drdna wrote: Remember that I am using 4X distilled water in my machine , to minimize scale buildup and to allow me to control the mineral content in the cup.

The only problem is you aren't addressing the possibily of leaching of copper from your boiler with 4X RO water. Not sure what 4X means, but sounds like a commercial RO system. Any thoughts on this?

JackJ wrote:I've wondered about doctoring each 5 gal. bottle to reach the best balance. I'm imagining an alka seltzer-like tablet that I can drop in, and which will fully dissolve and distribute itself. Might such a thing exist?

Jack

I know this is an old post but I was just reading about RO water.

What I do is buy Himalayan salt rocks at the health food store (coarse Himalayan salt would also work) and put it in a 2 cup jar of water, enough so it gets saturated and the salt rocks can no longer dissolve. Himalayan salt has a huge variety of healthy minerals, it's not refined sodium chloride like artificial and toxic table salt.

I also have a digital TDS meter that came with my RO-DI filter I got on ebay for about $100. I found that 1 tablespoon of this saturated salt solution brings 5 gallons of 0 ppm water up to about 150 ppm. Since it's already liquid, it mixes/distributes perfectly without having to shake (I add the tablespoon of salt solution before refilling the bottle with my RO filter).

aab1 wrote:I know this is an old post but I was just reading about RO water.

What I do is buy Himalayan salt rocks at the health food store (coarse Himalayan salt would also work) and put it in a 2 cup jar of water, enough so it gets saturated and the salt rocks can no longer dissolve. Himalayan salt has a huge variety of healthy minerals, it's not refined sodium chloride like artificial and toxic table salt.

I also have a digital TDS meter that came with my RO-DI filter I got on ebay for about $100. I found that 1 tablespoon of this saturated salt solution brings 5 gallons of 0 ppm water up to about 150 ppm. Since it's already liquid, it mixes/distributes perfectly without having to shake (I add the tablespoon of salt solution before refilling the bottle with my RO filter).

That is some great information. I have some awesome blue crystals I swing over my group head during extraction (of course, ALWAYS clockwise) to prevent channeling and freshen the beans. Send me a PM and I can probably cut you a pretty good deal on some.

aab1 wrote:...it's not refined sodium chloride like artificial and toxic table salt.

What the H are you talking about? I think you must be afraid of your shadow. Table salt is NOT toxic. No more toxic than H2O. Sure, too much of anything can be unhealthy.

Why am I even trying, as this is from the guy who thinks coffee itself is toxic.

Funny how I'm revisiting this post since it's been about 2 years since my previous post.

Alright, I'm still using RO water in my Cimbali D1 and Rancilio Slivia, no problems with scaling so far. I decided to stick with the RO water since I have too many projects and things to maintain, descaling my equipment is one of the last things I'm worried about. Since 2008 I've used my machine daily. I usually make one double-shot in the morning and I'm happy. I'm not sure how often my D1 would normally require descaling, but haven't noticed any problems so far. My Cimbali sounds the same, flows the same, the question is... Am I safe to assume that the boiler is still clean?

On another note, I'm sure my taste buds aren't sophicated as the rest of you, but I do know what I like and I'm really happy with my shots. A close friend of many years also appreciates my shots, stating they're the best he's had... he also has an unsophicated palate.

I have only one potential question and concern about RO and other treatment options. Recently I replaced the fliters and membrane in the RO system, but soon afterwards noticed a sulfur smell in the water. I usually let the treated water flow for a minute or so and the smell goes away. I know that I need to clean the system and "Shock" (I think that's the term) the tank with a mild bleach solution. My greatest concern is for those who directly plumb their machines using a system like this, can this cause potential problems or affect the overall quality of their shots? My D1 and Silvia are pour-over machines, so I haven't noticed any problems as of yet.

Any thoughts/feedback on my experiences/questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!