Water

[ozzie34231]

I've been on this group site for about a week, reading several hours a day. However I can find almost nothing about the largest ingredient in any mash, WATER.
I have three sources available to me:
County water; high in contaminants, doesn't pass Federal standards, as much chlorine as recommended for my pool.
Ground water; strong smell, lots of iron I think, who knows what else.
Water from a machine; osmosis, filtered, etc, etc, etc. $.25/gallon

I intend to make 5 gallon runs in a 1/4 keg still.
I have a 1/2 keg I will cut the top out of for mashing, etc 35,000 BTU propane to fire each.
What water can I use for mash, what water for cleaning? I assume I can use the ground water for cooling.
Should I rule out using the ground and County water?
Should I go to the trouble of having either tested?
How much does that cost?

I have two product goals, a clean spirit, (vodka), and a Tennessee type whiskey. Might even try a Rum.
Ozzie

[rad14701]

How well do those waters test after being boiled...??? Considering how you need to heat up the water anyway, a few extra minutes to boil it all sounds cheaper than osmosis filtering... It does mean that you would need to boil the entire wash volume, however... Just a thought...

[ScottishBoy]

Ground water; strong smell, lots of iron I think, who knows what else.
Ozzie

When you say "strong smell" what do you mean?
I would be tempted to bring a sample to a water shop. Some place that sells water purifiers. Some places will even have a friendly salesperson come to your house to do the test. Isnt that nice of them?
They are usually happy to test your water and tell all that is wrong with it...because they just so happen to have a unit that can fix the problem.
Sometimes the state run colleges and agricultural centers will come test your water as well.

But...you get your water tested for free.

Sometimes wells can need a shock to clear out unwelcome guests such as algae etc. Depending on how deep your well is, it can use up to a gallon of bleach, but if you follwo the directions, it usually produces good results. The smell could be a lot of things. If it's an earthy smell, or smells like an old pond, Shock it. If it smells like suplur or rust, you might be able to boil it out. Iron is the most common problem in well water that I hear of. In our area, we usually drill a deeper well to the next water table. Some folks have installed filtering mechanisms.
Most of the time, we just live with it.

My mashes tend to be a bit on the slow side, but I havent had a cavity since I was ten.

SB

[ozzie34231]

The well is only about 70 feet deep, used for lawn watering.
The smell is very strong, not rotten egg, I think, almost like sewerage.
Ozzie

[ScottishBoy]

So the well hasnt been rated for human consumption? Are we talking just a regular old well with a little house on top and a bucket?
70 feet isnt deep enough for a drilled well.

A well that shallow in the presence of city water sounds like a sure fire way to get contaminated drinking water. I would shy away from it. If you can water for 25 cents a gallon, it's just not worth the risk. If that well is being fed at 70 feet, that means its getting water from the water table nearest the civilized layer. Thats the first one to get contaminated.

[ozzie34231]

Ha!
It's a drilled well. I don't know how deep the well actually is, but the pump is down about 70 feet.

I just read the testing results for the County water for 6/'08 and they show all results acceptable.
An amusing side is that the water company offers free testing!??? I had it done about 3-4 years ago. They come out and test and tell you that they wouldn't drink it! They're selling it!
So I think if I boil to remove the excess Chlorine, I'll try spigot water. I drink some of it; in ice cubes.
The cost of the machine water isn't very high but I'm 71 and don't much like the thought of handling it. (Drive a mile, fill 3 or 4 carboys, in and out of trunk, etc.)
Ozzie

[ammo man]

Hi All,

I have made this or a similar post on another thread, but will post it again in case it may help some of you. In my area our water is heavily contaminated with iron, sulfur dioxide, and other minerals. It is safe to drink and use, but stinks to high heaven and leaves a layer of iron in the commode, bath tub, and sometimes even on your clothes.

I don't know the chemistry behind this, but if you blow the water out of the ground with an air compressor to a holding tank, and then from there pump it into a bladder pressure tank to be fed into your house the sulfur dioxide is eliminated to the point where you cannot smell it, and most of the iron, and I am sure some of the other minerals are removed. I use this system, and I know of at least a dozen other people in my area that do the same. As I said above I don't know why this works, but I can testify that it does.

I have tested distilled water against my well water in my distilling, and my tired old taste buds cannot tell the difference.

I hope this post will be of benefit to some of you.

Bert

[ScottishBoy]

Ha!
It's a drilled well. I don't know how deep the well actually is, but the pump is down about 70 feet.

I just read the testing results for the County water for 6/'08 and they show all results acceptable.
An amusing side is that the water company offers free testing!??? I had it done about 3-4 years ago. They come out and test and tell you that they wouldn't drink it! They're selling it!
So I think if I boil to remove the excess Chlorine, I'll try spigot water. I drink some of it; in ice cubes.
The cost of the machine water isn't very high but I'm 71 and don't much like the thought of handling it. (Drive a mile, fill 3 or 4 carboys, in and out of trunk, etc.)
Ozzie

Chlorine will dissipate if you just let the water sit out for about a day. If it has Chloramines in it, then thats a different story. They are harder to get rid of. Your water company can tell you what they use.
Sounds like your well might be a good candidate. Real easy to tell how deep it is with a lead sinker and 250 yards of nylon thread..or you could just get out the bill of sale for your house. Our agreement has the well specs listed on it.

But the easiest way would be to just leave some tap water out overnight and see how it smells the next day. It may surprise you.
Hope so. I like cheap answers.

SB

[ozzie34231]

Thanks to All,
We'll see what happens when I get cookin'.
I'd still like to know what the best water for mashing would look like.
Ozzie

[Fastill]

[I'd still like to know what the best water for mashing would look like.
Ozzie[/quote]
It would look like your finished product, clear as glass.

Iron is a big problem in my area and the water in some areas here can smell like sulfer. If you take your water and put it in jugs and refridgerate it will it settle out??
Most of my freinds with EXTREME hard water can just let the water sit for a while and it will settle out and is then usable,drinkable. It works faster if the water is cold. Just pour the good water off the top and it is ready for use. There is nothing harmful in their water, just minerals that will settle out over time.
Give it a try, maybe it will work for you.

[Mud Mechanik]

Have you ever checked the PH of your well water? Depending on the geographic location, well water has been known to have a very low number, which is what yeast likes.

[Whitedog]

Depth also plays a significant role in pH... My pH is ~8 on a 300 footer with a sulphur smell to it. The guy down the road has a pH of ~5 without a smell and a great taste ,....