Is Ceramic Filtered (Berkey type) water supposed to taste bad?

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Just set up my AquaRain, which uses same ceramic filters as the Big Berkey. Now I've run the first batch of water through and have tasted it and it tastes terrible...like "ceramic" flavoring is all I can think of to describe it.

Question: will this go away with a few batches of water filtered through, or is this the way it is supposed to taste...YUKKY! I've read posters awhile back raving about how good their filtered water tasted. How I hope....

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), December 28, 1999

Answers

Elaine,

Any info I've seen about the ceramic filters has always included in the instructions that the first batch or batches of water should be discarded. I'd run about 5 gallons of water through it before I'd start to drink it. Also, after it's been stored a while, the first water through (1 to 2 gallons) should get discarded.

Now, as far as how it will taste after filtering will depend somewhat on what it usually tastes like after. For example, if you've added chlorine, just a ceramic filter will not get rid of the chlorine taste. For that you will need to run it through a carbon filter or a combination ceramic/carbon filter. Those also need the first batches of water thrown-- think of it as rinsing them.

I'm guessing that if your water source tasted 'okay' pre-filtering, and is now yukky, that it is a case of the initial ceramic dust from mfg. getting rinsed into the first of the water. Run more through. Also rinse the collection container well. Then let us know how it's working.

Best to you,

winter wondering Psalm 91

-- winter wondering (winterwondring@yahoo.com), December 28, 1999.


Elaine,

So good to see something from you on the forum. I was afraid perhaps you had been sick.

We have one of those katadyne combi filters from Stan, and it makes the best water ever. After a couple of days of drinking filtered water, we both felt noticeably (did I spell that correctly? Who cares? I'm not running for prez.) better. It just takes awhile to filter all we need.

I think the carbon filter is a real plus. Makes our water better than the reverse osmosis water our friends have.

Haven't been to the store yet to see if there is a rush. Probly not.

blessings,

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), December 30, 1999.


Thanks, folks, for the replies. By tonight's batch, the water really tasted nice indeed, even at room temperature! Guess it was the ceramic dust, because I'd washed the tank parts well first.

Gene, thank you for your concern. On 12/2 had serious fall and leg injury, then telephone call to come to my aunt who was suddenly much worse, and at whose bedside I was when she died on 12/12, then back home with the flu! Now rushing about trying to catch up on final preps after work. So although I've lurked and only posted a tiny bit, I've been here since about 12/20. Thanks again for caring!

Bless all you cyber friends I have come to love and pray for, and may the Lord cover you with His wings in the days ahead.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), December 30, 1999.


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