How Much Water Do You Use To Brew?

[mobrien]

Hi guys,

Just out of curiosity, I read my water meter before I brewed today, and then after. To put the reading in context I:

a) Washed three kegs (2 x 10L, 1x 18L)
B) Sanitized the same three kegs
c) Cleaned my beer lines (using the stuff from the kegs)
d) Washed two just used fermenters
e) Sanitized the same fermenters
f) Pre-rinsed all my gear (HLT, Mash Tun, Boiler)
g) Post washed all my gear
h) Brewed a double batch (38L) of beer
i) Using a standard immersion coil chiller

So I think this is representative of how much water it takes for the entire process for two 18L kegs of beer (or in this case an 18L and 2x 10L)

All up I used 850L of water.

Now I'm not fussed - Our average daily usage is below 300L, so this really doesn't blow it out, even with the current (and impending level 5) water restrictions - but I must say I was surprised! I know I could use less, and next time I will be trying to use less.

Oh - and none went down the drain - all went onto the lawn so I don't consider it "wasted"!

So I'm curious - has anyone else worked out how much water they actually use?

Matt

 

[Jye]

I havent worked it out but try to recycle a lot of the water. The IM chiller water is kept in cubes and put back into the fridge for next time and the water used to clean the fermenters/kegs is tipped into the next one to be cleaned. Only a couple of liters is used to sanitise the fermenters and keg which is then tipped on the grass/ garden, the only real waste I have is cleaning up after brewing which is about 30L.

 

[Kai]

I've never worked it out for myself, though I'd be keen to know how much your chiller used.

I remember reading once that breweries typically use 6-10 litres of water for every litre of beer they produce.

 

[mika]

850L...wow !

I'm scared to check the meter now :unsure:

 

[johnno]

This is another reason the no chill method is very good.

Minimal water usage.

I would say that the biggest amount is used in chilling. One of the reasons I started using the no chill method.

I don't bother with pre rinsing my gear though. I pull the tap on the kettle apart every second or third brew and that is about it.

cheers
johnno

 

[Whistlingjack]

I've thought about this as I'm on rainwater. The liquor is transported from friends on scheme water, about 40 litres.

About 100 litres for a regular brewday for chilling, cleaning and rinsing, for a 25litre batch. The chiller uses about 70 litres which is then used to clean equipment.

Cleaning and sanitising bottles or kegs is fairly water-hungry, but if you use bio-degradable cleaning solutions, recycling the water for use elsewhere is easier. Total maybe 50 litres

Fermenters, on the other hand, get the full treament, using about 40 litres for each one in the batch.

So, all up about 270 litres per brew.

WJ

 

[Wortgames]

If you direct the water output from your chiller into a washing machine, you'll be amazed just how much water an average laundry load uses compared to chilling a brew.

I tend to fill a couple of cubes with the first (really hot) runnings, and use this for cleaning up. The rest goes into the washing machine and is the only time I ever do a warm wash. I usually finish chilling by the time the machine is full. If you have a top loader you are certainly in no position to criticize anyone else's water use - they are shocking!

It's also worth mentioning that it takes something like 2,000 litres of water to make 1 litre of milk, and 11,000 litres of water to produce a single beefburger (link), when you add up how much water is required to irrigate the land, produce the feed, clean the facilities and process the product. It's unbelievable.

So as long as you are not wantonly using excess water, and if you are finding a second use for what you do use, I don't think we need to feel guilty at all.

 

[Kai]

This, this and that use more, so we shouldn't feel bad? Is that how it goes?
Finding further use is always sensible though.

 

[oldbugman]

Well I used to put it down the drain, and have now started using it for cleaning and watering neighbors lawn, but next time I think I'll fill the washing machine with it.

 

[Mr Bond]

Makes my "Save water Drink Beer" Tshirt something of an oxymoron then. :blink:

 

[Pumpy]

Due to the water restrictions in Sydney ,

I have taken to showering with my fermenter .

Pumpy :huh:

 

[Wortgames]

This, this and that use more, so we shouldn't feel bad? Is that how it goes?

Not quite, Kai, I'm just trying to put it in to some perspective here. I have already had to defend our hobby against more 'militant' water fanatics and I feel that any suggestion that brewing beer is somehow an unreasonable strain on water supplies needs to be defended.

Absolutely I believe that we need to save water wherever possible, and absolutely I believe that we should try to find secondary and tertiary uses for water that passes through the brewery - but I refuse to concede that homebrewing represents an unreasonably greedy use of water.

Water is an emotive topic these days and I'm not looking forward to the day that homebrewing is banned because of a perception of an 'unreasonable' footprint. If we are responsible then brewing beer at home doesn't need to use any more water than buying it commercially, or washing clothes or running a dishwasher or any number of other household uses which are perceived as perfectly 'reasonable' and therefore escape scrutiny.

 

[Tony]

I top up my pool and water the lawn with my chilling water.

I have a little davey submersable pump which i am going to sit on the pool step and return the water to the other end of the pool.

this will cut my water consumption.

I dont feel guilty because i reuse what i can.

cheers

 

[PistolPatch]

Love the washing machine idea Wortgames as I'm currently brewing right next to it. Brilliant!

 

[Kai]

Not quite, Kai, I'm just trying to put it in to some perspective here. I have already had to defend our hobby against more 'militant' water fanatics and I feel that any suggestion that brewing beer is somehow an unreasonable strain on water supplies needs to be defended.

Absolutely I believe that we need to save water wherever possible, and absolutely I believe that we should try to find secondary and tertiary uses for water that passes through the brewery - but I refuse to concede that homebrewing represents an unreasonably greedy use of water.

Water is an emotive topic these days and I'm not looking forward to the day that homebrewing is banned because of a perception of an 'unreasonable' footprint. If we are responsible then brewing beer at home doesn't need to use any more water than buying it commercially, or washing clothes or running a dishwasher or any number of other household uses which are perceived as perfectly 'reasonable' and therefore escape scrutiny.

All fair points, WG. I don't think our beloved hobby will come under too much pressure from restrictions though, aside from when the neighborhood water nazi sees one of us cavalierly washing equipment or, horror of horrors, watering lawn with chiller runoff.

 

[braufrau]

Absolutely I believe that we need to save water wherever possible, and absolutely I believe that we should try to find secondary and tertiary uses for water that passes through the brewery - but I refuse to concede that homebrewing represents an unreasonably greedy use of water.

Almost anything we make ourselves is likely to be more sustainable than the mass produced
version.

The beer that we make is made, mostly, at the site at which it will be drunk. So transport
costs/emissions of the finished product is ~0. Same for a brew-pub. My local pubs
bins are full of corona and perrini bottles.

In addition, we reuse our containers. Again, same for a brew pub.

Also, breweries pass the cost of their waste onto consumers, while we have to
pay for that ourselves and are more likely to find ways of reducing and reusing outputs,
such as feeding spent grains to the chickens and putting water in the washing machine.
(Putting a couple of buckets by the toilet for flushing is a good idea too).

Locally produced is the way to go. Its the way things were before the internal combustion
engine.

In fact, we are all saving the planet one beer at a time (as long as we don't fall into the first
world habit of overconsumption). We're all part of the slow food movement and what it stands
for whether we want to be or not.

Ah dear! Getting a bit political. And a bit off the topic of water. :blink:

-braufrau

 

[devo]

I was thinking this very think on Satdee while I was brewing and worked out that I used about 25lt of my tank water to clean up. I no chill now so i figure a hell of a lot is being saved by not using my chiller.

Although after reading this article in the Age it looks like all our efforts mean bugger all when stepping back and looking at the bigger picture.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/hom...4152881552.html

 

[tangent]

Excellent point Devo
"He said two or three large irrigators, such as dairy or cotton farms, would use "in a couple of days" the water the entire city of Melbourne could save in a year."
Maybe don't sell your chiller after all.

 

[Wortgames]

Well, as soon as Dr Byron figures out how to get all that 'spare' water from QLD to Melbourne then we can all start hosing down our driveways again.

In the meantime, 60% of Melbourne's water supply is used in the home, and we're running out, so we need to cut down.

People like that are idiots. He is looking for a silver bullet 'solution' to all of Australia's water issues, and claiming that putting a bucket in your shower isn't it. Well no sh!t, Sherlock, keep those nuggets coming.

There isn't going to BE a silver bullet solution to Australia's water problem, the same as there isn't going to BE a silver bullet solution to Australia's energy requirements or its carbon footprint. We just need to be smarter about using what we've got, where we've got it, and increase our efficiency as much as we can.

Cubby Station will not be allowed to continue doing what its doing indefinitely, unless a decision is made that its product is economically or politically viable in a new 'water economy'. Does that mean that we should all just sit around consuming until everyone else gets their house in order first?

Doesn't that sound a bit like Howard's approach to Kyoto? Maybe it's the Aussie way is it? I'm all right Jack - you go first?

 

[Uncle Fester]

I intend to cease brewing the day after we outlaw the irrigation of rice and cotton plantations.

Why we even consider growing rice in the most arid continent in the world (Antarctica excepted) has me buggered.


I guess it sounded like a good idea at the time. (along with Cane Toads) :angry:

Fester.