Sydney Water Restrictions

[Doc]

As some of you guys may know Sydney currently has level two Mandatory water restrictions.
After brewing five AG batches in the last week, I was thinking about how I could use less water. When cooling through the immersion chiller I collect the hot water and use that for cleanup. Then collect the cooler water and use that to water the plants.
But I had a thought. With all the advertising Sydney water are doing about the restrictions etc, I wonder if they had a pool of money for grants to high water users to enable them to use less. Eg. I wonder if us Sydney brewers could get a subsidy to purchase counterflow wort chillers. It would save some more of Sydneys precious water and speed up our brew days.

Thoughts ?

Doc

 

[JasonY]

Good thought Doc, but I reckon they would more than likely tell you to bugger off

We always seem to have restrictions in WA and you can now get subsidies on bores and efficient washing machines .... you never know if you can prove that a big enough section of Sydney are running immersion chillers then who knows!

What do you think you use in terms of water for an average brew. If I was to guess I would say I use around 200L nexxt time I do a brew I will try and make a point of measuring it

 

[Darren]

Howdy Doc,
One good way to save on water is to hook your chiller up to your rainwater tank and recirculate your cooling water through it. Means you would have to buy a pond pump though. I am looking into buying a rainwater tank at the moment. Adelaide water just isn't cutting the mustard in my beers.
Just need to convinve the mrs. of the merits of a rainwater tank.
cheers
Darren

 

[Edgecliff Brewer]

This is an old topic, I know

I simply wait turn on the washing machine when I am brewing and save the water in the bath or laundry sink. I then simply dump my pot into it. The large volume of water brings the temperature down quickly. No need to mess around with a wort chiller and no net increase in water use.

 

[Stuster]

I think you'd better look at the no chill threads, theory here and practice here.

Well, there goes your Sunday. :lol:

 

[Edgecliff Brewer]

Ha, thanks Stuster. I am trying to get to the gym.

I have looked at these threads from time to time. It is akin to analysis paralysis. This got a mention on Basic Brewing Radio a few months back. The main issue that the experts seem to dwell on is the formation of DMS which does not get a chance to float off with the steam in a sealed container. I've made my own conclusion that you can let the wort safely cool to mid-70s without fear of infection and then drop it further by then placing it in a bath of water which will drop it pretty quickly another 30 degrees C or so (i.e within 45 mins). This should minimise DMS if that is a concern, which I suppose will be more noticeable in paler beers.

Anyway, now I'm really going off topic. I just find the need to use such large quantities of water to chill a real shame, and very wasteful given the situation we are in with the dams, which is probably permanent too.

 

[Stuster]

I don't think anybody has had any DMS issues with no chill so far. The malts we get in Australia have much less of the precursor than American malts. Somewhere buried in that first thread I worked out the levels of the precursor you'd have after the boil and the rates will give DMS levels below the threshold taste level anyway.

Totally agree with you about the dam levels and I think i will be no-chill only from now on.

Enjoy the gym. :blink:

 

[shmick]

The NSW Central Coast (Wyong/Gosford) is on level 4 water restrictions.

No outside use of town water for any purpose what so ever.
No watering gardens, washing cars, flushing boat motors, hosing out mash tuns, putting out bushfires etc.

I run my CFWC with a minimal water flow and collect the run off for use inside the house. I get approx 15 - 20 lites of hot water (60degC) at the end of it and a 65 degC wort for chilling in the fridge. It just takes the edge off the temp to stop my cube melting and gives more than enough for washing up afterwards.
Technically it is outside use of water as I brew outside under cover but nothing goes to waste and it's taken back inside anyway.

If I had a couple of grand for a tank & pump I'd go that way but it looks like the 'no-chill' method for now.

Better go wade thru the 'no-chill' thread to see what I'm doing wrong

 

[voytekl]

This is only anecdotal but i've heard that one stubby of VB equals 2 litres of water used in it's production...