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Author Topic: RO water  (Read 3270 times)

Offline russell

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RO water
« on: June 20, 2016, 04:06:41 pm »
 I have been thinking of RO water systems, my house water is ok, I just today sent out the water for ward labs to test it, but I just would maybe like more control over the water and I am familiar with all the water calculators out there. The prices range from over $1000 to about $150 for a system. I don't think I need a hole house system, I just want it for my home brewing water.
 I am assuming I just need filters to get the RO water for home brewing, but I don't know what kind of filters I need. Can someone school me on filters or systems that would work?
 I am not sure if I am going this way but would love to know my options.

Offline Biran

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Re: RO water
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2016, 05:25:59 pm »
I don't have a system but you might consider looking around locally.  There is a co-op in my neighborhood that sells RO for about 50 cents per gallon.  I've never done the math for a break even point with a home system but at about $4 per five gallon batch it works for me.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2016, 05:33:42 pm by Biran »

Offline Stevie

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Re: RO water
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2016, 06:08:13 pm »
I buy RO for $0.25 per gallon. Martin has a post on his Bru'n Water Facebook page that offers some of his recommended best practices.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: RO water
« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2016, 06:10:07 pm »
I buy RO for $0.25 per gallon. Martin has a post on his Bru'n Water Facebook page that offers some of his recommended best practices.


I'm getting it for 25 cents/gal now, too. Luckily it's also the machine with the lowest TDS in the area (for now). Win-win.
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Offline JT

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Re: RO water
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2016, 06:10:47 pm »
My local Walmart stores all have a dispenser in the grocery dept so I fill my own jugs there.  Less than 4 bucks for 10 gallons. They're serviced regularly, I bought a cheap TDS meter from Amazon to check them.  Simply purchase a few of their plastic 5 gallon water jugs (usually found in hardware or at the dispenser) and you're good to go.  I'd rather do that than maintain my own RO system. 

Offline russell

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Re: RO water
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2016, 07:03:25 pm »
sorry guys but I am looking at the system or the filtering systems to buy instead of getting it from a machine. I have been told that some of the machines aren't kept up.

Offline Phil_M

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Re: RO water
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2016, 07:10:48 pm »
sorry guys but I am looking at the system or the filtering systems to buy instead of getting it from a machine. I have been told that some of the machines aren't kept up.

A ~$16 Dissolved solids meter will tell you if the machine is maintained properly or not:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dissolved+solids+meter&sprefix=dissolved+solids+meter%2Caps%2C128

I personally don't have access to a grocery store RO system, so I bought my own. If that's what you want, there's nothing wrong with that, but don't feel you have to shell out for an entire system because of questions about the store system. If I had access to such a system, I'd but the meter first, then test them out. If they aren't doing things right, you're not out any money, you'll still want the meter with your personal RO system.
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Offline Stevie

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RO water
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2016, 07:24:01 pm »
I get sub 8ppm from my local shop and about 13ppm from my backup machine. My primary reason to avoid a home system was the insane amount of waste they generate. Most membranes waste about 4 gallons for every gallon treated. The amount of waste increases if a pressure tank is used. The amount of waste is even higher if your pipes can't deliver an adequate level of pressure.

My local water shop is using an industrial machine that they tell me gives little waste. what waste it does generate is distilled to create 1ppm water that they sell for $0.50 per gallon.

I live in a third floor walk-up, so carrying 20 gallons water up two flights is obviously not my favorite chore, but I do it for the planet.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2016, 07:31:26 pm by Stevie »

Offline tommymorris

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Re: RO water
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2016, 08:01:19 pm »
I live in a third floor walk-up, so carrying 20 gallons water up two flights is obviously not my favorite chore, but I do it for the planet.
Thanks! How much waste do Primo and Glacier make? I may not want to know the answer.

Offline Stevie

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Re: RO water
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2016, 08:16:31 pm »
No idea how much glacier machines waste, but from what I hear it is lower than home machines due to the higher operating pressure.

There are options to eliminate waste. I know of one person that runs his ro waste into his pool. The amount basically keeps up with evaporation. Another option is to collect it in a catchment, but that requires a catchment large enough to keep up with production and a use for that water. Someday I will have a garden large enough to need a large catchment.

Offline blair.streit

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Re: RO water
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2016, 08:43:39 pm »
I live in a third floor walk-up, so carrying 20 gallons water up two flights is obviously not my favorite chore, but I do it for the planet.
True altruism is rare or nonexistent depending on who you listen to. So you're either a rare breed or just too cheap to pay for a gym membership ;)

Seriously though, thanks from my kids. If more people act like that they might not end up living in a floating island of garbage somewhere in the South Pacific.

Offline beerlord

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Re: RO water
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2016, 09:41:09 am »
I bought a 5 stage RO filter on Amazon for about $130 and am 3 completed brews (All Grain) into it with the 4th one in fermentation now.  I'll never go back to tap water.  I use 100% and start the night before and get about 9 gallons of water in about 2 1/2 hours.  I use EZ calculator and adjust the PH as needed.
It's a learning curve but not hard.  My friends have immediately noticed the change.  My beer was enjoyable before but it's simply better now.
My tap water wasn't bad but even with adjustments, it just wasn't good enough and RO water has been a success for me.

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: RO water
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2016, 11:55:37 am »
I try to be green in most things, but brewing is my biggest indulgence, because I use RO from my I house system for brewing.  Even so, my water is well water from an aquifer beneath my rural lot and the spent waste water of all types generated in my house returns to the aquifer by running off directly through the ground or via a septic leach field, so I don't see it as truly wasted in the course of generating the RO water for my brewing.

If I were on City water that was treated, I would feel differently, I suspect.
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Offline Philbrew

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Re: RO water
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2016, 03:58:48 pm »
I try to be green in most things, but brewing is my biggest indulgence, because I use RO from my I house system for brewing.  Even so, my water is well water from an aquifer beneath my rural lot and the spent waste water of all types generated in my house returns to the aquifer by running off directly through the ground or via a septic leach field, so I don't see it as truly wasted in the course of generating the RO water for my brewing.

If I were on City water that was treated, I would feel differently, I suspect.
I too am on a well and septic.  Adding a small RO unit was money well spent for my beer and coffee.  I hated going to the Walmart RO machine with my jugs and TDS meter only to find that the water was reading 50-70 TDS.  No brew day that.  And it might be a week before they serviced the machine.
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Offline russell

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Re: RO water
« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2016, 05:59:44 pm »
what do you guys think about this little RO system? I kind of doubt that it will work for beer brewers, it seems just to simple.
 
https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Reverse-Osmosis-50-Gallon/dp/B00DOG63OY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1466639771&sr=8-4&keywords=ro+water+filter+system