Expert: Spencer W Thomas - 11/25/2008

Question
what is the best thing to do about water for brewing.tape water,bottle water or filter tape water

Answer
If you are brewing with malt extract, the water choice is not critical, as long as it tastes good.  One thing to watch out for in tap water is chloramine.  This chemical is used by many water companies to sanitize the water, because it is more stable than pure chlorine (and less smelly).  Unfortunately, it is not driven off by boiling or by letting the water sit overnight.  If it's not removed, it might result in a nasty plastic taste in the finished beer.  So, if your water supply uses chloramine, you will want to charcoal filter it or use "campden" tablets (1/4 tablet per 5 gallons of water) to neutralize it.  

If your water has iron or other off flavors, you will probably want to buy bottled water.  "Spring water" is preferred, because it has some minerals in it, which contribute to the beer flavor.  "RO" or distilled water are not good for brewing. Also, you should not use softened water, because you will end up with salty beer.