[microbrewwater.com]

To meet new and stricter EPA Standards the city of Tulsa and thousands of others across the country will begin to convert the disinfectant used to treat the city's drinking water from chlorine to chloramines in fall of this year. Chloramine, a disinfectant used to treat drinking water, is a common alternative to chlorine and is formed when ammonia is added to chlorine. The EPA new rule goes into effect in 2012. Here we go again. How will this affect your brewing process? There is a strong warning to dialysis patients and Fish owners ..Hmmm...Chloramines actually last longer and travels farther into the  water distribution system than conventional chlorine but there are several ways to treat this problem including a specific type of Granulated Activated Carbon or GAC. It is important to note that some carbons will not work well with this problem. Let me know if anyone has any questions..

Jim

[weithman5]

what effect
how do you know if it is present
how do you get rid of it.

[dbeechum]

The effect is just like chlorine - binds with various malt elements to produce very stable medicinal phenols and chlorine aromas. Mucho bad.

You can buy chloramine test strips from a couple of sites or your aquarium store (Cause it turns out fish don't like it much either)

Two main ways to get rid of it - a relatively slow run through a activated charcoal filter (as specified by the OP) or the addition of a metabisulfite like Campden. Crush up a tablet, stir into 20 gallons of water, wait a few minutes and voila.

[microbrewwater.com]

Dbeechum your quick..Good info to know in regards to brewing. We have had very good luck with Acid Washed GAC and have been able to to achieve up to 5 GPM per cubic foot of flow for total removal. 

[Tim McManus]

So how effective would a canister filter with a standard activated charcoal filter connected to a standard garden hose be?

[narcout]

Our water is treated with chloramine; campden tablets work very well.

[Mark G]

Our water is treated with chloramine; campden tablets work very well.

Same here. My municipality has been treating our water with chloramines for the last 5 years. Campden is my friend.

[1vertical]

I am liking my well more n more    Hope I never get a plume

[microbrewwater.com]

There are several problems that we have seen with garden hoses hooked up to standard filter housings. Sanitary issues, flow rates higher than  the filter cartridge can handle, and bleed by.  The proper flow is very important for good contact time with any filter media. As for the sanitary issues regarding GAC and or carbon block if not handled properly bacteria could be an issue. We always wear gloves when working with filters of any type.We also clean and sanitize the filter housings. Just these small steps can make a big difference.

[thomasbarnes]

Not a problem for me, since our local water supplier has been using chloramines for a long time. In terms of overall water safety, chloramines are an improvement. For brewers, they're a hassle, but easy to deal with. Drew gave the basic run-down.

[Tim McManus]

There are several problems that we have seen with garden hoses hooked up to standard filter housings. Sanitary issues, flow rates higher than  the filter cartridge can handle, and bleed by.  The proper flow is very important for good contact time with any filter media. As for the sanitary issues regarding GAC and or carbon block if not handled properly bacteria could be an issue. We always wear gloves when working with filters of any type.We also clean and sanitize the filter housings. Just these small steps can make a big difference.

I was referring more to the canister's efficiency in stripping out chloramine.  I'm not worried about the rest.

[MDixon]

We have had Chloramines for many years and one month per year they switch back to chlorine. The trick with filtering is to filter SLOWLY. A garden hose full blast probably ain't gonna cut it and waiting for things to fill at a slow rate is gonna drive you nuts. I actually filter twice using a whole house filter and then a filter for the brewing water. The whole house filter seems to bring it to a tolerable level and the point of use (in reality another whole house or under sink filter) knocks out the rest and I don't find I have to slow the flow rate considerably. YMMV

[majorvices]

There are several problems that we have seen with garden hoses hooked up to standard filter housings. Sanitary issues, flow rates higher than  the filter cartridge can handle, and bleed by.  The proper flow is very important for good contact time with any filter media. As for the sanitary issues regarding GAC and or carbon block if not handled properly bacteria could be an issue. We always wear gloves when working with filters of any type.We also clean and sanitize the filter housings. Just these small steps can make a big difference.

Just no need to sanitize pre boil. Maybe you would want to refrain fro drinking the water, but preboil brew water would be of no concern,

[realbeerguy]

Was confronted with the Chloramine issue when I first moved down here from NJ.  I filter slow thru a charcoal filter, restricting flow with a 1/4" tube outlet on the water filter.  Filter is hooked up to a white RV hose that is just used for brewing.  And as Drew said, 1 campden tablet to 20 gal has knocked it out of my brewing water.

[Hokerer]

I was referring more to the canister's efficiency in stripping out chloramine.  I'm not worried about the rest.

Unless you trickle the water through the canister extremely slowly, it's basically buying you nothing.  Campden tabs are cheap.