Jay Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Okay fellow brewers, I was sharing a brew with a mate around our campfire last weekend, and got him all excited about starting his own. However he posed two questions which I couldn't answer, at least without any confidence. 1. He stated that surely natural/spring water is better to brew with than tap water? (regardless of whether its decent tap water ie Sydney) This still troubles me too, especially as some beers boast of the pure spring water that they use for brewing eg Boags. It makes sense to me. 2. He waved a 750ml green plastic bottle of spring water in my face (which cost less than $1) and questioned me as to why I couldn't use the bottle (and the spring water inside) instead of buying a slightly more expensive PET bottle from a brew shop. (As long as I kept it in darkness when conditioning) He wondered why I wouldn't just get a box of these at a supermarket (even cheaper), and have the bonus of nice spring water for the brew? Suffice to say I couldn't really answer my mate with the authority and knowledge that I really desired. any help would be greatly appreciated, so I can, 1. Understand better myself, and 2. Shut the smug git up. Cheers Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Spring water should be fine for brewing but whether it is better is another question. I guess it depends on your tap water and what minerals etc it contains. It is difficult to give a definitive answer to a broad question. As for the bottle, you need to ensure it could handle a carbonated beverage. For example, PET coke bottles can be used but a 'still water' bottle will probably not handle the pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Aren't the Coopers and Brew Cellar type PETs lined or laminated in some way to prevent the leeching of gas/air, making them more suitable for aging your beers in? [unsure] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I can only speak from my own experience, but I use Brisbane tap water in my brews and have done since I started on kits and then made the move to all grain. I have had no problems with it and am very happy with the quality of the beers I'm producing with it, and as such consider using spring water a total waste of time and money. I don't know how Brisbane water compares to Sydney water but I suppose the best way to find out which you prefer is to do two identical batches; use tap water in one and the spring water in the other. Whether there's any difference between the two is something that can't really be answered until you try it. As for the bottles, I don't know much about plastic ones as I use glass, but I would take Hairy's advice on board regarding whether they can handle carbonated liquid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 I use ADELAIDE tap water. [alien] If that won't make your guts rot, nothing will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 I use ADELAIDE tap water. [alien] If that won't make your guts rot, nothing will! Now I know why you can't taste anything. You used to smoke and you drank/drink Adelaide tap water [surprised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 What should be of more concern is all of the mind control drugs being fed to us through flouride. [lol] [bandit] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IzacF Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 well im lucky...i have two huge rainwater tanks so im using heavens water........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted February 20, 2013 Share Posted February 20, 2013 well im lucky...i have two huge rainwater tanks so im using heavens water........ I would boil it first and if you are considering AG Brewing then it will probably affect hop utilisation. Depending where you are collecting it, a PH test might not go astray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 thanks everyone, I think I'll leave my tap water in a big bucket overnight to get rid of any chlorine to be on the safe side, (although it doesn't really have any chlorine taste). And might try just mixing in say 10 litres of Spring water with the tap water to get the best of both worlds. Still not sure about PET bottles. Lime Phil said, I'm wondering whether the proper brew shop ones have some sort of protection so that they don't leech harmful stuff or odors? Guess I could just try one or two plastic coke bottles on my next brew and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 thanks everyone, I think I'll leave my tap water in a big bucket overnight to get rid of any chlorine to be on the safe side, (although it doesn't really have any chlorine taste). And might try just mixing in say 10 litres of Spring water with the tap water to get the best of both worlds. Still not sure about PET bottles. Lime Phil said, I'm wondering whether the proper brew shop ones have some sort of protection so that they don't leech harmful stuff or odors? Guess I could just try one or two plastic coke bottles on my next brew and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 This has been lifted from the Frequently asked questions. The Coopers DIY Beer Kit contains thirty 740ml PET bottles. These bottles are also widely available as a separate item (in boxes of fifteen). PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, which is the same plastic used to make soft drink (soda pop) bottles. Since 2000, Coopers has included PET bottles with the starter kits (initially the Micro-Brew Kit and now the DIY Beer Kit) rather than the traditional crown seals and capper because it was becoming increasingly difficult for new brewers to obtain sturdy crown seal bottles. Today, most commercial beer is packaged in single use glass bottles, which are too thin to stand up to the rigours of continual washing and capping. These bottles carry the words "no refill" embossed on the glass. The majority of PET bottles are subtly porous and a beverage held in PET will eventually go flat. However, Coopers PET bottles have a nylon barrier, reducing the the rate of ingress of oxygen and the loss of CO2 for up to 18 months. The re-usable caps have a tamper evident collar that breaks off after the first use. This does not affect the airtight seal. When the caps eventually wear out, replacement caps can be purchased separately. Note: PET is temperature-sensitive and should not be cleaned using hot water. A beer, such as an Imperial Stout, intended to be aged for 2 years or more, should be bottled into sturdy glass designed for re-use. With this in mind, Coopers also produce Original Pale Ale, Sparkling Ale and Best Extra Stout beverages in sturdy 750ml glass bottles. These bottles have a lip designed for a prise-off crown seal and weigh a formidable 560g empty! They are an excellent option for brewers and sauce makers, alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Thanks Hairy. That's that problem solved then. cheers jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest1525228310 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 thanks everyone, Guess I could just try one or two plastic coke bottles on my next brew and see what happens. Where are you? I have a few old coke bottles you can have. [ninja] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainC Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I have used 1.25l PET soft drink bottles now for over 10 years. I generally add slightly more priming sugar than for the equivalent volume in a glass bottle. I have occasionally run out of PET and had to do part of a brew into glass and part PET. I really can't tasted the difference, but glass does tend to have a better head retention. Only problem I have had is that I reuse the caps and occasionally I've had one split. I now check each cap for wear and replace it with one of the ones with the retention ring that can be bought from brew shops. Best part about 1.25l is that you tend to get 3 good glasses out of a bottle which is usually enough for one night! Another advantage of PET is the base traps any sediment and makes it easier to pour a clear beer. As for water, I have one of those tap water filters (Pura Tap) and always use the water from there for brewing. It supposedly filters out the bad stuff like chlorine but leaves the minerals etc. needed for brewing a good beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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