Water purity for KNF solutions
How clean does the water have to be for KNF brews? I know it has be unchlorinated but doesn't need to be soft like for JWA. Would pond water work? River water? How murky grimey green can one go?
Top answer
Water is important, just behind air and sunlight in terms of how much it matters. The main thing with pond and river water is that it is not stagnant, and your nose will know if it smells putrid or gross. Typically flowing water is preferred, because as it flows, oxygen is brought into the water which will reduce pathogens, but also pond water tends to be full of Purple Non-sulfur Bacteria which produce oxygen and will again reduce pathogens. Purple Bacteria are also useful in KNF context.
Main thing is the water is not stinky. If it is, aerating it through stirring, vortexing or bubbling for several hours can tremendously improve the condition of the water and make the water more conducive to the type of biology that we want to cultivate in KNF.
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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3 sources
The library sets no purity standard for KNF water. It gives no limit on murk, and says nothing about river water or chlorine.
It does show pond water in use. A KNF trial write-up mixed the natural inputs for IMO #3 into 20 L of fish pond water. (Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF, p. 66)
Cho's BMW recipe also builds around a pond. The pond gets an artificial waterfall above it, with a pump lifting water to fall through a pipe. (Cho, Recipe, p. 93)
Drake says knowing your own land, animals, and water may matter more than soil science. (Office Hours Ep. 103, 44:52)
Sources
- 44:52 Office Hours Ep. 103 (Dec 2023) — Banana Bunchy Top Drone Check, Mushroom Endophytes, Soil Science · “application and knowing your own land, animals, and water may matter more.”
- p. 93 Cho, Recipe · “Make an artificial waterfall above the pond: Pump up water with an electrical motor and let water fall through the pipe.”
- p. 66 Unravelling the Mysteries of KNF · “b. Natural inputs mixed into 20 L into tractor dump bucket of fish pond water”
