water purification systems

[Javamom]

Hi there,

I am planning to open a cafe here in Florida within the next two years. I have suppliers lined up and have a list of things I am going to need. One thing I need help with is water purification systmes Any ideas or info on what kind of water system to put in? The water is terrible here and the coffee in most places is horrible.

 

[cafemakers]

Cirqua will meet with you and determine your ideal water forumla (balancing your demands for cost, taste and maintenance) and custom-design a system that treats your incoming water accordingly. http://www.cirqua.com/

 

[RiverNile]

It depends on your budget,
best way is reverse osmosis, but it cost more insallation and running cost.

I used everpure system, and it is great.


Best thing also is to use a 3/4 inch 20 liter pre filter fot the entire water line before everything even before the water heater. Trust me it does worth it, and does not cost a lot.

 

[cafemakers]

With over 99% of your product being water, I advise strongly against cutting corners on a treatment system. Water quality and material composition vary greatly at sites across the USA and abroad.

Even seemingly minute variations in water hardness, alkalinity, chlorine and silicates have a dramatic and noticeable impact on the taste of your coffee; you should always have a water scientist analyze your water and determine what type of system is best suited to the unique needs of your location.

There is no "one filter fits all" solution.

 

[CCafe]

RiverNile has a point though. A lot of water related problems would be taken care of if the main incoming line was ran through a prefilter. You would still need other filtration for the chemicals and bacteria. You might even need a form of water softening.

 

[CCafe]

Also the one thing I have noticed is, the first thing to go when a coffee house is in trouble is the water filtration. When times get rough they sacrifice the one of the most important parts of the setup. Instead of cutting back hours, or trying to conserve, they simply refuse the water filtration system. This in return can produce bad product and wrecked equipment.

 

[Javamom]

Thanks for the responses.

I went to a little cafe that is said to have great coffee. I bought a capp. for $2.95 and it was horrible. I wont buy from there again.I know its because of the water. I know I have to cater to those picky cunsumers like me.

I didnt even think of the water damaging the equipment.

Thanks for the input!

Javamom

 

[cafemakers]

I went to a little cafe that is said to have great coffee. I bought a capp. for $2.95 and it was horrible. I wont buy from there again.I know its because of the water.

Very interesting -- how do you know that it was the water?

 

[neglid]

The February-March 2006 issue of Barista magazine will have an article on water science. Fresh Cup also has an article on water science. To access it, you must do a search: water filtration (must be on the fresh cup page).
Also, if you really want to know the chemical analysis of the water in your area, ask your water company for a copy of the latest laboratory analysis. In some jurisdictions, it is posted on their web page. There are quite a few water filtration systems on the market that can meet your specifics needs. If the NSF seal of approval is important to you, make sure that the filtration systems is manufactured under the NSF standards.

 

[Javamom]

I used to live in that city and remember the place I worked in and was this underlying "taste" in the coffee/drinks. It has to be the water. Not all places have this. But some do and they have different beans. Same underlying strange taste and different places/beans....what could it be?

I wonder if I could ask "hey how do you treat the water coming in?" Would you ask that? I almost do.

I use spring water at home. We live on a well and have to soften the water is nasty and we dont make coffee with it or drink it.

 

[DTastan]

Professionally designed filtration or home blending

Tap water varies greatly when it comes to water hardness and quality and it may contain elements that we don't want such as sand, sediment, chlorine, chloramines, excessive calcium and magnesium ion concentrations, low alkalinity, etc. Using an ion exchange filter without understanding the chemistry of your tap water may not be a best choice; you could end up with water that is too low or too high in general hardness (GH) and/or total alkalinity (KH) which could result in excessive scaling (high GH) poor extraction (low GH) or corrosion (low KH and pH) in your machine. A professionally installed filtration system designed for your specific tap water quality would be a great choice. Alternately, for the home setting, you could blend water to meet your needs. There is a good deal of debate on just what “idealâ€