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. but it's hardly the time for mentioning extremophilic bacteria and heavy metal contamination, surely? Maybe they belong in a microbiological enthusiasts thread?

It was just the geek in me teasing out the minutiae of things like this. Sometimes there is more to a great idea than $ and time. Exploring the fine detail is how we learn about and then expand our boundaries. It's the geeks that bring us new things from the exploration of things others know noting and care nothing about.

If it offends you, then feel free not to read the thread.

Great posts like these below are what result from such meanderings.

Cheers,
PoMo.

interesting thread :) I never really thought about filling my kettle from the HWS, but it would speed up brewdays thats for sure. I will do a taste test on our HWS, I think tis ok - but I should be able to get some definitive answers in a few days - I am currently doing my phd in analytical/electrochemistry so will take a few samples from our HWS (a reasonably old gas unit) and run a few AAS or ICP if needed and compare Mg/Al/Cu/Ni/Zn to what we have in the water straight from the tap.

wont be hugely relevant to anyone except me (I assume every HWS would be a slightly different case - depend on local water ph, plumbing etc) but it should be interesting anyways :D will post results if/when I get around to it!

Yes! Please, post them. I've said it before and I'll say it again, science is nothing without measurement.

The good news is your immersion elements are 100% efficient - every joule of energy produced goes into the water. Your HLT insulation may not be all that crash hot (which is what affects the overall efficiency), but with the temps and times involved here it's still got to be much more efficient than gas - either fired under the tank or in an instantaneous HWS heat exchanger. Where an instant HWS wins back efficiency points against an electric system is in the fact that it's not trying to keep a large volume at temperature for long periods of time, and hence losing heat to the atmosphere - it only heats when you're using the water.

I doubt 100%, given losses. A fair bit of heat from mine goes out thru the handle and even the cord supplying the element. Also, offpeak electricity is charged at a lower rate, so you do get more joules for your $ from an offpeak electric HWS.
 
agreed - very interested in your findings, likesbeer.

BTW, aren't we all microbiological enthusiasts? :p
 
I did the side by side test the other day and while there was a perceptible difference between the hot and cold - I couldn't say that the hot was bad or unpleasant :mellow:

Had SWMBO try the samples too and she preferred the hot over the cold <_<

On the back of this I've used hot water for my last 4 batches :)

Talk about time saving - I can pretty much fill the HLT and run the nasa for a couple of minutes and it's up to sparge / mash temps B)

I'll see how the final product turns out shortly

Cheers
 
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