Beer Forum

When does one add yeast nutrients. I am using tap water as of now and have no problems with off flavors but I would like to experiment with reverse osmosis bottled water. I figure I will have to add the nutrients, Right?

I could be wrong, but RO water has no minerals whatsoever. Which means you will have to add minerals back to build up your water profile according to what you are trying to emmulate or brew. I do not believe that simply adding yeast nutrients to your water will be enough, but maybe someone who brews regularly with RO water will chime in to help out.

brewinhard is right. RO water is similar to distilled... just a little less pure. you will have to add more than yeast nutrients to brew with it.

If you are using extract, it would be OK to use only RO water.

The yeast nutrients are usually added 15 minutes before the end of the boil.

whiteManCanHop wrote:brewinhard is right. RO water is similar to distilled... just a little less pure.

A good lab grade 4L/hr glass still will get you about 1 megaohm/cm purity. Typical lab grade RO units will produce 12 to 16 megaohm/cm water, and a good RO unit such as the Millipore Milli-Q will get down to 18 megaohm/cm.

It's been a long time since I've seen real distilled water.

Charlie

So is anybody brewing with R.O.? If not is there a better than tap water to brew with? This is not necessary, it's just that I need to know more. I feel like there are so many facets to brewing you can't learn enough. I'm just starting out (1yr.) and I learn 1 or 2 things every time I brew. Thanks

log wrote:So is anybody brewing with R.O.? If not is there a better than tap water to brew with? This is not necessary, it's just that I need to know more. I feel like there are so many facets to brewing you can't learn enough. I'm just starting out (1yr.) and I learn 1 or 2 things every time I brew. Thanks

I've brewed my last two batches with RO water. The first was 50% RO water/ 50% municipal water.

The second batch was 90% RO water / 10% municipal water. According to my calculations this mixture is very close to the Pilsen water profile and that's what I was brewing (JZ's Bohemian Pilsner). Same recipe both times, just seeing what difference water makes.

Next brew will be Tasty's APA, and I'll use his water profile (starting with RO and adding salts per his comments) since it is fairly easy to reproduce.

In the end it comes down to what you are brewing and what your tap water profile is. I have great tap water for a porter, but it's too hard for lagers and pale ales.

Check the 3 episodes of water on Brew Strong. Very informative. Combine this info with your local water report, and Palmers water adjustment spreadsheet (available online) and you are pretty set. I just started adjusting my water with my last brew, and am wondering how many other local homebrewers are doing so. Could give me the edge at the state fair this summer.