Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink?

[Big Sandy]

Our water supply is a natural spring...but we have problems. It is biologically filthy, owing to the catchment tank up on the top of the hill being in a state of disrepair. As it supplies 4 houses, then the cost of repair has to be shared and the other 3 arent prepared/able to share, so we have a holding tank at house level, and a pump. It is fed into the house through a 50 micron filter, a 5 micron filter and then a 0.5 micron filter. Finally a UV lamp to kill anything that's left. Even with all that filtration, sometimes the water is peaty coloured! (Fine for whisky!!)

Being a private supply, what steps do you think I should take to be sure the water is suitable for home beermaking? We do make wine with it, and as yet have had no problems. It's very soft water, no iron in it at all, and that's about all I know. I guess if it has peat in it, it must be acidic?

[far9410]

no negative waves here, ignore the science, if you can make good wine, then make beers like stouts and mild, maybe get a water report (or perhaps not) add some salts to make bitter.

[Dennis King]

Think I would go for cheap supermarket bottled water.

[unclepumble]

You also have the option of getting an RO filter plant, that way the water will have nothing in it, ( A Blank canvas to paint with,) then after a little research on water chemistry on the net or by using grahams water calc you could work out what salts to add for whatever beer style you intend to brew.

UP

[boingy]

It will make beer as it is.
If you get it analysed it could probably make great beer.

[Big Sandy]

I was told, years ago, that people used to make beer because it was cleaner and safer to drink beer than it was to drink water. I guess that would be 'small beer'?

We had the water tested by Environmental Health, which is how we know it was filthy before the filtration plant was fitted (195 coliform bacteria to every 100ml of water..pretty skanky) it is clean after filtration and UV blasting though. Apparently the .5 micron removes ammonia and a variety of other chemicals...will need to look deeper into it.

So, I need to find what other chemicals are in it...further research required! Thanks for the pointers guys.

[arkadiuszmakarenko]

I was told, years ago, that people used to make beer because it was cleaner and safer to drink beer than it was to drink water. I guess that would be 'small beer'?

We had the water tested by Environmental Health, which is how we know it was filthy before the filtration plant was fitted (195 coliform bacteria to every 100ml of water..pretty skanky) it is clean after filtration and UV blasting though. Apparently the .5 micron removes ammonia and a variety of other chemicals...will need to look deeper into it.

So, I need to find what other chemicals are in it...further research required! Thanks for the pointers guys.

If it is safe to drink it is perfect for brewing. You may not get perfect stout or perfect IPA, without some more knowledge about it, but i would just use what i have got.