"Jim,

I use my tap water but I have my own well. Chlorine is an enemy, but supposedly it's not added in a large enough quantity to hurt. However, before we drilled the well we only went though a bucket of pool chlorine a year. Usage at least tripled after the well so you get an idea how much was really there. A cheap alternative is the purified water in the 5gal containers from Home Depot or Lowe's, etc. Dilution is another story. If you are making whiskey or such then limestone water is great. If you are making a zero flavor neutral, then maybe distilled. Here's the best way to find out: divide you final product, undiluted, into small glass containers (baby food jars, etc). Cut down to your drinking level with various waters. Cover with cheese cloth (or similar) and let it rest rest for a couple of days. Then taste and see which dilution you like best."

"Any good clean water should be fine. Minerals do make a vast difference in grain ferments though. Good limestone water for bourbon, peated bog waters for scotches, etc. For neutral, the cleanest water would be best. YOu add what nutrients the yeast need, minerals included. For cutting, the cleanes water Ie. distilled will give you the most neutral taste if doing that. I only use my mountain spring water and has been perfect.

Rain water might have a lot of acids, yeasts, and other stuff, so would purify or boil it first, then aereate like crazy.

Many from down OZ way have to use rainwaater, and do so with good result.


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