Water for tamping alcohol

[Birdman85]

Can anyone tell me if using store bought distilled or anything in particular, will make for a better end product when tamping down my liquor?

There's nothing wrong with my tap water, but just want to know if I'm missing out.

[Wellsy]

I have always used bottled not tap. Never tried it so can’t tell you.
Local water is different for everyone mate, next time try have with bottled water and the other half with tap water and see if you can pick which is which.
Get some one else to pour so you don’t know which is which when tasting the results might surprise you

[Birdman85]

Yeah i certainly will try that thanks Wellsy. Are we talking spring water or distilled water?

I have just finished my spirit run of my 1st 2 gens of All grain. Got about 11L to go through and figure out...gonna be a fun night.

[RuddyCrazy]

I just use rainwater for all my fermenting decanting etc fluid. As I'm out of suburbia my rainwater is clean as and eh been doing this for over 2 decades and it aint done no harm :confusion-confused:

[Wellsy]

I just use the cheapest water I can get at the supermarket. Often 24 x 600 ml bottles is cheaper than a 5 or 10 litre container. It also makes measuring the amounts easier.
Some of the car washes locally have free standing ice vending machines that also sell 15 litres for $4:00 that is absolutely the cheapest I have found.
I just use tap water for ferments but I was caught out once when they over dosed the chlorine to clean all the pipes

[Yonder]

If you’re talking “proofing down” the distillate, only use use distilled water. You don’t want to affect the flavor of you product over the long run.

[hgwells]

I use a RO filter

[BigRig]

i use the normal filtered water attached to my kitchen tap

[The Stig]

Same , I e got one of those 2 canister filters under the sink

[Birdman85]

Good chat guys. Alot of insight for people on options for proofing their products.

Looks like I'll have to get back in my woollies order and add to my pickup for tomorrow.

[RC Al]

So do some research into your brand of bottled water, many are literally tap water, Melbourne or Sydney tap water. You would be better off sitting buckets of your own tap water in the sun for a day in many instances.

[Wellsy]

Thanks for the heads up RC

[bluess57]

Often just use boiled water, cooled down of course

[GrantB]

I use a set of filters off my caravan to continually refill a 30 litre drum & use that water for all my distilling needs.

[B-Man]

No town supply where I live but that isn't great at the best of times. Use to use straight rain water and now I have a 2 stage while house filter just for particles no carbon.
Either works fine.
And no issues with product.
I have thought about bottling using different waters and try to taste the difference but never got around to it.

[Desert Oak]

Water is everything.

Although my knowledge and skills regarding distilling are a 'work in progress', my understanding of water is not.

The water where I live is extremely hard; the mineral content is off the charts! Calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates that will all have an effect on flavour.

I thoroughly experimented with diluting final product with this water, and distilled water. The differences were insane. I found out that the chlorine level of the drinking water was off the chart.

The normal health parameters for total chlorine are around 5mg/L. That's 5 parts per million. My water is 181mg/L. That's an insane amount of chlorine. The calcium is also higher than normal and will destroy any heating elements in a short amount of time.

Get in touch with your local water company and ask for a drinking water quality report if you're curious about what you're drinking and mashing/distilling with. It's quite interesting.

Distilled water from here on out for me.

[Jedstar]

I live in Kalgoorlie and the water here is as Desert described, but I have run a small RO system for years, the water from that makes everything better, washes, spirit & oh, ice. :D