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What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:28 pm
by Superslim007
Hi guys me again

I a previous post I mentioned that I was getting some tiny white flakes appearing in my neutral after a few weeks, thanks for all your comments and advice it seems that my water is slightly hard so......

What is best for diluting, obvious choice is distilled/deionised water but it is not as easy to get as you may think and it comes at a cost.

Ahh I thought I will use my T500 and just make my own - well won't be trying that again, I removed all the column ceramics etc and thought I would speed up the process by using hot 60 degrees C into the boiler, well that took an hour to start boiling even from 60, I then found out that to get about 18 Litres of distilled water takes about 8 hours after reaching boiling plus all the water for cooling and I'm on a water meter so I gave that up as a bad job.

Carbon filtering will remove heavy metals etc but won't remove minerals.

Reverse osmosis would be great if the dam pumps weren't so chuffin expensive

Bottled water - forget mineral water that's out the frying pan and into the fire so I am trying bottled spring water from Asda but there are other supermarkets available. According to the label it has about half the mineral content of my tap water.

If your water is hard/ish what are you guys using :-\

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:02 pm
by FullySilenced
I use distilled water.... nothing else will do for me ...

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:38 pm
by Superslim007
FullySilenced wrote:I use distilled water.... nothing else will do for me ...


Do you distil yourself or buy in

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:02 pm
by FullySilenced
82cents a gallon purchased or 50 pence + 3 cents

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:24 pm
by Superslim007
Your lucky in the UK its way more expensive

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 12:20 am
by RumJohn
I use the water from the plastic bottles that go on an office type water cooler. About 20L. Quality is questionable here. Probably right out of the tap. Only ever had a problem once. And works out fairly cheap.

I can't put a wash together at this time. It is the rainy season and they chlorinate the hell out of the water supply.

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:55 am
by Capt-Cudellez
Superslim007 wrote:Your lucky in the UK its way more expensive


Is it? Its about 19p for 2L in tesco.


I use tap water, but my water is soft.

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:26 am
by Superslim007
Capt-Cudellez wrote:
Superslim007 wrote:Your lucky in the UK its way more expensive


Is it? Its about 19p for 2L in tesco.


I use tap water, but my water is soft.


Tesco don't sell distilled water??

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Sat Aug 24, 2013 4:44 pm
by Almanac
They do sell Spring Water which is great for the purpose but don't use bottled mineral water.

I discovered a natural spring just 500m from my house - we live way out in the country - and had a sample tested. The lab wanted to know where the spring is as the water is particularly clean. I'm using is for ferments now but it's a pain collecting it as it's not easily accessible ::)

AM 8)

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 6:57 pm
by Phantom
I use RO water from the local aquarium shop. £2 for 25 litres.

Obviously I tell them not to put the "minerals" in it.....

Re: What to use for diluting spirits

PostPosted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:15 pm
by Superslim007
Interesting I'll have to check out my local aquarium shop

Ta