Water Quality

[VicP]

Has anyone used RODI water for wine making rather than water straight from the tap ?

 

[rustbucket]

Where I live, the water has a strong fluoride taste so I always use bottled spring water when making wine kits.

 

[KGREZLIK]

New user to the forum, and new bie to home made wine- still waiting on my Fasterferment and Wineexpert kit- my first of likely many questions is that I live in Kuwait, and the tap water while potable, has a strong sodium hypochlorite concentration- should I use bottled instead of tap water for my kit? And if so, am I better off with distilled or spring? Or, can I just boil the tap water and let it cool before using? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance.

 

[winemaker81]

@KGREZLIK, distilled is perfectly safe as there's nothing in it except water. It lacks all minerals and is totally neutral.

"Spring" water is a crapshoot, as at least one commercial brands turned out to be filtered municipal water. Do background search on the brand(s) available to you.

Me? I'd not use the tap water if there are other options. If the spring water has no chemical smell or taste, it would be my first choice. If unsure, go with distilled.

 

[DizzyIzzy]

New user to the forum, and new bie to home made wine- still waiting on my Fasterferment and Wineexpert kit- my first of likely many questions is that I live in Kuwait, and the tap water while potable, has a strong sodium hypochlorite concentration- should I use bottled instead of tap water for my kit? And if so, am I better off with distilled or spring? Or, can I just boil the tap water and let it cool before using? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance.

I don't know if you have a Walmart in Kuwait, but I always use their spring water. Has a great taste, and has never negatively affected my wine. I would definitely NEVER use the tap water............................DizzyIzzy

 

[KGREZLIK]

Thanks all for your input- no tap water for me!

 

[mikewatkins727]

@KGREZLIK, distilled is perfectly safe as there's nothing in it except water. It lacks all minerals and is totally neutral.

"Spring" water is a crapshoot, as at least one commercial brands turned out to be filtered municipal water. Do background search on the brand(s) available to you.

Me? I'd not use the tap water if there are other options. If the spring water has no chemical smell or taste, it would be my first choice. If unsure, go with distilled.

As @winemaker81 said, "distilled is perfectly safe as there's nothing in it except water. It lacks all minerals and is totally neutral." IMO that is a problem for the yeast, they need minerals (and vitamins) for healthy bodies. I second Bryan's statement, do research on "Spring" water locally. If it tastes good most likely the wine will taste good.

I am on a well, water is filtered and run through a water softener and I use it for my wine.

 

[Raptor99]

I am on a well, water is filtered and run through a water softener and I use it for my wine.

I was wondering about using softened water for making wine. My new house has a well and water softener, and all the water taps are softened. So I was wondering if that would be okay to use for wine.

 

[winemaker81]

I was wondering about using softened water for making wine. My new house has a well and water softener, and all the water taps are softened. So I was wondering if that would be okay to use for wine.

Check the sodium content -- that could be a problem.

 

[Raptor99]

How do I check the sodium level? The taste is not too bad, better than some of the softened water I have tasted in other places. Eventually I might set up a tap that bypasses the water softener.

 

[winemaker81]

How do I check the sodium level?

Companies wanting to sell you a new unit often happily test your water. A local college may have a water quality dept, or state gov might.

 

[Jim Welch]

New user to the forum, and new bie to home made wine- still waiting on my Fasterferment and Wineexpert kit- my first of likely many questions is that I live in Kuwait, and the tap water while potable, has a strong sodium hypochlorite concentration- should I use bottled instead of tap water for my kit? And if so, am I better off with distilled or spring? Or, can I just boil the tap water and let it cool before using? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance.

Are you sure it is sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, you’re smelling? Might it be chlorine? If it is chlorine, which is commonly used in water systems here in the states (and is similar to bleach) simply letting it stand for several days will allow it to off gas. UV light also rapidly breaks it down.
I use municipal tap water for winemaking that I dechlorinate by nearly filling gallon glass jugs and placing them outside for a day or two and my wines turn out pretty good. I use these jugs because my “winery” is in an upstairs spare bedroom and it makes it easier to transport the water from my kitchen to that room. One could just fill any container and let the water sit for several days out of the sun. Boiling will also drive chlorine off but UV light from the sun is free!
On the other hand if your water supplier uses chloramine it is a different animal, much more persistent. In that case spring or distilled water would be your best bet IMO. If your water supplier publishes a water report it should state what they use to keep their pipes cleaner. You could try contacting them or look on their website if they have one.

 

[Bossbaby]

How do I check the sodium level? The taste is not too bad, better than some of the softened water I have tasted in other places. Eventually I might set up a tap that bypasses the water softener.

I would think your exterior faucets/hose bibs are hard water?

 

[hounddawg]

reading a post like this, makes me know, how i should not take my water for granted, 243 feet deep through limestone, well water. about 600 yards from me,, there is a stream that comes outta the ground, and runs less then 100 yards behind my place, called lawson springs, it tested all but pure, another scores hed a mile away, when i read this it gives one food for thought,,, Welcome, to WMT ,,& best of luck to you,,
Dawg

 

[G259]

I saw a recording of a meeting (I think) of town officials, from 50 - 60's(?) They were talking about water quality, then someone said "Maybe we could start bottling it, and sell it at the retail level." The guffawing then began, and lasted several minutes. Hmmmm.

 

[Gilmango]

Are you sure it is sodium hypochlorite, aka bleach, you’re smelling? Might it be chlorine? If it is chlorine, which is commonly used in water systems here in the states (and is similar to bleach) simply letting it stand for several days will allow it to off gas. UV light also rapidly breaks it down.
I use municipal tap water for winemaking that I dechlorinate by nearly filling gallon glass jugs and placing them outside for a day or two and my wines turn out pretty good. I use these jugs because my “winery” is in an upstairs spare bedroom and it makes it easier to transport the water from my kitchen to that room. One could just fill any container and let the water sit for several days out of the sun. Boiling will also drive chlorine off but UV light from the sun is free!
On the other hand if your water supplier uses chloramine it is a different animal, much more persistent. In that case spring or distilled water would be your best bet IMO. If your water supplier publishes a water report it should state what they use to keep their pipes cleaner. You could try contacting them or look on their website if they have one.

Chloramine is definitely a different animal and to be avoided, but the good news there is that it can be readily dealt for at home volumes with campden tablets though, just one tablet will treat 20 gallons of water. That's what I use for my homebrewing.

Campden tablets are very effective in removing chlorine and chloramine. This is a well understood chemical reaction that is frequently used in wastewater treatment. As mentioned, dosing at a rate of about 1 tablet per 20 gallons will result in consuming up to 3 ppm chlorine or chloramine.

A web search of Campden and chloramine will lead to many articles, here are a couple:
https://www.morebeer.com/category/water-filters.html#Removing Chloramines
Using Campden Tablets to Treat Chlorine and Chloramines

 

[Raptor99]

I would think your exterior faucets/hose bibs are hard water?

Yes they are. I could haul water in from outside for now. When I am able set up the wine room I plan to bring in a line for unsoftened water.

 

[franc1969]

Buying water could be an option. I use drinking water from our co-op for wine, DI for sanitizer so it lasts. $0.39 a gallon for reverse osmosis or deionized. The other grocery store is more like $1 gallon. Faster than pulling water from the tap, especially since we filter all the drinking water we use. Our well is very acid, and we have a neutralizer everything goes though first. Water is very hard to start with, and the neutralizer adds calcium. Cleaning I don't care, but thank goodness for PBW. I would probably use the same if I lived with municipal water.

 

[heatherd]

I typically use distilled in gallon jugs. That's what the Finer Wine Kits requested in the directions.

 

[Jim Welch]

thank goodness for PBW.

When I got into brewing in a big way I made as much of my own stuff as I could. Made my own brew pot stand, my own 22gal boil kettle, my own lauter tun, my own PID based electric controller, etc., etc. Even made my own faux PBW which worked OK.
At some beer convention I got a sample or two of PBW, I was simply amazed at how well that stuff cleans, broke down and bought some and have been using it ever since. Still have some of my faux PBW, that gets used as back up dishwasher detergent!