Using water from gas hot water system for water

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what about water from a mains gas hot water service, that ok?
 
I actually tried 3 types of water
  • Tap
  • Gas Hot water System
  • Boiled water

All cooled to room temp..
I could not tell the difference and I am not dead...(if anything the boiled water might have been a slight difference but I had to try 5 or 6 times - nothing noticeable)
I reckon it is fine from gas hot water and to me must have a better chance of making better beer as at some stage of its life it was over 60 deg and less chance of any nasties.. I will try cooled hot water next time and see if it makes a difference.
cheers
 
After years of use a hot water service will build up a deposit of gunk on the bottom - this does however take years to occur. The gunk is settled though and comes into your hot water in absolute tiny amounts - not dangerous at all. I know this because recently I had my gas HWS replaced with a bigger one and when the plumber removed the old one and shook it about to move it the water the drooled out the bottom looked like dam water. He said to me "thats why they tell you not to drink out of your HWS but this thing is 15 years old". He replaced it with an AquaMax 385 and fk me this thing is good (free plug for them - no aff :D).

If your HWS is under 10 years old and has a stainless tank I dont think you would have any problems at all.

Something else I love doing... On brew eve I ramp my HWS to full temp. Next morning on brew day (before I start to fill HLT) I go turn it back down. Then - I run my hot tap the water comes out at 60... literally by the time the HLT is full I have to wait another 2 mins before I am at 68 and ready to dough in. Because ive drawn some 60L of pure hot water out of the tank by the time it fires and comes back to temp the mrs and kids are waking up inside hopping in showers to start their days and they are none the wiser (or none the scolded however you want to look at it :lol:)

So for me a stainless gas fired reservoir HWS is great for brewing. My beers are clean and infection free and taste pretty damn good too.
 
I use it all the time.
Bucket it into a boiler and heat up more for mashing.
Can't see any difference in Gas or electric.
Saves time heating .
No problems at all.
 
Brewing was used by naval explorers to make safe drinkable beverages. I stand by beer. Maybe the odd rum or 2. I bet their barrels of water got a bit stinky. So I wouldn't be scared of water from a modern (perhaps 50 year old) gas hot water service unless you haven't showered for a while. 3 cheers for beer! Moot point as you're going to boil it anyway aren't you?
 
Does anyone know if the water that comes out of the pressure relief valve is any different to the water that comes out of the system. And if so how it's different?

Where I brew is right next to my HWS and I can access water straight from the valve, which would save me having to do any plumbing :)

At this stage I only plan to use the hot water for cleaning. But down the track when I move to AG it would make life a lot easier if I had hot water straight from the tank.
 
Should be filtered and boiled to be safe. :p
 
Hip Hop Hooray said:
Does anyone know if the water that comes out of the pressure relief valve is any different to the water that comes out of the system. And if so how it's different?

Where I brew is right next to my HWS and I can access water straight from the valve, which would save me having to do any plumbing :)

At this stage I only plan to use the hot water for cleaning. But down the track when I move to AG it would make life a lot easier if I had hot water straight from the tank.
Depending on if you have a thermal mixing valve on your supply from the tank it may be hotter straight from the relieve valve that would be the only difference
 
Hip Hop Hooray said:
Does anyone know if the water that comes out of the pressure relief valve is any different to the water that comes out of the system. And if so how it's different?
Where I brew is right next to my HWS and I can access water straight from the valve, which would save me having to do any plumbing :)
At this stage I only plan to use the hot water for cleaning. But down the track when I move to AG it would make life a lot easier if I had hot water straight from the tank.
IF water is running from the pressure relief valve on your HWS you have a problem.
The pressure relief valve is there to.....well do its job,if its running then water is continuing to fill the HWS and power is being used to heat it,all the while costing you $.
Using a pressure relief valve for brewing is a waste of time.......why I hear you ask ?
Well the answer is simple ,the outlet on a pressure relief valve on a HWS is simply that, a valve,not an outlet. The flow is restricted and no where near usable in brewing/ cleaning,blah,blah..
Cheers.....spog...
 
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