Well Water
TroubleShooting
D. Schut • Williamston, Michigan asks,
Do you have any info on using well water? I have made a couple 5-gallon (19-L) batches at home by boiling 3 gallons (11 L) on the stove and then cooling it by adding ice and water from our tap (well water). I had no problems but it has been suggested that I am running the risk of contaminating the batch with bacteria from the well water. This is really good well water and I find it hard to believe that the stuff we drink everyday with no apparent harmful effects is contaminated with bad stuff that will ruin my beer.
As cities expanded and population density increased around the world, concerns regarding the safety of drinking water became very real as illness and death were direct results of contaminated drinking water. In such vulnerable areas beer became recognized as a safe beverage because wort is boiled prior to fermentation and, until recently, water was not added after wort production. So historically there is a strong link between beer and food safety, and beer is one of many food stuffs that do not support the growth of pathogenic microorganisms.
There are homebrewers today that no longer fear of illness and death from their water faucets, rather they are paranoid that some critter lurking in their water will spoil their prized elixirs. From my perspective this fear is based more on speculation than on case studies about beer spoilage in real situations. I suppose it is possible that your well water could contain the relatively few organisms that are known to spoil beer, but find it very unlikely. Lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus require rich nutrient sources and safe drinking water is not likely to be contaminated with these bacteria. If you had water contaminated by coliform bacteria, such as E. coli, then you could have some spoilage issues. But you would also have other issues and would not be describing your water as “really good well water that we drink everyday with no apparent harmful effects.” If you have safe drinking water and make good beer with it, I suggest ignoring your fear-mongering homebrewing buddies. They are probably just jealous that you have good well water and they do not!
