Inline water filter

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jezbrews

Apprentice commercial brewer, amateur home brewer
Joined
Sep 12, 2016
Messages
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Location
South West
I'm looking to get a filtration unit for my brewing water, but I'm not interested in getting a RO filter. My water is pretty decent so I just want to get rid of temporary hardness (some of it anyway), chlorine and anything that might negatively affect the wort. I'm basically looking to preserve the bulk of the mineral profile, kind of like a filter jug but not as cumbersome and time consuming that can have mains water piped into it and have filtered water come out. I will have this water piped into a container to store and fill overnight (so it's relatively fresh) the day before I brew. From there I will use a pump to get it into my mash/kettle (eventually an AIO).

What can people recommend?
 
I'm looking to get a filtration unit for my brewing water, but I'm not interested in getting a RO filter. My water is pretty decent so I just want to get rid of temporary hardness (some of it anyway), chlorine and anything that might negatively affect the wort. I'm basically looking to preserve the bulk of the mineral profile, kind of like a filter jug but not as cumbersome and time consuming that can have mains water piped into it and have filtered water come out. I will have this water piped into a container to store and fill overnight (so it's relatively fresh) the day before I brew. From there I will use a pump to get it into my mash/kettle (eventually an AIO).

What can people recommend?
If your brewing water is decent then a Campden tablet is all you need for chlorine and just treat your water as usual, acid will take care of the bicarbonate.
 
Why are people obsessed with giving the response of "just use a campden tablet" on every platform, when that's not what I asked? If that's what I wanted to do, I would do that. But that's not what I asked for and so it's not helpful.

If you don't want to answer the question, just scroll on.
 
I don't and won't use a campden tablet. I think it's old news, to use it without reason.

I tried a carbon filter, with very little gain.

If your water is perfectly drinkable, but needs optimising, just use AMS & DWB. Very easy, and really does make a difference.
 
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Why are people obsessed with giving the response of "just use a campden tablet" on every platform, when that's not what I asked? If that's what I wanted to do, I would do that. But that's not what I asked for and so it's not helpful.

If you don't want to answer the question, just scroll on.
If you don't want advice don't ask! Simple. The Campden tablet takes care of the chlorine you are so worried about, and so does filling the mash tun the night before, giving the chlorine a chance to dissipate overnight.
Acid takes care of temporary hardness turning the carbonate into CO2
But I suppose there is no advising a Barclays Banker. In the future, I will take heed of your advice and move on from your posts.
 
Why are people obsessed with giving the response of "just use a campden tablet" on every platform, when that's not what I asked? If that's what I wanted to do, I would do that. But that's not what I asked for and so it's not helpful.

If you don't want to answer the question, just scroll on.
You said you wanted to get rid of chlorine and temporary hardness, @foxy was giving you advice on the best way to achieve that. There's no need to have a paddy about it.
 
Hi @jezbrews

I just want to get rid of temporary hardness (some of it anyway), chlorine
I’m not aware of an inline filter that can do the job you’re looking for. I’ve used an inline filter from Screwfix but it only got rid of particulates. As others have said above, I use CRS to treat hardness in my water and a crushed campden tablet in all my brewing water the night before brew day.

Best I can do.
 
Hi @jezbrews


I’m not aware of an inline filter that can do the job you’re looking for. I’ve used an inline filter from Screwfix but it only got rid of particulates. As others have said above, I use CRS to treat hardness in my water and a crushed campden tablet in all my brewing water the night before brew day.

Best I can do.
You're a brave man saying that, it's not what the OP wants to hear
 
As far as I know a filter system will not get rid of 'temporary hardness' I use 10u filter, Carbon and UV due to my location as a precaution from pathogenic bacteria and particles.
I also have one of the highest UK levels of mg/L CACO3 @ 312. I treat that with CRS as has been advised and as @foxy advised Campden tablets for chlorine as you asked. NFA required,,, Job done!

If you are an apprentice commercial brewer why would you not know this? (awaits hissy fit) :roll: 🤣
 
Looks like that filter can remove anything that shouldn't be in a domestic water supply ( except the chlorine).
I'm sure it tastes better and often that is due to the loss of chlorine.
My water isn't very interesting, allegedly based on the report but I still use sodium metabisulphate to get rid of chlorine.
Screenshot_20240215-175123~2.png
 
You said you wanted to get rid of chlorine and temporary hardness, @foxy was giving you advice on the best way to achieve that. There's no need to have a paddy about it.


Well said that man.

@jezbrews
This forum is well known for being a friendly place please bear that in mind in future posts.
 
Well said that man.

@jezbrews
This forum is well known for being a friendly place please bear that in mind in future posts.
I'm not being unfriendly. I'm just tired of people who answer questions not being asked like this wasn't something I had thought about and decided against. Frankly I was as polite about it as can be. Regardless, I have put both on ignore.
 
As far as I know a filter system will not get rid of 'temporary hardness' I use 10u filter, Carbon and UV due to my location as a precaution from pathogenic bacteria and particles.
I also have one of the highest UK levels of mg/L CACO3 @ 312. I treat that with CRS as has been advised and as @foxy advised Campden tablets for chlorine as you asked. NFA required,,, Job done!

If you are an apprentice commercial brewer why would you not know this? (awaits hissy fit) :roll: 🤣
My filter jug water did not scale up my kettle and reduced pH by nearly 2 points. How else could it do this if not for removing the carbonates that make the water hard? I'm not sure why you put temporary hardness in quotes, are you not familiar with the term?

What exactly do you think it is I don't know? Commercial brewers don't stick campden tablets in their mash water if they have to use mains, not as far as I'm aware anyway... As for the last line, @Chippy_Tea I thought you said this was meant to be a 'friendly' place?
 
Hi @jezbrews


I’m not aware of an inline filter that can do the job you’re looking for. I’ve used an inline filter from Screwfix but it only got rid of particulates. As others have said above, I use CRS to treat hardness in my water and a crushed campden tablet in all my brewing water the night before brew day.

Best I can do.
I guess I will either have to Heath Robinson it, or just continue using the jug for now, considering it does the job, albeit slowly.
 
I don't and won't use a campden tablet. I think it's old news, to use it without reason.

I tried a carbon filter, with very little gain.

If your water is perfectly drinkable, but needs optimising, just use AMS & DWB. Very easy, and really does make a difference.
For sure, but it's not easily measurable and repeatable in the sense that the results may not be the same every time.
 
There is only a tiny amount of buffering in " plain water". A very small mineral change could affect the pH a lot. The filtered water or your normal tap water ( minus chlorine) when mashed with the same grains probably wouldn't have much difference in pH at the end of the mash.
 
There is only a tiny amount of buffering in " plain water". A very small mineral change could affect the pH a lot. The filtered water or your normal tap water ( minus chlorine) when mashed with the same grains probably wouldn't have much difference in pH at the end of the mash.
Oh for sure, but the pH change, along with the drop in scaling, does indicate it does in fact remove carbonates. Whilst boiling does cause precipitation of carbonates, they don't go anywhere, they're still in the kettle and can be transferred over. Furthermore, they will precipitate on the element which is pain enough to clean as it is!
 
I guess I will either have to Heath Robinson it, or just continue using the jug for now, considering it does the job, albeit slowly.
I’m a big fan of HR. If you’ve used a water filter jug successfully why not design a process to facilitate it’s use. As I understand it RO filters are slow and a batch of water needs to be prepared well in advance of a brew day. The main challenge with using a water filter jug is controlling the water flow into the filter, a simple float switch will do that, a frame to hold the water filter housing over your HLT and another float switch to turn it all off when the required volume of filtered water is in the HLT. This assumes one filter can process the volume of water you require.
 
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