Extract Water

[Cloud Surfer]

I’m wondering where everyone sources their water for their extract brews. I have been filtering tap water, then boiling and cooling and placing in 10L containers for use on brew day. That’s a bit of work. I see some people buy spring water from the supermarket and just pour that straight in to the fermenter. But is there any infection risk with using spring water straight out the container?

 

[kadmium]

If it was me, I would cube my water. You can bring it to a boil, then 'hot cube it' in a HDPE cube like you would for hot wort, and then store it and when needed, it's ready to go. Just pour it in. This has the advantage of being at room temp, or you could refrigerate if you have the space to cool it down, but with your fermenters you could easily pour the hot part straight into fermenter at boiling hot, then add your room temp water from the cube.

Set fermenter to temp you want, then wait till it reaches there to pitch your yeast.

Saves buying water, and if you fill a HDPE cube up and close it, it will be fairly sanitary if not almost sterile.

edit: On top of that, it's much easier than boiling and cooling down. You also don't need to fill the cube to the brim, as you're keeping straight water oxidation isn't an issue. So say you know you need X litres of prepared water, you could measure it out, bring it to a boil, fill the cube, close it and leave it to cool overnight and then it's storable for a fair while I would assume.

 

[Hangover68]

just use tap water unless your local water is rubbish or you are trying for a competition and need to adjust it for the style, waste of time otherwise.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

If it was me, I would cube my water. You can bring it to a boil, then 'hot cube it' in a HDPE cube like you would for hot wort, and then store it and when needed, it's ready to go. Just pour it in. This has the advantage of being at room temp, or you could refrigerate if you have the space to cool it down, but with your fermenters you could easily pour the hot part straight into fermenter at boiling hot, then add your room temp water from the cube.

Set fermenter to temp you want, then wait till it reaches there to pitch your yeast.

Saves buying water, and if you fill a HDPE cube up and close it, it will be fairly sanitary if not almost sterile.

edit: On top of that, it's much easier than boiling and cooling down. You also don't need to fill the cube to the brim, as you're keeping straight water oxidation isn't an issue. So say you know you need X litres of prepared water, you could measure it out, bring it to a boil, fill the cube, close it and leave it to cool overnight and then it's storable for a fair while I would assume.

I started off pouring the very hot water into HDPE containers but that was leaving a taint in my water, so now I cool it right down to room temp before pouring it in. It’s a bit more mucking around, so that started me thinking about just buying water.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

just use tap water unless your local water is rubbish or you are trying for a competition and need to adjust it for the style, waste of time otherwise.

Do you sterilise your tap water?

 

[kadmium]

Honestly the chances of getting an infection from using tap water are low, but it is a risk.

The other downside is that depending on where you live the water may be chlorinated (boiling helps remove) or chloraminated (boiling doesn't remove, need to use Potassium Metabisulphate)
Which can give a horrible off flavour if left in the water.

Yeah, HDPE cubes can give off a taste which isn't ideal, other than that not sure what else to advise seeing I do all grain.

 

[Hangover68]

Do you sterilise your tap water?

Never, i'm not a surgeon.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Honestly the chances of getting an infection from using tap water are low, but it is a risk.

The other downside is that depending on where you live the water may be chlorinated (boiling helps remove) or chloraminated (boiling doesn't remove, need to use Potassium Metabisulphate)
Which can give a horrible off flavour if left in the water.

Yeah, HDPE cubes can give off a taste which isn't ideal, other than that not sure what else to advise seeing I do all grain.

Thanks, all good. I’ll stick with my filtered tap water I think.

 

[Eddy Monsoon]

Rainwater only, as the Good Lord intended

 

[Grmblz]

I started off pouring the very hot water into HDPE containers but that was leaving a taint in my water, so now I cool it right down to room temp before pouring it in. It’s a bit more mucking around, so that started me thinking about just buying water.

The whole point of hot cubing is the near boiling wort/water sanitises the cube, cooling the water prior to putting it in the cube negates the effect.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

I sanitise the container with no rinse sanitiser first.

 

[Grmblz]

I sanitise the container with no rinse sanitiser first.

Wild yeasts and bacteria are air borne, some will get into the cube when you fill it, the near boiling water kills them after the cube is sealed, it's probably overkill for plain water that has little to no nutrients, but try it with wort and watch the experiment grow. Food grade HDPE shouldn't give any taint, but with a lot of the cheap stuff coming out of China who knows what's actually in it? Maybe try a different cube, I've used the 10L spring water containers, and fill them hot, they get a bit soft but don't impart any odours or flavours.

 

[Cloud Surfer]

Wild yeasts and bacteria are air borne, some will get into the cube when you fill it, the near boiling water kills them after the cube is sealed, it's probably overkill for plain water that has little to no nutrients, but try it with wort and watch the experiment grow. Food grade HDPE shouldn't give any taint, but with a lot of the cheap stuff coming out of China who knows what's actually in it? Maybe try a different cube, I've used the 10L spring water containers, and fill them hot, they get a bit soft but don't impart any odours or flavours.

I used those blue HDPE containers from BCF that are specifically sold to carry water. When I put the hot water in those the plastic taint it put through the water was disgusting. It would have wrecked the beer. I have some of those clear spring water containers. I’ll try those with the hot water.

 

[Grmblz]

BCF aren't known for their quality gear mate. I think you might be surprised with the difference

 

[kadmium]

Buy HDPE cubes from a brew store. Should be fine.

 

[Baron von Rhap]

Melbourne water is F.A.B. but the Adelaide supply is awful. An undersink (or oversink) cartridge filter system is the go and purportedly pays for itself after some time if you have to buy drinking water. 3M make some good ones and Amway make a really good one with UV light sterilisation but it is really exxy.