Hello, My thanks to Elisabeth too for her reply and to you David. I wondered if it were the terminology, perhaps across the water the words de-ionised, de-mineralised and distilled have different meanings, or are used to describe different things. It happens sometimes... What labels are used in other parts of the world? I believe there are people from all over the world on this list.
I copied and pasted these from wikipedia: *Distilled water* is water <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water> that has virtually all of its impurities <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impurity>removed through distillation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation>. Distillation involves boiling <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling> the water and re-condensing the steam <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam> into a clean container, leaving most if not all solid contaminants behind. *Deionized water* (*DI water* or *de-ionized water*; also spelled *deionised water*, see spelling differences<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_differences>) is water <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water> that lacks ions<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion>, such as cations <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cation> from sodium<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium>, calcium <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium>, iron<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron>, copper <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper> and anions<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anion>such as chloride <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloride> and bromide<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromide>. This means it has been purified from all other ions except H3O+<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydronium>and OH− <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxide>, but it may still contain other non-ionic types of impurities such as organic compounds. This type of water is produced using an ion exchange<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_exchange>process. Deionized water is similar to distilled water <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_water>, in that it is useful for scientific <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science> experiments<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiment>where the presence of impurities may be undesirable. I couldn't find an entry for demineraliz/sed. So which is best? I like to think that a label which says distilled - deionised would be even better than just distilled. I am no scientist which I'm sure is obvious to all of those on the list who are. It seems that with deionised, you might have some organic material left and H3O+<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydronium>and OH− <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxide> (double Dutch to me), but with distilled you might have a bit of that and some ions. Please correct me if I am wrong. What would be the result if you distilled, distilled - deionised water, if the meter reading is 0.2 to 0.5 when you start the process? (If one was using a "cheap" distiller). I remain somewhat confused about the terminologies but I feel confident that the water I am using is adequate for CS making. It is "deionised water" but it is also "distilled water", at least that's what I understand from the label. I pay one euro and twenty five cents for a 5 litre bottle of distilled-deionised water from the pharmacy, that is cheaper than the price of bottled drinking water which pleases me no end but also confuses me, to deionised and to distill are two industrial processes which must cost money; drinking water ("mineral water") is pumped from enormous underground lakes or streams, total cost... a pump and some bottles. I apologise for taking up so much list space but surely water quality is of utmost importance to everyone on the list and I hope that I am not the only one who has learned at least a little from this exchange. Cheers, Ian in Spain. I've used demineralised water for 5 years and have found no problems at all, in fact I prefer it over distilled water. It seems to make a clearer brew. The terms 'deionised' and 'demineralised' appear to be interchangable, at least on labelling. My experience is that distilled water is unformally good but not great, whereas demineralised water can be vary from excellent to ordinary. Excellent deminerised/deionised water makes excellent CS. A good meter is essential for finding good quality water. David Subject: > > CS>De-ionised water and CS > > From: > > "Ian Davies" <blackyme...@gmail.com> > > Date: > > Sat, 3 Nov 2007 06:54:03 +0100 > > My thanks to Marshal and Arnold. I was just a little worried when I > > read that de-ionised water should not be used to make CS. When I saw > > de-ionised written on the bottles I use, well, I had to ask.....
