BDawg wrote:The book by John Palmer and Colin Kaminski is probably the best one out there. It's about $15.
Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers
By John Palmer and Colin Kaminski
I need to get that one.
Water is arguably one of the most important factors in making good beer. It isn't the first, or second thing that you need to get right. Those would be sanitation and temperature control. But after you get that down it's water.
Some people live in an area with excellent brew water, and never have to tackle the subject. I started off in a town with such water, but recently moved to a nearby town where the water is high in carbonates and has damn little else in it. For a while I tried making my own mineral profile by additions to RO water, but it turned out less than satisfactory. Now I just visit friends in the nearby burg and sponge water for brewing.
"Yes officer, I know that I smell like beer. I'm not drinking it, I'm wearing it!"