Does it matter if you brew with hard or soft water?

Curtis M wrote:
[color=blue]
> Does it matter if you brew with hard or soft water?[/color]

For certain styles, yes. For most people just getting started, it
doesn't really make any difference. For the first several batches, you
need to get your brewing and sanitation techniques down pat on
relatively easy styles. Paying close attention to hard or soft water
comes when you are trying to emulate specific styles. A higher priority
in the beginning is to learn how to make good beer.

Another newsgroup you should check out is rec.crafts.brewing. There are
many more brewers on that group and almost all of them are quite willing
to help out with any questions you may have, including your question
about the brewpot. Many of those brewers have their own websites with
pictures to illustrate the answers to all your questions.

One more great reference: [url]www.howtobrew.com[/url] The is the online (and
free) version of John Palmer's book on homebrewing. This is rapidly
becoming the "bible" for homebrewers.

Hope this helps.

Wayne L. Faris
Bugeater Brewing Company





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Curtis M wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Does it matter if you brew with hard or soft water?[/color]

If you use extract, it doesn't matter much. Harder water will give you
a fuller hop flavor and bitterness, so if you're brewing an IPA and have
soft water, you might want to add some gypsum to the boil to accentuate
the hops. Otherwise, no big deal. If you're brewing AG, then water is
a big deal...you need to know your water profile and adjust it to match
the style you're brewing.

-------------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

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