What are the various ways to remove chlorine/chloramine from tap water?

There are several ways that you can remove chlorination from your tap water before you brew with it. This topic should help you to choose which one is right for you.

Off-gassing

If you water contains only chlorine and not chloramine, you can let it sit for 24 hours and the chlorine will dissipate into the environment.

Pros:

• Free

Cons:

• Takes a long time
• Will not remove chloramine

Boiling

If you water contains only chlorine and not chloramine, you can drive the chlorine off by boiling the water for 15 minutes.

Pros:

• Faster than waiting for it to off-gas at room temperature

Cons:

• Requires a lot of energy and significant time to boil all of your water before you even start brewing.
• Will not remove chloramine

Filtration

A charcoal filter is designed to strip your tap water of chlorine and chloramine, block carbon filters are necessary for effective removal.

Pros:

• Fast, nearly as fast as your free-running tap
• Removes both chlorine and chloramine

Cons:

• Filters last roughly 2-6 months depending on water usage and cost between $5 and $30+ dollars to replace depending on the system.
• Some charcoal filters need to have water running through them for about 5-10 minutes before being used when replaced. This clears out any charcoal dust that may have been generated during shipment.

Chemical Adjustment

Chlorine and chloramine can be removed from your water by dissolving potassium metabisulfite into it. One campden tablet is enough to dechlorinate 20 gallons of tap water.

Pros:

• Very fast - as soon as the K-meta is dissolved in the water and stirred, the water is dechlorinated.
• Removes both chlorine and chloramine

Cons:

• Powdered potassium metabisulfite smells harsh. If you catch a whiff of the powder when measuring it out, it stings the nostrils not unlike sex panther (Anchorman pop culture reference).

According to the New York City water report (page 20), all you need to do is transfer the water between two vessels 10 times to remove chlorine.

I have been using this method for all of my homebrews by filling a 12 quart pot with tap water and transferring back-and-forth between a second 12 quart pot, lifting the pot as I pour as high above my head as I can to maximize splashing (to comfortably tilt the heavy pot as you empty it, lift with the heel of your palms underneath the handles, rather than grasping the handles from above with your fingers curled underneath). Place the receiving pot in the sink in case you miss. I then store the water in gallon jugs and repeat the process until I have the desired amount of strike and sparge water collected for my batch.

My municipal water supply is heavily chlorinated. Some mornings, the smell is exceedingly prominent after flushing the toilet.

I purchased a tablet splitter from a local pharmacy, and use a quarter of a Camden tablet for each 5 gallon brew. The result is no sign of either chlorine or chloramine contamination.

My personal experience is that the best way to de-chlorinate water is by stripping with fresh air .In the proposed arrangement, water shall flow from the top of the stripper vessel equipped with 06 sieve trays while pressurized air would be blown from the bottom. At the top a vent should be available to vent Cl2 and air.By this method we can de-chlorinate as well as oxygenate our portable and for fish and other use.

I dissolve a few grains of vitamin C powder in my bath water and that works. Not so easy for washing up though as problem with rinsing!

We have been using the zero water pitcher for 2 years. It came with a 'water quality tester' which tells you the total dissolved solids (inorganic materials and substances..ick) which are commonly found in drinking water. Chlorine would be included, but not specified by itself. My problem is de-chlorinating water for my garden/plants.

Bought a zero water filter pitcher for about $30 or so.works very well, just takes a long time to fill.

I was told to run the water through my Britta pitcher 2 times and let it sit out. I also have a water purifier for all water and then use water from refrigerator which is also purified. Then I let it sit out for 24 hours. I hope this is sufficient.