Portable RO system

[Beer-lord]

I gave this lots of thought this week and think I'll wait a few months and see how my water treatments continue to go before I go and spend money I don't have.
Thanks for all the input fellas!

[ScrewyBrewer]

I gave this lots of thought this week and think I'll wait a few months and see how my water treatments continue to go before I go and spend money I don't have.
Thanks for all the input fellas!

Now if only our politicians would think like you Paul!

[Beer-lord]

I gave this lots of thought this week and think I'll wait a few months and see how my water treatments continue to go before I go and spend money I don't have.
Thanks for all the input fellas!

Now if only our politicians would think like you Paul!

I've had it up to with those

[Dawg LB Steve]

I gave this lots of thought this week and think I'll wait a few months and see how my water treatments continue to go before I go and spend money I don't have.
Thanks for all the input fellas!

Now if only our politicians would think like you Paul!

I've had it up to with those

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^YEP^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Beer-lord]

OK, I'm back to this again. I saw a tweet from Homebrewfinds.com that has a sale on what looks to be a decent portable RO so now I'm wondering if this is a sign.
What do ya'll water gods think?

http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2016/03/po ... eview.html

[Beer-lord]

My portable system came in yesterday and I followed the instructions to let it run for almost an hour and I tested my tap water at 170 ppm TDS and after using the RO filter, it's down to 1 ppm TDS! That's awesome. I assume as the filter gets used, I'll see that number increase but wow, that's a huge difference. It does taste good too even though our water is not bad to drink, it's noticeable.
So, we wait until next brew day when I'll try 100% RO. But at 3 gallons per hour, it's going to take 3 hours to get enough water for a brew so it'll need to be done the day or night before which is not a problem for me. Guess the RedX malt will be given the honor of the first recipe with RO water. I hope it makes a difference but I'm thinking it might be just a subtle one.

[Inkleg]

That's awesome Paul! Looking forward to the follow up.

[Beer-lord]

That's awesome Paul! Looking forward to the follow up samples.

I fixed it for ya!

[Inkleg]

You Da Man!

[ScrewyBrewer]

Paul I see that the filter you picked is a DI filter, does it have a separate tap for the RO water ahead of the DI outlet? I ask because DI water is not recommended for drinking and /or brewing beer. It's what salt water aquarium keepers use for their fish. Although I haven't checked it lately the TDS meter on the RO unit I have hasn't moved much higher than the day I hooked it up nearly 2 years ago. If you have good water going into the filter you can expect the filter medium to last a good long while too. Congratulations on taking the dive into brewing water properties, you're going to love it!

[Beer-lord]

Vince, this is the one I got https://www.reverseosmosisrevolution.co ... ystem.html
It supposedly uses (wastes???) about 2.5 gallons for every gallon of drinking water it makes. Even though water is not a problem here, I plan on saving some of the waste water for the washing machine or the wife's plants.
So if you're looking at the unit, the RO water comes out right near the faucet and the waste water (which I guess is DI) comes out the tube.
I wish it made RO as fast as the waste water but 20 minutes a gallon is about normal for these systems from what I've read.
I even called this company yesterday to ask a question and got a call back in about 15 minutes so for a Saturday, I guess that ain't too bad.

[ScrewyBrewer]

I was a thrown off a little by the 5 stages of your filter but after reading your filter's spec more carefully, it looks as though that 5th stage treats the DI (deionized water) in a way that makes it suitable for drinking. Whereas the 3 stage filter that I have uses a sediment filter and a carbon block ahead of the Thin Film Composite membrane filter where the RO water comes out of. There are 2 outputs on my unit as well, one waste water and the other one RO water. Goes to show I can still learn something new everyday, thank you for sharing.

[Beer-lord]

My wife really enjoys it and made a big pitcher of lemonade with it and said she can really taste the difference. I basically feel the difference but can't say I noticed much of a taste difference. But as I said, our water is pretty good to being with or at least I think so. In the hotter months I can say I can taste chlorine and I guess they add more depending on the water input they get.

[Beer-lord]

Gotta say, I'm loving this filter I bought. I've only used it for 2 brews so far and it made a noticeable difference. Drop Kick Nate, while already one of my favorites, was so much better. The Red X beer, though using hops I'm not use to, was better because I can really taste all that went into it. Monday's Black IPA will be something to notice though my water was already pretty good for dark beers but for drinking water around the house, this RO filter is the boss.
I'm still getting all zeroes with the TDS meter while my tap water reads 223 (marginally acceptable). That's scary huh?
I know it uses 2 2.5 gallons of water for every 1 it produces and not really made for areas of the country that is water scarce but I can't ever see me going back. I'm still going to go 100% RO for a bit then maybe try 50/50 in the future but if it keeps making my beer better, why?

[Whamolagan]

couldn't you use the waste water to use to cool your wort?