Water Filtration Question and Advice

[MackerelQ]

Looking for some advice on water filtration. Let me preface this by saying I’m not looking to create RO water. My water seems pretty good, but I’d like to filter it just to clean it up some.

I purchased three of these filter housings:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VZ2O0Q/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
and this water filter set: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MA23NUK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.

I don’t know if this filtration system will pull out the desired minerals/salts from my water or not. If anyone has any information on this, I’d appreciate it. Was thinking about sending a sample of my unfiltered and a sample my filtered water for analysis just for confirmation.

My second question is since I’m not going to connect this to my whole house (just going to make a portable standalone unit only used for my brewing water), what should I do with it when not in use? I don’t want it going moldy and algae ridden when in storage. Anybody using a filter in a standalone fashion?

 

[mredge73]

The filters are all the same; if you are going with a multi-filter setup you should be using different size filters.
Like 10 micron, 5 micron, 1 micron. A 10 micron filter is usually a cheap paper filter made to grab large partials like rust and other solids. 5 micron carbon will get most of the chlorine. 1 micron is a finish filter.
None will removed things like salt; you need a RO stage for that which is really just $20 more than what you have already spent.

A single 5 micron carbon filter should be all that you really need as chlorine is the biggest enemy to brew water and this filter will get most of it.

 

[MackerelQ]

mredge73, thanks for the response. I don’t know if I stated it well, but when I referred to “desired minerals/salts” I probably should have said desirable minerals/salts. I don’t want to reconstruct the water profile, it’s probably pretty good as-is, just wanted to clean it up some.

I’ll look into possibly getting some different sized filters. Just don’t want to filter too fine and change the water character.

 

[MackerelQ]

Any recommendations on what to do with the filters when not in use?

 

[MackerelQ]

Seem to be striking out here. Not sure if it’s that nobody’s got any advice or nobody’s doing the same thing.

 

[centralpabrewer]

I don't go to those lengths to filter water, I just use a single 5 micron...However, between brews, I take the filter out of the canister and let it air dry. I've never had any issues with mold or mildew

 

[MackerelQ]

centralpabrewer, appreciate the advice. That’s what I was hoping would work, but wasn’t sure. Can you tell me approximately how long the filter takes to dry before it can be stored?

 

[2trout]

As my wife likes to say about many of the things i do, "you have a solution waiting for a problem".

A good starting point here is a water test. Go here https://www.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.php and find out exactly what you are dealing with. The filter you bought looks like a sediment filter from the quick look I took. Sediment is just heavy stuff that would settle out over time, not the minerals and hardness.

Find out what water problems you may have before you spend lots of time and some cash on that possible problem

trout

 

[centralpabrewer]

only takes a day or two

 

[MackerelQ]

Thanks 2trout, that’s actually what I was planning to do, but I was going to take it one step further and send in a sample of my filtered water as well as the unfiltered just to see what’s going on under all circumstances.