I was wrong about using tap water for kombucha for 2 years

I always thought tap water was fine for brewing as long as I let it sit out for a day. Then my last batch got this weird off taste and a thin scoby after a week. My buddy who runs a brew shop told me the chlorine in my city's water kills the good bacteria over time. He had me switch to filtered water from a $20 pitcher and my last three batches have been crystal clear and bubbly. Anyone else fight with local water quality and find a cheap fix?

2 comments

2 Comments

troyp3728d agoTop Commenter

Wait, are you on city water that uses chlorine or chloramine? Because letting it sit out only really works for chlorine, not chloramine which a lot of places use now. I've been using straight unfiltered tap water for years with no issues, but I'm on well water so my situation is totally different. A buddy of mine in the city does the same as you though and swears by those cheap Brita filters too.

barnes.brian28d ago

Brita filters don't actually remove chloramine either, they're mostly for taste and sediment. If you're really worried about it you'd need something with activated carbon that's specifically rated for chloramine, like those big filter jugs or a whole house system.