Water - Is It Ok To Use Hot Water Tap?

[Gout]

I currently use the garden hose to fill my HLT with cold water then wait while it heats to strike temps, however the last brew i forgot to fill my HLT for a sparge - so i used hot water from the hot watr tap into the HLT to hit its temps. The brew worked out fine.

I am thinking if its ok, i will install a hot water tap next to the brewery (pipe runs past it) and fill the brewery with hot water and then just need to warm it slightly to mash in temps etc saving me time - and i assume the hotwater tank is more efficent than my HLT kettle element etc

Does anyone see any issues with this?
does anyone do this?

Is there any effect on the salts of the water? i thought the hot water tank might have anodes and the like that i am worried may effect the mash?

I though it would be a nice upgrade to go with the natural gas outlet to help save time and money

 

[Adamt]

Depends on your hot water system... some systems leach a lot of things into your water that you don't want to be drinknig, let alone put into your beer.

Natural gas fired is probably OK?

 

[gwozniak]

I use hot tap water whenever I can to speed things up. Never noticed any problems with it but not sure about if hot water is beeter at picking up crap from the pipes.

 

[Bribie G]

I invariably use hot water from the Solahart on the roof. Still alive and several medal wins later I continue to do so. And Bribie water isn't anything to write home about. Aren't Rheem type electric systems lined with a sort of glass? Sounds just like a giant electric kettle.

 

[beerDingo]

I've been wondering this as well. 90% I just use cold water, but when in a rush I'll 50/50 hot/cold. Haven't noticed any difference yet, but I've still got a lot of palate development to learn I think.

Usually when you get a glass of water from a hot tap, it is all cloudy (is there anything wrong with this?). But as Adamt says, it probably depends on your hot water system.

 

[Gout]

well looking into this further i note we have a AquaMax Gas 5star rated Stainless Steel cylinder.

so it would surly be more efficent than my HLT and being gas and stainless i hope its safe to drink.

Re: cloudy water - i will place a cup of hot water and cold water and note the differences including taste when they are both cool.

 

[Adamt]

Usually when you get a glass of water from a hot tap, it is all cloudy (is there anything wrong with this?).

That's a magical cocktail of gases called "air"

 

[Rodolphe01]

I think the cloudy appearance, which goes quickly, is just dossolved oxygen coming out of solution becasue of the high temperature. I think some hot water systems might have zinc for cathodic corrosion protection, not sure what that means for brewing/consumption though.

 

[beerDingo]

That's a magical cocktail of gases called "air"

LOL, I figured it was something like that, as yes, it does dissipate. Spose, I don't really drink tea/coffee, so never really deal with much hot water (in a cup). But the water out of my HLT doesn't seem as cloudy as what comes out of the hot water system. Don't know the brand, but it's a relatively new (but probably cheapo, knowing the landlord), metal looking thing, with natural gas. Will do some investigating, as yes, this would save a bit of time, and money on gas.

Edit: 4* seems to be the local water guru, maybe I should bring him a sample to analyse h34r:

 

[Fourstar]

Edit: 4* seems to be the local water guru, maybe I should bring him a sample to analyse h34r:

Ha, im as useless as tits on a bull! I'd say it would be safe to use and i doubt it would be leeching anything detrimental. I remember seeing someone who used the boiler form their old hot water system as a HLT or kettle. Assuming its stainless its probably good to go.

 

[Gout]

taste wise they seem the same at the same temp (room) the cold water glass has tiny bubbles on the glass however the hot doesnot (assume this was all the bubbles when i poured it while hot)

would a ph test tell us much? i am waiting to calibrate my PH meter at i havnt used it for ages, however assuming the hot water lost O2 the PH would be different anyway - i am not a science guy so have no idea how it works from here on

 

[beerDingo]

however assuming the hot water lost O2 the PH would be different anyway - i am not a science guy so have no idea how it works from here on

I would assume that if that's the only difference, then it would be balanced out once we heat it to correct temperature anyway. I've heard that some people biol water the day before (but don't know how may people actually do this), so that would in effect do the same thing (wouldn't it).

 

[WarmBeer]

Saves a hell of a lot of time and gas getting water to strike temperature. My tap hot water comes out at 55 deg.

I think the old adage of "don't drink hot tap water" comes from past times with copper boilers and crappy galvanised pipes.

 

[Gout]

beer dingo - after the boil - into mash yeah i agree

I was meaning in the glasses now - i was thinking if there was extra metals in the hot water from the tank it may change the PH ..... then i thought further and concluded i have no F'in idea what i am doing

so i will wait if anyone strongly recommends not to do this, otherwise i will keep trying to brew with hot water

warmbeer, i had never know not to drink the hot water... guess i never even thought about drinking from the hot water tap until brewing

 

[Synthetase]

Be careful of some older hot water systems, they do leach heavy metals into the water. Additionally, many older tanks are lined on the inside with an enamel coating that begins to crack with age due to the constant expansion-contraction of the tank as it heats and cools. This allows leeching of some toxic compounds. My rule is: if you don't know, play it safe.

As for energy efficiency, it depends. A gas hot water system loses a lot of heat from the flame straight to the air around the tank, whereas an electric element is immersed and all energy liberated is directly heating the water. So I guess it depends on the relative price of electricity versus natural gas per Joule and how much loss to the air/additional plumbing you're willing to entertain . If you are worried about your environmental footprint, then gas is better since Melbourne's electricity mostly comes from brown coal.

 

[bradsbrew]

Be careful of some older hot water systems, they do leach heavy metals into the water. Additionally, many older tanks are lined on the inside with an enamel coating that begins to crack with age due to the constant expansion-contraction of the tank as it heats and cools. This allows leeching of some toxic compounds. My rule is: if you don't know, play it safe.

As for energy efficiency, it depends. A gas hot water system loses a lot of heat from the flame straight to the air around the tank, whereas an electric element is immersed and all energy liberated is directly heating the water. So I guess it depends on the relative price of electricity versus natural gas per Joule and how much loss to the air/additional plumbing you're willing to entertain . If you are worried about your environmental footprint, then gas is better since Melbourne's electricity mostly comes from brown coal.

What age are you looking at for being too old. I have a Saxon electric HWS. I do not use it for brewing as yet but i would consider it if I could save both time and energy. Also would 5.2 ph buffer help out any ph issues caused from the HWS.

cheers Brad

 

[Gout]

My HWS is say 10 years old, and stainless. I think its ok but to be honest i dont really know as i dont work with them or water quality for that matter.

 

[blackbock]

Stainless steel tank = no sacrificial anode = less chance of metal contamination in your brew. I do it, but then my hot water is solar heated as well - at this time of year there is plenty of hot water in my tank, too much if anything.

If I had an old glass lined tank with anode I would definitely think twice about using that water to make beer.

 

[Darren]

You must also consider the age of the house you live in. Hot water from your spanking brand new sola heater has to pass/sit in copper pipes if your house is older (and if your house is really old you will have iron pipes).

I would love one of those new temp. controlled instant hot water systems for the sparge (or a dedicated sola system for direct sparging but probably useless in Adelaide winter when I tend to brew).

cheers

Darren

 

[blackbock]

True Darren, but even with older pipes if your water is fairly soft there won't be too much crud accumulated there, and if you discard the first litre or so the chance of contamination is not that great.