Making beer from solar hot water

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Last few batches I've made with water direct from my solar hot water because it comes out at around 65 so I use less gas to heat to mash temp. I've just suddenly thought to myself, is this a good idea?

A quick Google produces information that hot water heaters produce nitrate which is linked to oxidation and stomach cancer. Also metcury, lead, all the good stuff. Great.. just mashing my latest pilsner in it..

I do have an esky to catch the overflow relief valve when it gets too hot and the sides are stained a light blue from the water. It used to run into our new tiles and they're stained white

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Don't eat spinach when drinking the beer, you'll be OK.

Hot water nitrate levels are in the ug / l range (parts per billion) where spinach can have nitrate at 3 g / kg.

1 gram of spinach can contain as much nitrate as 1000 litres of hot water.

 

[akx]

I stopped using hot water after reading about issues due to old pipes (lead in the solder, hot water causes it to leach out faster than cold water) so I only use cold water now. I think it depends on both the equipment your using, and the piping. One day, I'd like to have the right kit to make that work.

 

[bradsbrew]

Don't eat spinach when drinking the beer, you'll be OK.

Hot water nitrate levels are in the ug / l range (parts per billion) where spinach can have 3 g / kg nitrate: 1 gram of spinach can contain as much nitrate as 1000 litres of hot water.

Sorry for dragging this OT.

So these results are saying I need to eat more spinach to help control my high Blood Pressure, cholesterol and low iron levels?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

I am not a doctor.

 

[Bribie G]

I used it when I lived on Bribie Island. Made perfectly ok beer. Some award winning actually. As for heavy metals etc I probably picked up masses of them in my decades before catalytic converters, unleaded petrol etc.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Well that makes me feel somewhat better. I suppose we're all dying of something

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

I am not a doctor.

Lol

 

[RdeVjun]

Sacrificial Anode Pilsner.

Sounds bad but probably harmless, I mean the HWS water should be fit for human consumption, shouldn't it? Then again, I'm no doctor either...

 

[Batz]

We drink, shower and live on rain water. Have a hot-water system too.
Could be bird, possum, frog and who knows what poo in there.

 

[mofox1]

We drink, shower and live on rain water. Have a hot-water system too.
Could be bird, possum, frog and who knows what poo in there.

View attachment 109799

No batz poo? Ba-doom.

 

[Batz]

No batz poo? Ba-doom.

And bat poo.

 

[ballantynedewolf]

We have an annoying tempering valve on ours which limits it to 45 I think, or maybe 50. Inside the reservoir it can easily be 85 and in the manifold 170, but it would be hard to get that hot stuff out safely I feel. Frustrating cos those systems take a long time to pay back and it would be quicker if we could use the water for more things.
The chemical reactions that would potentially leach harmful contaminants into your water certainly proceed much faster in heat - a rule of thumb is double rate per 10C increase, so your 85 above ambient of say 20 is possibly 100 times faster. Maybe that means domestic hot water is not safe to drink? NSW Health says it is not safe, and possibly worse if you have plastic plumbing.
Another thing, hot water systems are prone to legionella. Ours has a chip that periodically overheats the reservoir to control legionella, but having said that, we have the electric booster that does this off for most of the year.
If you live in a sunny clime, maybe you could build a thermosiphon based solar brew water heater from copper pipe, using a stainless reservoir and just fill it prior to brew day? If you are concerned about lead in the solder, you could use all compression fittings?
This way, you get the benefit of solar without the leaching problems.

 

[RdeVjun]

Looks like we're all pretty much doomed no matter where we draw our strike water from.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-11-30/rainwater-tank-safety/9157240?pfmredir=ms

 

[Dave70]

We have an annoying tempering valve on ours which limits it to 45 I think, or maybe 50. Inside the reservoir it can easily be 85 and in the manifold 170, but it would be hard to get that hot stuff out safely I feel. Frustrating cos those systems take a long time to pay back and it would be quicker if we could use the water for more things.
The chemical reactions that would potentially leach harmful contaminants into your water certainly proceed much faster in heat - a rule of thumb is double rate per 10C increase, so your 85 above ambient of say 20 is possibly 100 times faster. Maybe that means domestic hot water is not safe to drink? NSW Health says it is not safe, and possibly worse if you have plastic plumbing.
Another thing, hot water systems are prone to legionella. Ours has a chip that periodically overheats the reservoir to control legionella, but having said that, we have the electric booster that does this off for most of the year.
If you live in a sunny clime, maybe you could build a thermosiphon based solar brew water heater from copper pipe, using a stainless reservoir and just fill it prior to brew day? If you are concerned about lead in the solder, you could use all compression fittings?
This way, you get the benefit of solar without the leaching problems.

Pop the cap off the valve and tamper with the tamper proof epitrochoid shaped thingie turning it counter clockwise. Most of these have an upper limit of a convenient to mash in temp of 65 deg.
They're designed to be adjusted as we use to have to set them for a max of 50 deg if installing on pre schools and the like.

I'd further suggest anybody concerned with the consequences of drinking hot water from the tap should stop drinking alcohol immediately. And begin wearing a gas mask that filters particulate matter, benzine and sulfur dioxide. There's about 3000 deaths a year. Fatalities from drinking hot tap water? I cant find the stats, but will go out on a limb and say close to zero.

 

[wynnum1]

They had to close a hospital here in Brisbane because of not so hot water that became infected so its probably not good to have scalding hot water but warm water has its problems.

 

[Dave70]

They had to close a hospital here in Brisbane because of not so hot water that became infected so its probably not good to have scalding hot water but warm water has its problems.

Within the 20-60 deg range is the danger zone. Just to be sure I treat my drinking water to about an hour at 66 deg, followed by boiling it for a further 60 to 90 minutes. Then inoculate it with a suitable yeast because, of course, the health giving benefits of fermented foods are widely known.

 

[spog]

Looks like we're all pretty much doomed no matter where we draw our strike water from.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-11-30/rainwater-tank-safety/9157240?pfmredir=ms

Saw that on the ABC online news and immediately said, not thought. FFS, hmmm how many Aussies have time ( read the article) or can be buggered to check their gutters every 3 months .
What a load of fuckn crap that namby pamby report is.
Grrrr. All good now please carry on.