Dumb question about water...

[FartKnocker]

I live on a pond. I've been wondering if it would be safe to brew with pond water. I've just got into all-grain brewing & doing full boils. I'm wondering if boiling will get rid of any/all impurities or not. I'm working on a Brunswick Mumm, which is a 15th century ale. I'm pretty sure they didn't have tap water back then or purified water that you could buy from a store. I'm figuring they got their water from ponds, lakes, etc... My question is, is it safe to do this(without ruining a batch)? I plan on going as low tech as I can on this one & I was wondering if it was safe to use pond water. I dunno, maybe this is a dumb idea... but I'd love to hear some input on it before I brew it next weekend.

[BillyBock]

The thought of using pond water...with all the ducks and fish swimming in it... Yech! In the days of old they used their available water sources...but they also didn't have the modern problems we have either, like acid rain, smog, etc. The boil would kill bacteria, pathogens, and such, but impurities (solid matter, sulphurous compounds from acid rain and such) will remain, or worse react with the compounds in your wort. I can't speak to whether it's safe or not, but I can't imagine it'd taste good at all. The other problem you have is not knowing the mineral content of the water--which could change dramatically as the seasons progress. Of course, this would affect your mash chemistry.

If I were you, stick to filtered tap water, or buy bottled water.

v/r
Bill

[FartKnocker]

Thanks for the info. I forgot to mention that I had intened on running the water though a brita filter too. Still think it would be a bad idea?

[BillyBock]

Hmmmm.....I still wouldn't, but that's me. You might want to look into getting a water analysis by a lab before committing the time and resources.

[FartKnocker]

Yea, that would be a bit much. Think I'll skip that idea. lol!