Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Wondering if anyone can explain the effects of fluoride on a fermentation..Is it possible to get a spike that would nuke fermentation or other variables.. anyone here work for council water services and can shed some light?

Opens popcorn for this one :laughing-rolling:

Where the army helmet (batten down the hatchs)smiley when you need it :D

Our town water has fluoride in it and I use town water for all my fermentations always have, even when I was making beer.
Never had one fail, stall or go slower than expected.
If you are worried about it I suppose you could pour off the water you want to use and let it sit overnight to let the fluoride gas off, much the same you do for the chlorine in town water if your that way inclined. You could also use rain water from a tank if you wanted to totally avoid it.
I have always run on the idea that if the water tastes ok then its ok to ferment with.

Plumby not that I'm worried about fluride...but I have had half dozen washes that just won't ferment have ruled out yeast ph and nutrient. Which leaves water chemistry, but they won't budge. Hoping for some solid info :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Plumby wrote:I suppose you could pour off the water you want to use and let it sit overnight to let the fluoride gas off, much the same you do for the chlorine in town water if your that way inclined.

Fluoride won't gas off because it's present as a salt, or ionic compound, which have very low vapour pressures and very high boiling points. Chlorine gases off because it undergoes a chemical reaction that constantly reacts back and forth between two chemicals. One of which has a high vapour pressure and low boiling point, this causes it to slowly evaporate from water.

Bluc, maybe you could look up your councils website and see if they post regular drinking water analysis results.

Fluoride has no effect on fermentation and is only around a concentration of 1mg/l the same as seawater.
It will not burn off like chlorine.

You could check the hardness/alkalinity of you water supply this may affect fermentation.

Looks like your water treatment plant is being upgraded and you may be getting water for other sources then usual ?

Already ruled out ph. No sign of infection.
I have read elsewhere that fluride does effect attenuation and it can build up in a grain bed when doing s bwko (uj)style drink.

What I don't get it won't ferment talking 6 weeks nutrient added ph checked adjusted stirred up temp checked etc etc nope won't ferment. Ditch it add more sugar and water on top of old grain Bec away it goes like a steam train :angry-banghead:

I have had bwko and rum do it. And always when do gens. With rum I thought it was the mollasses and have not done rum ferments since...I need to track this issue down it's doing my head in..

Your local water supplier can supply all water chemistry numbers, or you can send a small sample off to be tested. It won't be Flouride. Maybe chloramine? I'd start by ringing your supplier and asking if anything has changed.

Just try using rainwater instead chemical laden mains water and see the difference. As I'm totally off the grid rainwater is our potable supply and never need to worry tainted mains water.

db1979 wrote:

Plumby wrote:I suppose you could pour off the water you want to use and let it sit overnight to let the fluoride gas off, much the same you do for the chlorine in town water if your that way inclined.

Fluoride won't gas off because it's present as a salt, or ionic compound, which have very low vapour pressures and very high boiling points. Chlorine gases off because it undergoes a chemical reaction that constantly reacts back and forth between two chemicals. One of which has a high vapour pressure and low boiling point, this causes it to slowly evaporate from water.

Bluc, maybe you could look up your councils website and see if they post regular drinking water analysis results.

Nothin to add to the conversation except to say I do love your posts DB :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Thanks tipsy :greetings-waveyellow: