Is it OK to use cold bottled water to top off and cool my wort made from extract?

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Pixalated

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The last time I brewed, I put 3 gallons of spring water in the freezer for a few hours. By the time my boil was done, the bottled water was down to 40F. After just a few minutes in the ice bath my wort was down to about 180F, and I figured that if I combine the hot wort with the cold water, I don't have to wait for it to cool down.

So, I poured 2 gallons of cold bottled water into my fermenter, and then poured my wort right on top of that. I topped off with about 1/2 gallon of cold water, and my wort was in the mid 70s, where I pitched.

Is there anything wrong with this method? Can I trust spring water to be free on contaminats? Is it OK to mix hot wort with cold water?
 
Pixalated,
I would avoid this method.
First off, I would avoid spring water. It likely lacks necessary nutrients for the yeast. This could cause yeast to work in stressed conditions resulting in off flavor, or leave your brew under attenuated. What I do is boil my tap water and then let it cool in my selaed fermentation bucket.
This brings me to a side point: Don't cool wort or brew water ever in the fridge, unless it is in a sealed container! Refrigerators harbor bacteria!
Anyways, the real problem with your method is oxidation. You should cool your wort before topping off or adding water. The net result of the hot wort and the ice cold water might be 70 degrees, however: as they mix you are introducing oxegen to the hot wort (even though it is almost instantly cooled as it mixes). At least, tht is my understanding.
 
kgg_033 said:
Pixalated,
I would avoid this method.
First off, I would avoid spring water. It likely lacks necessary nutrients for the yeast. This could cause yeast to work in stressed conditions resulting in off flavor, or leave your brew under attenuated. What I do is boil my tap water and then let it cool in my selaed fermentation bucket.
This brings me to a side point: Don't cool wort or brew water ever in the fridge, unless it is in a sealed container! Refrigerators harbor bacteria!
Anyways, the real problem with your method is oxidation. You should cool your wort before topping off or adding water. The net result of the hot wort and the ice cold water might be 70 degrees, however: as they mix you are introducing oxegen to the hot wort (even though it is almost instantly cooled as it mixes). At least, tht is my understanding.
Click to expand...

Spring water is fine! You don't have to worry about not having enough nutrients- it's actually better than boiled tap water for having enough minerals and helping to aerate the wort. You want to aerate the cooled wort, for yeast health.

If you get to pitching temperatures quickly with your method, that's fine. Usually a few minutes in a cold water bath chills the wort a bit, and you can add cold water to get to your pitching temperature. Make sure the wort is chilled a bit first, otherwise you may end up with nearly 5 gallons of too-warm wort that will take a long, long time to cool!
 
I've heard of this method from several people, including the guys at my LHBS. From what I understand, Spring water is mineral heavy, and I ALWAYS use spring water.
 
+1 to what Yooper said

Did it work when you did it before? There's your answer. I chill tap water for the same purpose, spring water costs more and I'm cheap. Spring water isn't the same as distilled water which your yeasties wouldn't appreciate, but unless your tap water is causing problems there's no reason to bother with either.

Definitely cover the water you put in your fridge but you WANT to introduce oxygen to the hot wort. The yeast needs oxygen for its growth phase. Pour violently, stir with motivation, shake the fermentor, aerate with a stone and a tank, whatever method you go with make sure you're oxygenating your wort. It's only after you pitch your yeast that oxygen is your enemy.
 
@kgg_033, I think you are thinking of distilled water, which lacks minerals. But even that would not be a huge proble with exract, since it's just concentrated wort. It should have enough. My 3 gallons jugs were sealed, so I am not worried about picking up bacteria. I am worried about them having bacteria to begin with. You do bring up a good point about hot side aeration. I will keep that in mind next time.

@Yooper, I actually did some math really quick, but I don't know if it's valid. Yeah, having 5 gallons of 110F wort would be annoying.

@sgillespie, good to hear LHBS feedback.
 
@Dome555, don't know yet. I won't be drinking the beer for at least 3 weeks. As I mentioned, I am not sure about pouring hot wort. I've heard of hot side aeration, but I don't know if it's a problem. Haven't looked into it yet. I alwas aerate my cooled wort by shaking the hell out of my carboy.
 
kgg_033 said:
Pixalated,
I would avoid this method.
First off, I would avoid spring water. It likely lacks necessary nutrients for the yeast. This could cause yeast to work in stressed conditions resulting in off flavor, or leave your brew under attenuated. What I do is boil my tap water and then let it cool in my selaed fermentation bucket.
This brings me to a side point: Don't cool wort or brew water ever in the fridge, unless it is in a sealed container! Refrigerators harbor bacteria!
Anyways, the real problem with your method is oxidation. You should cool your wort before topping off or adding water. The net result of the hot wort and the ice cold water might be 70 degrees, however: as they mix you are introducing oxegen to the hot wort (even though it is almost instantly cooled as it mixes). At least, tht is my understanding.
Click to expand...

Spring water is full of minerals! That being said I've used distilled water as well and had good results as have many others.
 
I have been using spring water to good results. I just buy 6 gal on brew day and I am set. no need to pre-boil or any of that good stuff.
 
Yea I wasn't even thinking about that hot side aeration business. Still not sure I buy it, but obviously wouldn't hurt to avoid it.
 
I use this method. I buy 5 gallons of bottle water from the store. I use 3 for my wort and put 2 in the fridge overnight. Once my one hour, post-boil over is done I chill to 120F or so and then top it off with the 2 gallons from the fridge. Puts me right at 80F. It drops a bit more during my aeration.
 
I've always used this method - saves money on ice for the ice bath. Just make sure that, after topping off and before you pitch the yeast, you shake that carboy like it did something unmentionable to a close friend or family member.
 
we move the pot of wort into an ice bath and bring down to around 80ish (takes around 20 mins) then strain into 6.5 gal bucket add 2+ gallons of spring water that's been in the fridge overnight. that usually brings the temp down to around 70 then we pitch the yeast and start the next batch!
 
I used natural spring water from right here in Ohio on my last brew of pale ale. Def tastes cleaner,so I can only assume that the yeast loved the minerals in that spring water. I used tap water only for the partial boil. The spring water for top off. shake or stir the wort like it owes you money. Then take hydrometer reading & pitch.
But def cool the wort before topping off.
 
Yes, I was thinking of distilled water. My bad.
Still think you want to avoid any aeration while wort is hot.....once it's coled thats another story alltogether.
 
GreenDragon said:
I use this method. I buy 5 gallons of bottle water from the store. I use 3 for my wort and put 2 in the fridge overnight. Once my one hour, post-boil over is done I chill to 120F or so and then top it off with the 2 gallons from the fridge. Puts me right at 80F. It drops a bit more during my aeration.
Click to expand...

Buy 6 so you can account for what you lose in the boil and left behind with the trub. When I first started I did the same thing and only ended up with around 3.9 Gallons of wort in the fermentor. Then I bought more water to account for that. Now I do all grain so I buy the water in 5 gallon bottles. Eventually I'll get a filter but that is down the road.

On, topic. I did the same thing when I was doing extract. I would cool the additional water in the fridge while I brewed and dump it in once I got around 90 degrees. This got me down to pitch temps.
 
What I do is boil 2 gallons, let it cool (covered after a few minutes) for long enough to get to near room temperature, pour it into three sanitized containers, filling half way, shaking each one vigorously for a minute to aerate them, then combine the 3 containers into 2 one gallon containers. A little bit of extra work, but I end up with 2 gallons of sanitized aerated cold water that I add to my 3 gallons of wort.
 
There are several people on here that use filters for tap water. But,after watching home brewer tv,episode #38,I learned something. Those filters don't remove chlorimines. Others use Camden tablets,which convert them to chlorides,& sulfites to sulfates. That sort of thing.
I just try to avoid all that with spring water.
 
Yooper said:
Well, hopefully it isn't contaminated! If you're buying water you have to boil before using, then it's not very good water I guess.
Click to expand...

So spring water isn't contaminated but tap water is? How can you be sure spring water is "clean"? I'm just trying to understand as I've used filtered tap for my first brew but really thinking of buying spring water for future brews.
 
I think they're equating natural spring water with well,or ground water. Natural spring water comes from pockets in bedrock,far underground. The usual nasties don't live in places like that. As long as filling practices are good,you're safe.
 
unionrdr said:
I think they're equating natural spring water with well,or ground water. Natural spring water comes from pockets in bedrock,far underground. The usual nasties don't live in places like that. As long as filling practices are good,you're safe.
Click to expand...

That makes some sense. I guess in theory there could be something on the lip of the jug as you pour out...but probably miniscule risk.
 
Not at all! I'm just saying that bottled water comes sanitary. That's the point. It's sealed, and ready for drinking.

My tap water is fine to use. But some people have tap water that may have chlorine, chloramines, sulfur, etc.

I always used tap water to top off, and still use tap water in my brewing.

If you have good tap water without chloramines and/or chlorine, and without iron (which will make the beer taste bad), that's fine also.
 
unionrdr said:
Others use Camden tablets,which convert them to chlorides,& sulfites to sulfates. That sort of thing.
Click to expand...

:off: Sorry I know, But is there a thread about this? Been curious bout this and wanted to give it a try..
 
I know we've discussed Camden tablets before,so search it. 1/4 tab in 10 gallons,something like that. I used them in wine making many years ago. I like the one rig I saw an AG'r on here using. He mounted some PVC pipe & elbows with hose parts on a fridge filter to fill & filter the tap water all at the same time. It was a refrigerator filter & mount,the screw in white canister kind. Kinda looks like a white plastic oil filter. I like that,quick-n-handy.
 
Campden is 1 tablet per 20 gallons. I normally fill my bucket up to 5 gallons, break a tablet in half, crush half and sprinkle most of it into the water.
 
unionrdr said:
I know we've discussed Camden tablets before,so search it.
Click to expand...


Just make sure you search for "Campden" rather than "Camden!" ;)

On the general topic, I routinely top off with bottled water. I do not boil it, ever. Seems pointless. I usually top off once my wort drops below 100 degrees for a few minutes. A gallon or two or spring water will quickly close the gap and get it to pitching temp.
 

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