Garage brewers, where do you get water?

I've been brewing on my patio recently, but with the cold Minnesota winters approaching, I'll be moving to my garage. But I don't have a spigot in my garage. If you brew in your garage, where do you get your water in the winter? I'm mainly thinking for cooling, to hook up to the CFC or immersion cooler.

So far, the only thing I've thought of is to use Edwort's setup and have a tub full of ice water and circulating that with a pump. I'd really prefer not to use an outside hose. A few years ago, I left a hose hooked up over the winter and that led to a pipe bursting in my basement.

It doesn't get nearly as cold here...but cold enough to create problems.

I use the outdoor spigot but keep my hose in the garage until brew day.

Never leav a hose hooked up to the spigot once there is the risk of a hard freeze.

The good news is...your ground water will be so cold, your wort will chill in a heartbeat.

Unless your carrying out pots full of water to brew with and then taking your kettle inside to chill, I don't see how you can get away without having a hose outside.

If you just make it part of your routine to always go and shutoff the valve to the outside spigot when your done you shouldn't have to worry about the pipes bursting.

I use outside spigot water but with RV drinking water hose and an RV filter in line.

I too have to figure this one out. I ran a line out to my driveway through my garage so I have a source to tap in to. The garage only gets down to 45F in the winter so I don't have to keep shutting it off in the basement after each session. I might actually run a hot line out there as well for cleanup.

DesertBrew said:

I use outside spigot water but with RV drinking water hose and an RV filter in line.

Click to expand...

+1. Works great for me.

If I was brewing without access to water, I would use the recirculating chilling method, plus I would have all my water in 5 gallon water jugs ready to go.

Install a mop/util sink. I did that in my mudroom, and it's been a boon not just for brewing but for cleaning all sort of things. The standard faucets that come with those things have a standard garden hose male connection on the end of the outlet, so you can hook your hose directly to it.

I carry it into the kitchen. That's one reason I only do 5g batches.

-a.

I installed a central vacuum system in my house and I have a few of the connection boxes left.


I was thinking of installing three of those in my garage on the the wall by the basement. I can then run a hose in and out for my CFC and a hose to a carboy in the basement. No more carrying a carboy up and down the stairs.

You could run a hose from a utility sink in your house to the garage. Just make sure you have some way to turn it off at the garage end as well.

Evan! said:

Install a mop/util sink. I did that in my mudroom, and it's been a boon not just for brewing but for cleaning all sort of things. The standard faucets that come with those things have a standard garden hose male connection on the end of the outlet, so you can hook your hose directly to it.

Click to expand...

Yeah baby...

130 degree tap water sure saves on the ole propane expense:

Bobby_M said:

I too have to figure this one out. I ran a line out to my driveway through my garage so I have a source to tap in to. The garage only gets down to 45F in the winter so I don't have to keep shutting it off in the basement after each session. I might actually run a hot line out there as well for cleanup.

Click to expand...

Bobby,

I save my IC water for clean up.
I get 5 gallon hot water, 5 gallon warm and 5 gallon cool.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7mmdi/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p1010048.jpg.w300h225.jpg

The ice cold crystal-clear water of the town branch spring.

I have (semi) hard, unfiltered water from hose spigot (long stem/frost resistance type-Mansfield(?) ) in the garage, same as in my shop/barn, via the pull-handle-up, farm-style deep-valve-type spigot. Both have floor drains.

Hot water for clean-up would be an additional run from kitchen, saving half the length of the house, for in the garage. But the hot water is softened, and filtered, and doesn't seem to be what I would want for the actual brew water...

Garage tends to be frost free except for maybe a week in Feb....definitely heatable, as it is insulated/finished inside, with insulated doors. The RV hose and filter sound like an interesting method...

Geez, anybody ever weld in a stainless hose fitting into the side of their HLT, near the top? Seems that and a sight glass/graduation method would be an effortless way to introduce the brewing water-if you remember to unscrew the hose first. March from then on...

Henry Hill said:

Geez, anybody ever weld in a stainless hose fitting into the side of their HLT, near the top? Seems that and a sight glass/graduation method would be an effortless way to introduce the brewing water-if you remember to unscrew the hose first. March from then on...

Click to expand...

I'm gong to be doing something like this soon. I will be rigging up water lines on my brew tower and have one line go up to my HLT with a valve so I don't have to climb up a latter to fill it also a line going to my BK so if I need water there I will have it and I will from there be able to hook up to my CFC. So when all said and done I can just hook up one water sorce and be good to go at two or three spots on my tower.

I use an outside hose, even though I have a utility sink in the garage. But, it rarely gets below freezing here and I brew with the garage door open.

So guys, doesn't the taste of the hose color your water at all, or does that get lost in the brewing process?

drunkatuw said:

I've been brewing on my patio recently, but with the cold Minnesota winters approaching, I'll be moving to my garage. But I don't have a spigot in my garage. If you brew in your garage, where do you get your water in the winter? I'm mainly thinking for cooling, to hook up to the CFC or immersion cooler.

So far, the only thing I've thought of is to use Edwort's setup and have a tub full of ice water and circulating that with a pump. I'd really prefer not to use an outside hose. A few years ago, I left a hose hooked up over the winter and that led to a pipe bursting in my basement.

Click to expand...

How about using an outside spigot, but turning it off after your done? It gets just as cold here in NH as it does out your way, and that's what I'll be doing. I'll be using an RV Hose with an inline Filter.

Fingers said:

So guys, doesn't the taste of the hose color your water at all, or does that get lost in the brewing process?

Click to expand...

Not for me. I let the water run for a few sec. before filling my pot. Unless the water sits in the hose for a few hours or more I can tell any difference.