Homebrewing in FV

[suendrob]

Can't see you having any legal problems here, but I don't recall seeing any shops selling ingredients.

Turicomplex used to have their own Brewery in Caleta,  situated in the garages below Fado Rock Steak House.
A Russian bloke used to be the Brewer, it was like Donkey Pee   

LOL I suppose the question that must be asked Woe is:       How do you know what Donkeys Pee tastes like 

That's what comes from re-enacting Jackass

[Sir Real]

Thanks for all the replies about water sources.  I'd assumed it was bottled water or nothing.  Good to know there may be alternatives  .  Water quality is very important - it is the start point after all.  If that goes in wrong, the beer comes out wrong.

Blueboy - talk of fermentation temps and boilers leads me think you're a brewer.  Are my assumptions about sourcing ingredients from back home right?  Are there any local options?

Erik, I'm sure you're not interested in water chemistry, but just wanted to share your opinion of English beer with us.  No prob, m8.  I know it's the best in the world - you're welcome to your own opinions 

[SheilaW]

There's Old Specled Hen on draught and bottled in Corralejo. We also have a bar tgat specialises in beers from around the world. La Palma make some artisan style beers available here in bottles. And we have a couple of bars that specialise in Belgian and Dutch beers. There was an artisan beer on sale in El Cotillo a while back too.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

There is also a natural spring at Los Molinos, the only one on The Island I am told, I have occasionally seen people up stream fom the bridge filling water bottles, but how pure it is is anyone's guess

Don't touch it! (Well, don't drink it anyway!) It mainly trickles down from the abandoned reservoir further inland - abandoned because the water, intended to help agriculture in the area, absorbed too much salt from the surrounding land. I hate to think what the presumably stagnant water contains now!

[Sir Real]

Thanks for the replies.

Sheila - I'll look-out for UK beers when I'm out and about

Tamara - cheers for the heads-up.  I'll give that spring a wide berth!

[MLA]

We have collected water from here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@28.5649022,-13.9634445,3a,60y,18.19h,91.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0Wv-RdQvQYKN44w_yexhnQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=en

Also talked to some elderly locals who were also filling containers, they said that they had always used this water for drinking. We had a mouthful, tasted slightly salty. I would agree with Tamara, that it would be high in minerals. 

[Will196]

Thanks for all the replies about water sources.  I'd assumed it was bottled water or nothing.  Good to know there may be alternatives  .  Water quality is very important - it is the start point

  The other option is to adapt to your water and materials. The reason traditional beers differed in different areas was because the brewers made do with what they had.

High mineral content waters lend themselves to different beers then very soft water. Even more o if you're mashing and not using kits.

Outside of the Germans  that stick to the purity law I doubt any large brewery doesn't adjust it's water today. You've got the same factory made number two coming out of breweries around the world. They aren't using the same water source.

[Sir Real]

Thanks MLA.  Thinking about spring water sources, there's a problem.  With tap and bottled water, mineral content analyses is available.  Not the case with spring water.

As Will rightly says, mineral content can be adjusted.  (Yes Will, plan is to mash).  I certainly do at present - I can access Thames Water's analysis online.  Spring water I'd have to get analysed.  Not impossible, but an added complication and expense.

I think the simplest (and cheapest!) option is to stick to a brand of bottled water, with a known mineral content.  Then, as now, whenever I brew, I'll have foreknowledge of the mineral adjustments needed.

Will, do you brew in FV, or UK?

[Johnrgby2]

There is at least one company on the Island that fits filters to the mains supply to make it drinkable by removing the minerals etc, they claim it is purer and tastes better than bottled, and a neighbour who has one fitted swears it tastes better, but I must admit I cannot tell the difference. I think he pays about â,¬20 per month for the filters

[Will196]

I think the simplest (and cheapest!) option is to stick to a brand of bottled water, with a known mineral content.  Then, as now, whenever I brew, I'll have foreknowledge of the mineral adjustments needed.

Will, do you brew in FV, or UK?

I used to. Too many things at the moment that make committing the time impossible.

I'm lucky to like dark beers. Enough black patent and you can hide almost any fault 

[SheilaW]

I haven't managed to find an analysis of the tap water anywhere over here. Information is rarer than gold and such things are always a closely guarded secret.

[Will196]

Information is rarer than gold and such things are always a closely guarded secret.

Why? It's not like they can stop you going to a lab. Plus every bottled water has the needed info listed. We aren't talking the plans for the next war.

[Johnrgby2]

Information is rarer than gold and such things are always a closely guarded secret.

Why? It's not like they can stop you going to a lab. Plus every bottled water has the needed info listed. We aren't talking the plans for the next war.

Absolutely correct Will, every packaged bottle of water is required by EU law to have the content analysis printed on the label, now whether that info is correct is another matter again, I recall back in 20032004 The Coca Cola company launched their first bottled water in the UK, i do not recall what brand name it had, it was on the market for less than a week, when the Environmental Health Office had it analysed, and it was found to be tap water from a factory they had in Peckham.

[Johnrgby2]

I have just googled it it was called Dasani, and though they denied it for a week or so blaming a hoax website for spreading malicious rumour,s, it was recalled and never  reappeared, it had parasite worms in it and although they had filtered a lot of the minerals out and added others  these worms they could not remove, and thats how the Food and Drug Authority traced the source.

[Blueboy7]

That's right Johnrugby, the supervisor of the bottled water plant was called Del Boy and his brother worked for him, he was called Roders.

[Johnrgby2]

That's right Johnrugby, the supervisor of the bottled water plant was called Del Boy and his brother worked for him, he was called Roders.

Laugh if you must Bluey, but that is an absolutely true story except i may be out by a year it could have been 2003, I kept an unopened bottle in my office for years just to p*ss of coke reps.

[SheilaW]

Information is rarer than gold and such things are always a closely guarded secret.

Why? It's not like they can stop you going to a lab. Plus every bottled water has the needed info listed. We aren't talking the plans for the next war.

It's just the Canarian way and CAAF, the water supplier, is the most secretive of the lot. They don't even give you a bill, they just refer you to the slip of paper the bank has with the total payment. I told them that was illegal but the bloke just shrugged. What can you do?

[Johnrgby2]

Information is rarer than gold and such things are always a closely guarded secret.

Why? It's not like they can stop you going to a lab. Plus every bottled water has the needed info listed. We aren't talking the plans for the next war.

It's just the Canarian way and CAAF, the water supplier, is the most secretive of the lot. They don't even give you a bill, they just refer you to the slip of paper the bank has with the total payment. I told them that was illegal but the bloke just shrugged. What can you do?

We use Aguas Antigua, and we do get a bill showing how the amount is arrived at, and a chart of consumption over the last 67 months, but no info on water quality, and it normally arrives about 15 days after the payment  has left the bank

[Sir Real]

Thanks for the input.  From these recent posts, it sounds like bottled water will be the best bet for brewing (and everything else!).

Erik, if nothing else put me off using tap water, the chlorine content would.  As John says, bottled water has its analysis on the label.  UK water companies aren't much better at providing info - analysis is accessible online, but is too often incomplete and out of date.

My assumption about using bottled water is that it won't be a huge expense.  Roughly what does it cost in FV for 5 litres?

[Johnrgby2]

The upside of this for me is I pulled my bills out and looked at them, something I never do as the payment has gone and as long as it is the same amount that is fine, on closer examination, iI discover there are two separate rates, resident and non resident, and we are paying non resident, so we will be looking at a refund with any luck.

[suendrob]

When we were in to keeping tropical fish, it was always recommended to stand the water for a day before adding it to the tank.
Chlorine is a gas, dissolved in the water and it supposedly evaporates out, and particularly so, when aerated.
Would that work?
Won't affect the minerals, though.

[dandare]

Sir Real
8 litres of bottled water in Mercadona costs 95 centimos.
Ie peanuts !

[Sir Real]

Good job you checked, John!  Is water metered?  I assume it's more expensive than the UK - reflects the costs of de-salination.

Sueandrob - there's various ways to neutralise chlorine, but taken along with all the other factors, bottled water wins it.

Thanks Dandare.  That'll make it the 2nd most expensive ingredient in a brew!

[Johnrgby2]

No the water charges are way less than the UK,  circa â,¬300 per year its simply the standing charge for non residents is around â,¬8 per month more than for residents.

[Sir Real]

Cheers John - that's pretty much the same as it costs me in London.  Glad it doesn't cost more, 'cos brewing still uses a lot of tap water for cooling the wort (unfermented beer) after boiling.

[erik_tonny]

Sir Real, you should visit Holland if you can.
The last couple of years there has been an explosion of small breweries and a lot of their products, both lager and ale, are really good.
There is also a great choice of beers brewed with the ladies in mind.
Many of the finer restaurants offer an extensive beer list next to their wine list.
Once I saw a list of 1500 different beers !
I myself am very pleased that there are more breweries now that sell their lager unflitered.

[SheilaW]

There is also a great choice of beers brewed with the ladies in mind.

What on earth is the difference? Not that it matters as I'm no "lady", just a woman who loves beer.

[erik_tonny]

Well Sheila, for a beginner there are what we call the rosé beers. Actually a belgian Witbier (Wheatbeer or in your lingo a Bière Blanche) flavoured with red fruit.
My lady likes a Ducheness de Bourgogne (Verhaeghe). (see ratebeer.com)
A belgian ale with a very fruity aroma.
The very fine bubbles give a champagne like sensation to the mouth.

[erik_tonny]

An other ladies favourite  is belgian kriek beer / lambic (cherry wheat).

[Sir Real]

Hi Erik - yep, there's a lot of new micro-breweries springing-up all over the UK, so lambic, witbier, tripels etc are more readily available.

Shiela, I'll save a bottle for you  .  None of the above exotica, mind - Bitter or Golden Ale

I've visited Holland Erik - went to Amsterdam when I was young enough to appreciate it  .