Ultra distilled water question

[chainer]

Hey all -- quick question. Used the search function and couldn't find an answer.

Ultra Distilled water for a small 100 cc humidor -- I've been told to only use Glacier Mist or other laboratory grade distilled water. My long-time cigerette smoking father disagrees, saying that any distilled water should be bacteria free and fine for my cigars. So the question is, does it mater if I use specifically labeled laboratory grade distilled water, or could I just use distilled water that is purchasable at places such as Stop N Shop?

Thanks all!

 

[Ginseng]

Any will be fine. I use whatever I can find at the local drugstore.

Wilkey

 

[Smokin'Sims]

Any will be fine. I use whatever I can find at the local drugstore.

Wilkey

x2

Even in when homebrewing, which is fairly bacteria sensitive, the distilled off the shelf is fine.

 

[chainer]

Thanks for the info guys! Saves me quiet a bit.

 

[viper139]

Absolutely no reason to use anything other than the type you get in a grocery store.

David

 

[gt3911]

Interesting stuff, Strangely i've still not come across any distilled water in my area (I havent gone looking for it, I've just had my eye out for it as I pass) I seem to always find deionized water.

However, I can easily obtain sterile water from a friend who works at the local hospital, on the bottle stating "for irrigation" I really dont know much about water at all - but I take it sterile water = more pure than distilled, and as its easier, and cheaper for me to obtain theres no reason not to use it...?

 

[Seth]

Look in the super market where all the gallon water bottles are sold. It looks like all the rest except the label says DISTILLED

Time to go crazy and spend $1 on a gallon that will last for months.


Seth

 

[Ginseng]

Interesting stuff, Strangely i've still not come across any distilled water in my area (I havent gone looking for it, I've just had my eye out for it as I pass) I seem to always find deionized water.

However, I can easily obtain sterile water from a friend who works at the local hospital, on the bottle stating "for irrigation" I really dont know much about water at all - but I take it sterile water = more pure than distilled, and as its easier, and cheaper for me to obtain theres no reason not to use it...?

Sterile water, is just that, sterile. It has been treated or processed in some way to kill any microorganisms in the water. Distilled water is actually "more pure" in the sense that it is water without minerals (or other volatile compounds) although it may not necessarily be sterile.

So, sterile water may be distilled or not distilled. Distilled water is not typically sterile unless you boil it. They're two different things.

Wilkey

 

[snapperhead]

Guys,

If you are looking for distilled water.....go buy gallon water bottles that are labeled for baby consumption. That is Distilled water and it is normally $1.

 

[Devil Doc]

How can distilled water not be sterile?It has to be heated to the point of making steam. That's pretty damned sterile.
edited to add: There are of course viruses that need to be killed under pressure, as in an auto-clave, but that's not likely.

Doc.

 

[Breedy]

While distilled water may be "sterile", the same is not nessicarly true of the bottle or the rest of the facility. Also I am sure that there has to be a certifaction proces and procedure to actually be able to claim your water is sterile.

Wilkey is correct, in that "sterile water" still has chemicals/minerals in it. The reason that it says for irrigation only is that it is not for injections/intervenous infusions. Saline or Lactated Ringers are two common types of solutions for infusion and they both contain significant amounts of NaCL and other minerals, but are sterile.

So to somethings up, distilled water is probably sterile, I would willing pour it or any water treat in the US on a bleeding wound. Sterile water is something that your local ER can bill you 6.00 a gallon for.



Editted for clarity

 

[Ginseng]

Breedy,

Thanks for the clarification. You captured my thoughts on the matter precisely!

Wilkey

 

[Breedy]

Breedy,

Thanks for the clarification. You captured my thoughts on the matter precisely!

Wilkey

Not a problem, finally a question some what in my field.

Ironically enough sterile is only considered sterile when it is in its sealed container. As soon as it is exposed to air it is no longer sterile.


edit to add content

 

[gt3911]

Hi all

I found this post extremely informative when it was originally created, I have a quick question which I'd like to add to this post, I did do a search and didn’t seem to find a definite answer, the closest I got was 2 Polish guys who decided that it must be similar, but wasn’t sure if it may have been lost in translation! And another post where it decided that they use it in irons so its probably fine

I haven’t needed any water for all this time, as I've just been using a pre made solution ever since I owned my humidor. However this has now ran out, and I've once again been looking at water as I've bought some Heartfelt beads - I really cant find distilled water. I can find 1001 bottles of deionized water. It seems extremely similar, I read this here which was very informative, but I wasn’t happy that I understood this information enough to decide to use it on my brand new beads! It sounds like it could be good enough, I'm just not convinced that it is?

Thanks!
-

Also, on a side note - my solution had an anti mould agent, afaik with the beads its recommended to mix a PG solution, if anyone in the UK can point me in the direction of somewhere that sells this that would be awesome

 

[Not A Nice Person]

However, I can easily obtain sterile water from a friend who works at the local hospital, on the bottle stating "for irrigation" I really dont know much about water at all - but I take it sterile water = more pure than distilled, and as its easier, and cheaper for me to obtain theres no reason not to use it...?

Not so much more pure, as simple more sterile. It's had a run through the clave and is bottled under medical-grade sterile conditions.

Bit overkill for a humidor, when a gallon of distilled only runs me 79¢ at HEB . . . but if I had a ready source I'd probably use it too, out of sheer unadulterated OCD. :blush:

~Boar

 

[chainer]

Hi all

I found this post extremely informative when it was originally created, I have a quick question which I'd like to add to this post, I did do a search and didn’t seem to find a definite answer, the closest I got was 2 Polish guys who decided that it must be similar, but wasn’t sure if it may have been lost in translation! And another post where it decided that they use it in irons so its probably fine

I haven’t needed any water for all this time, as I've just been using a pre made solution ever since I owned my humidor. However this has now ran out, and I've once again been looking at water as I've bought some Heartfelt beads - I really cant find distilled water. I can find 1001 bottles of deionized water. It seems extremely similar, I read this here which was very informative, but I wasn’t happy that I understood this information enough to decide to use it on my brand new beads! It sounds like it could be good enough, I'm just not convinced that it is?

Thanks!
-

Also, on a side note - my solution had an anti mould agent, afaik with the beads its recommended to mix a PG solution, if anyone in the UK can point me in the direction of somewhere that sells this that would be awesome

Wow, blast from the past for me. I thought the thread name looked similar. I think I am reading your question correctly -- you are having trouble finding distilled water? If that is the case, most grocery stores carry them in gallon jugs.

 

[northernmoris]

Hi all

I found this post extremely informative when it was originally created, I have a quick question which I'd like to add to this post, I did do a search and didn’t seem to find a definite answer, the closest I got was 2 Polish guys who decided that it must be similar, but wasn’t sure if it may have been lost in translation! And another post where it decided that they use it in irons so its probably fine

I haven’t needed any water for all this time, as I've just been using a pre made solution ever since I owned my humidor. However this has now ran out, and I've once again been looking at water as I've bought some Heartfelt beads - I really cant find distilled water. I can find 1001 bottles of deionized water. It seems extremely similar, I read this here which was very informative, but I wasn’t happy that I understood this information enough to decide to use it on my brand new beads! It sounds like it could be good enough, I'm just not convinced that it is?

Thanks!
-

Also, on a side note - my solution had an anti mould agent, afaik with the beads its recommended to mix a PG solution, if anyone in the UK can point me in the direction of somewhere that sells this that would be awesome

Wow, blast from the past for me. I thought the thread name looked similar. I think I am reading your question correctly -- you are having trouble finding distilled water? If that is the case, most grocery stores carry them in gallon jugs.

I'm thinking his problem is that they don't carry it in the UK? I'm either right or might be the dumbest thought to pop in my head... ???

 

[gt3911]

Yep, thats correct, I'm failing to find distilled water, just bottle after bottle of deionised water.

Not a Nice Person - the other posts in this thread basically advise not to use the sterile water... Which was why I'm not looking into the deionised option.

Chainer - As soon as my beads arrived the memory of this post jumped right into my head

 

[MX]

Yep, thats correct, I'm failing to find distilled water, just bottle after bottle of deionised water.

Not a Nice Person - the other posts in this thread basically advise not to use the sterile water... Which was why I'm not looking into the deionised option.

Chainer - As soon as my beads arrived the memory of this post jumped right into my head

Head over to your pharmacy and get some.
Here in Brussels it is the only place I can find it. Cost me 2 euro for 500 ml the first time, but that was a charge for the bottle. Refills cost me .50 euro.

For all of you guys in the US. Here in Brussels the only water you can find att he store is mineral water (gas or no gas) or "table" water.

Hope this helped

Tim

 

[gt3911]

Hey,

Just to sum up my experience with this. I tried 2 pharmacies that didn’t have 'distilled water' and as previously mentioned all other sources had deionised, which does appear to be slightly less pure.

However I managed to find a guy who works in a lab at a power station who was able to provide me with what he describes as being ultra pure water, its less than 0.005 uS/ml purity. It goes through a mixed bed deioniser, then into a smaller unit where it is passed through a UV light and two more filters. I'm feel much happier to use this anyway.

Cheers guys