're at the mercy of how well the machine's membrane has been maintained. Well maintained, you'll get low TDS (total dissolved solid) water, preferably sub 25 ppm TDS. A poorly maintained membrane will often give you water well over 25 ppm TDS. I bought a cheap TDS meter from Amazon and take it to the store when I buy the water. IMO  the best way to build water from scratch is to know what you're actually starting with.

https://www.amazon.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Measurement-Resolution/dp/B002C0A7ZY/179-5043520-0557219?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

[69franx]

As a follow up, when I first started playing with my water, I bought a Primo 5 gallon bottle full from the grocery. Later I found the glacier RO machine. From what u could tell, the primo was merely filtered, not RO

[russell]

I was thinking of going with the Glacier. The Primo says it is purified and is 99% pure and I found a water report for their water. Maybe, if the Glacier machine isn't kept up, the Primo would be better. I guess I could also build the water as I want it by knowing the water analysis ( if it is right).

 there is the site for the Primo water Analysis.

http://www.primowater.com/PrimoNew/files/92/92ac9e80-5937-4ce2-8a8f-666816d8aed3.pdf

[tommymorris]

I was thinking of going with the Glacier. The Primo says it is purified and is 99% pure and I found a water report for their water. Maybe, if the Glacier machine isn't kept up, the Primo would be better. I guess I could also build the water as I want it by knowing the water analysis ( if it is right).

 there is the site for the Primo water Analysis.

http://www.primowater.com/PrimoNew/files/92/92ac9e80-5937-4ce2-8a8f-666816d8aed3.pdf

My Glacier machine isn't that great. I am usually between 20-25 ppm TDS. But twice this year I have been close to 50. Both times I used the water anyway. It was fine. I am sure it through off the ph a bit but the beer turned out fine.

[hopfenundmalz]

I found that the machine at my local Kroger was at 5 ppm TDS, so that is what I am using. But a TDS meter, you don't guess after you have one.

[russell]

soo I guess not matter what I do I should invest in a TDS tester.

[hopfenundmalz]

soo I guess not matter what I do I should invest in a TDS tester.

They are not that expensive and I like the ability to check the quality of the RO water.

[reverseapachemaster]

Looking at the primo machine at my local Kroger it appears to only filter the water but I can't tell for sure. I also can't figure out how to pay for the water and neither can any of the employees apparently. So I end up buying store brand water.

[brewinhard]

neither can any of the employees apparently

Classic...

[russell]

from what I can gather you go to a register and pay there for the water. when you come back with an empty bottle you put it in a cage that has a hole for the bottle and you get a ticket to take to the register to pay.
 Interesting that  no employee knows what to do with it, maybe they just didn't understand or didn't want to deal with it.
 Sorry to hear that trying to buy the water was a bust.