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Author Topic: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew  (Read 15690 times)

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #15 on: August 31, 2017, 08:04:38 pm »
FWIW, we definitely have RO machines at Kroger and Safeway in Longmont despite having water with a TDS ~50 coming out of the faucet. Form-factor of the 5 gallon jug has some appeal,  I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I take it that the tap water has either iron or manganese (metallic) flavor?
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Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #16 on: August 31, 2017, 08:53:59 pm »
My tap water is crap. I got RO from the grocery for years.

Now I have an RO system for brewing. I figure a year break even, or so. Not having to lug 5 gallon jugs was what made this old fart pull the trigger, and I am happy I did.
I'm right about at this point.  Yes, cheaper to buy at the grocery store, but with a plumber friend willing hook it up it would save lugging 20 gallons home for 10 gallon batches (need to cover from HERMS coil).  I might pull the trigger in the next year.

Offline zwiller

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #17 on: September 01, 2017, 11:22:15 am »
Most large grocery stores have RO water dispensers and charge between 35 and 40 cents a gallon.

Unfortunately, not universally true. Areas that have low or really low TDS are unlikely to have RO machines in any stores. In essence, if you can't find RO machines in stores in your area, there probably isn't a great need for RO treatment and the tap water is more likely to be usable for brewing (of course, you still have to adjust it for brewing).

Makes alot of sense.  IIRC TDS of mine was 120ish/alkalinity is 90ppm and I don't really consider that good maybe average but it's better than many I see posted I guess.   

While RO water makes brewing easier it is no magic bullet.  Light beers will probably need more acidity and alkalinity for dark.  Best to learn BNW... 
Sam
Sandusky, OH

Offline zman51

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2017, 11:41:40 am »
Thanks everyone.  My tap water actually taste good but it was the chlorine and chloramines I wanted to rid myself of.. Found this on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007I6MN72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Think I will give it a try. Through work, I have access to lab testing so think I will run some water through it and see how well it removes.

Offline joelv

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #19 on: September 01, 2017, 11:53:10 am »
Thanks everyone.  My tap water actually taste good but it was the chlorine and chloramines I wanted to rid myself of.. Found this on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007I6MN72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Think I will give it a try. Through work, I have access to lab testing so think I will run some water through it and see how well it removes.

A small amount of sodium metabisulfite (campden tablet. Apps 1 tablet per 20 gallons) will remove chloramine in water. I am less certain about chlorine, but chloramine removal is very cheap and easy.


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Offline joelv

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2017, 11:54:58 am »
Thanks everyone.  My tap water actually taste good but it was the chlorine and chloramines I wanted to rid myself of.. Found this on amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007I6MN72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Think I will give it a try. Through work, I have access to lab testing so think I will run some water through it and see how well it removes.

A small amount of sodium metabisulfite (campden tablet. Apps 1 tablet per 20 gallons) will remove chloramine in water. I am less certain about chlorine, but chloramine removal is very cheap and easy.


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Potassium metabisulfite, not sodium... my mistake.


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Offline Buckeye Hydro

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #21 on: January 31, 2019, 04:22:06 am »
Hi guys - Russ Romme with Buckeye hydro here.  Just joined this board today.  Happy to address water treatment issues/equipment needs, etc.

Offline Joe T

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #22 on: January 31, 2019, 08:29:14 am »
APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System (ESSENCE ROES-50) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0ZGOZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SPcQzbRMG4JZ0

works well for me, makes pretty much distilled water, from 450tds to 12tds

but slow

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I have the Apec. Use it for brewing, drinking, cooking, plants, dog, etc. 350 ppm in, 14 ppm out---just short or 10 years into a 10 year RO membrane. There's much cheaper systems out there but with nowhere near the membrane life.

Offline Buckeye Hydro

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #23 on: June 19, 2019, 04:04:34 am »
APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System (ESSENCE ROES-50) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0ZGOZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SPcQzbRMG4JZ0

works well for me, makes pretty much distilled water, from 450tds to 12tds

but slow

RO membrane life is significantly affected by the quality of the feedwater.  99% of the membranes we use are manufactured by DOW/Filmtec (now owned by Dupont) - these are widely recognized as the best on the market.  That said, we worked with a commercial client recently who was replacing his expensive membranes every several weeks - he had horrible feedwater and a poorly configured RO system from a popular company that sells their systems primarily into the hydroponics market.  We made some changes to the system,  changes his pretreatment, and installed new membranes. 

We have other customers with more than 10 years on their membranes.

Russ

I have the Apec. Use it for brewing, drinking, cooking, plants, dog, etc. 350 ppm in, 14 ppm out---just short or 10 years into a 10 year RO membrane. There's much cheaper systems out there but with nowhere near the membrane life.

Offline goose

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #24 on: June 19, 2019, 06:47:30 am »
Another thing about putting in a R.O. system if your water comes from a well.  If your water, as Jeff puts it, is crap (like mine also is, 400 grains of hardness in my raw water and a vein of black manganese in my well) you will probably need a water softener ahead of the R.O so you don't plug up the membrane and shorten its useful life.  If it is a municipal water supply, you are probably OK since many municipalities soften their water supplies.  You can get that information from the local municipal water works.
I have an R.O. here and can use it to fill jugs for brewing, but rather than taxing our drinking water supply here and encountering the wrath of she who must be obeyed :-), I go to a water softener store, like Culligan or Clearwater and buy 5 gallon jugs of my R.O. brewing water.  It costs me only $1.50 to fill a 5 gallon jug and after filling 10, I get a free one.  Plus, I can get 15 gallons (enough for a 11 gallon batch) in a few minutes instead of taking a day or two to fill the jugs here at home even though I have a 7.5 gallon reservoir on my R.O.  Full disclosure, I just bought a new water softener to replace the one that was about 25 years old and it came with a new R.O. unit as a part of the package.  The one I have in operation is the exact same model, is only 4 years old, and is working great so I have a new one in the box that I can part with if anyone is interested. PM me and we can discuss it.  I do not work for a store that sells water softeners or R.O units.

Just another thing to consider.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Recommendation for RO system to use for homebrew
« Reply #25 on: June 19, 2019, 12:33:43 pm »
Also, as to well water sources, it is recommended that you run a sanitizing solution through the system periodically (with filters removed) to prevent bacteria build up in the storage tank.  Just another hassle that I put up with (commercial sourced RO near me is kinda pricy, so I went with a home system with softener in line ahead of the RO.)
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