I use the RO filling stations at my local grocery stores and use bru’n water for my mineral adjustments but due to corona all the stores have shut those filling stations down. So what can I use in replacement so I can have that blank water canvas. I don’t wanna go back to store bought spring or distilled. Will a water company possibly deliver any? Otherwise my brewing is shutdown for now.
No more RO water, what to use now
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dpeters
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That is the same issue I ran into. I have been thinking about an RO system for a long time and this finally pushed me to pull the trigger and buy a Buckeye RO system.
There are delivery options but they will cost you. What is your water like out of your tap?
There are delivery options but they will cost you. What is your water like out of your tap?
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Why not get your own RO?
Dan, can you call the water company and see if they can offer you a water profile? Not the ones in the newspaper that are about safety, but maybe you could get a helpful water guy who can give you what you need. You need calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, sulfate, and alkalinity (bicarbonate). If iron can be an issue, you could ask about that too. Maybe they could help you with that?
Otherwise, a water test from Ward lab will run you about $28 if they are operating now.
Otherwise, a water test from Ward lab will run you about $28 if they are operating now.
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They can do iron... and Mn as well
They dont have the RO filling stations outside any stores around you ?
Theoretically, it shouldn't matter, if contamination of the station is a concern...
Cheers!
Cheers!
InspectorJon
Well-Known Member
Someone mentioned collecting rain water. An inch of water running off a 4x8 piece of plywood would yield almost 20 gallons of very soft water. Set up a clean sheet of plastic like a big funnel with a bucket in the middle.
Or even a system with a small tank, which often come with a rudimentary faucet. Handy for rinsing pH meter sensors 
Cheers!
Cheers!
I got myself a simple $99 RO system back in the day with no tank. It was one of the best investments i ever made in brewing.
I opted to add the tank later when the 5th saddle valve for my ice maker supply failed and I decided rather than putting yet another hole in my main water line i'd plumb it to the RO. But for that I needed some pressure and accumulation so i got a small tank. $30 well spent. I still bypass the tank when i make brewing water.
Next investment will be a larger atmospheric tank and a pump. But that's not required at all.
I opted to add the tank later when the 5th saddle valve for my ice maker supply failed and I decided rather than putting yet another hole in my main water line i'd plumb it to the RO. But for that I needed some pressure and accumulation so i got a small tank. $30 well spent. I still bypass the tank when i make brewing water.
Next investment will be a larger atmospheric tank and a pump. But that's not required at all.
olotti
Well-Known Member
Hey Yooper hope all is well, stay safe up there. I’ll give our township a call that’s where our water is sourced from otherwise I’ll do a ward labs sample. It’s fast and I think our water here is prob good enough to brew with. Last house our water was really calcium laden this new house has really good water clean water.
olotti
Well-Known Member
what kind did u get? The only ones I’m seeing are hundreds of dollars and they all have to be installed under the sink. I’d like one I could just run a hose into and collect out the other end but maybe they don’t make em like that.
RO=reverse osmosisOK, away for decades.
I'm guessing, though, that RO is not Read Only . . .
First I have to deal with Bureau of Indian Affairs Brewing, then Missing In Action, Beer, and now . . .
dochawk
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Ahh. Thanks.
That possibility didn't occur until I started seeing "under counter" and such.
Most of what I've brewed seems fine with hard water (mostly pale ales and stouts/porters)--and you can just about sharpen a knife by holding in running water at the sinkin Las Vegas . . .
That possibility didn't occur until I started seeing "under counter" and such.
Most of what I've brewed seems fine with hard water (mostly pale ales and stouts/porters)--and you can just about sharpen a knife by holding in running water at the sinkin Las Vegas . . .
I'd always heard that RO filling stations were not completely reliable for always getting a blank water canvas. Is that true?
I actually use grocery store distilled water and make mineral additions... seems to be a decent approach without having to invest in an RO system. In the long run, I guess my approach is more expensive.
I actually use grocery store distilled water and make mineral additions... seems to be a decent approach without having to invest in an RO system. In the long run, I guess my approach is more expensive.
The station I use always posts when it was serviced last and what TDS it was. It's always been under 20 TDS, which is close enough for me. I can't imagine the mental gymnastics required to close a water station for an airborne virus, unless it is just to profit on the bottled water shortage...
I use a Glacier water kiosk outside a store. I was a little hesitant but gave it a shot . Much to my surprise my TDS readings are usually around 6 - 9. Only once has it been over 10 ppm . I think it was around 16.
dpeters
Well-Known Member
Funny story, one time I was at our local Piggly Wiggly filling up my 5 gal jug with RO water and this guy with some sort a mental disability comes over to watch me fill my jug and he ask a few of the usual questions and then he ask me if he can take a drink from the stream. I told him the store requires a cup and maybe the service desk would have one for him.
HausBrauerei_Harvey
Well-Known Member
I reached out to a local pro I did a Pro-Am with last year just this week about this. He suggested boiling your water and it will drop alot of ions out if you hold at high temps overnight, or just boil for a while then let settle overnight. my water isn't that bad but a bit high in sulfate at the moment and I wanted to do a czech pilsner, i'm going to give this a go.
Dustin_J
Well-Known Member
Just for fun, here's the 2018 Lansing MI (hopefully that's the right Lansing) water quality report: https://www.lbwl.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/2018 BWL Water Quality Report_2.pdf
I lived in East Lansing for 6 years, so was curious
I lived in East Lansing for 6 years, so was curious
When I bought my setup it came with a 3 gallon storage tank. It's all I can fit under my sink but its annoying having to gather the 9 gallons I need for brew day. If I had any space available nearby I would add a larger tank to equal ~10 gallons. I believe you can add tanks in parallel, they just increase the total capacity.
I suppose the one good thing about the 3 gallon is that, since we use it for drinking and cooking too, the tank gets completely emptied and flushed a couple of times every time I brew so there is no water hanging around getting funky. Maybe I could replace the 3 gal with a 5 gal just to lessen the workload. Gather 5 gallons the night before then grab the rest the morning of.
I suppose the one good thing about the 3 gallon is that, since we use it for drinking and cooking too, the tank gets completely emptied and flushed a couple of times every time I brew so there is no water hanging around getting funky. Maybe I could replace the 3 gal with a 5 gal just to lessen the workload. Gather 5 gallons the night before then grab the rest the morning of.
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.I have an RO system with a 4 and 14 gallon tank. I was fortunate enough to install it in the basement under the kitchen sink. My brewery setup is only about 15 feet from that. I get about 8 gallons before it is reduced to a small trickle. Typically, I will fill the HLT the night before so I have plenty if a need a bit more on brew day. Between drinking water, kambucha, and brewing beer, I figure the system probably paid for itself already.
I used the RO filling station at my grocery store a little over a week ago. I hope it stays open; I use that water for both coffee and beer. It would be interesting to know why your store shut it down for COVID. Maybe the company that services it doesn't want to send someone there.
I have found this water to be very clean and consistent. I occasionally check it with a TDS tester and it's alway near zero.
I have found this water to be very clean and consistent. I occasionally check it with a TDS tester and it's alway near zero.
I'm assuming it has to do with physical contact when operating the machine...
Cheers!
Cheers!
Could be, but there is physical contact with self-checkout stations, refrigerator doors, shopping carts and many other things in the stores.
You're right, of course. But I'd like to assume the checkouts, doors and carts are being frequently sanitized by the store operators.
I don't know anything about these RO stations but are they actually operated by the store, or is it out-sourced? If the latter there's no telling how frequently - if ever - the machines ever get wiped down with sanitizer.
Cheers! (Yet another reason to roll your own)
I don't know anything about these RO stations but are they actually operated by the store, or is it out-sourced? If the latter there's no telling how frequently - if ever - the machines ever get wiped down with sanitizer.
Cheers! (Yet another reason to roll your own
)
dochawk
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Long ago, I connected some hose to the water tap on the refrigerator, and assigned a small child to fill buckets with it.
For a 15 gallon batch.
*That* was a one-timer . . .
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heh.. I just responded to another RO thread. All of these headaches can be solved with a simple tankless RO system for about $125
Even if available, store RO varies widely in TDS.
Contact Russ at Buckeye Hydro (see post #3)
Geeeze… I'm starting to sound like a paid spokesperson.
Just a satisfied customer.
VirginiaHops1
Well-Known Member
I feel your pain OP. Safeway closed their filling station near me I often use but Wholefoods still has theirs open for now at least. I was already planning on getting a small RO system eventually but this will motivate me to do it faster, like as soon as possible.
olotti
Well-Known Member
Just for fun, here's the 2018 Lansing MI (hopefully that's the right Lansing) water quality report: https://www.lbwl.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/2018 BWL Water Quality Report_2.pdf
I lived in East Lansing for 6 years, so was curious
Yup that's the lansing. I didn't realize until after I sent away for the ward labs test that where i live now our water comes from BWL, I thought it was from the township itself. It'll prob be a good thing to get the up to date numbers cuz if the water is good I'd rather use my tap water anyway and it'll save me from filling all those jugs. Thanks for the info.
dpeters
Well-Known Member
Don't do that you will burn out the solenoid valve on the fridge, ask me how I know that...Long ago, I connected some hose to the water tap on the refrigerator, and assigned a small child to fill buckets with it.
For a 15 gallon batch.
*That* was a one-timer . . .
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Yeah after a few RO station fills I decided to make my own RO system. It was a healthy investment but well worth the time saving and convenience of just going to my tap for brew water when needed.
Someone mentioned collecting rain water. So it's been raining like crazy here for the last 4 days so I decided to put a glass outside to collect some rainfall. I was amazed when I checked with my TDS meter . It read 2 ppm ! That's insane . I never would have thought it would be that low . I live in California , which apparently it's illegal to collect rain water lol.
dpeters
Well-Known Member
How did the cost to make your own compare to just buying one? I originally looked into just purchasing all the components too and the cost was almost the same as just buying the system not to mention I would have had to put it all together.
I know if feels great to stick it to 'the man', but California made it legal in 2012.
It is still illegal in most of the western States though.
I know if feels great to stick it to 'the man', but California made it legal in 2012.
It is still illegal in most of the western States though.
Oh no kidding ok cool, thank you !
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Dpeters, just buy one. i was trying to be extra and make one like the HbrewO case and it ended up costing me a lot more than i needed to spend, and the fact that i dont really need it to be so portable because i brew like a normal person at home lol. Plus with the home ones you buy the filters are a lot bigger for more flow and probably longer life when you only use it to brew vs mine which is in a case.
dochawk
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Ouch.
Having done it once was enough to convince me not to make that effort again . . .
[hm , and what insane algorithm matches "mesh spaghetti strap floral print" (seems to be a bikini top) to this thread?
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