Any Recommendations for a Drinking Water Safe Garden Hose

[pinemarten]

Title pretty much says it all. I'm looking for a good quality garden hose that is drinking water approved. Something 75-100 feet in length. After a very through reading (three beers worth of time) of Amazon reviews, it seems everyone hates their hoses. Anyone have something they actually like?

Thanks

 

[Murphys_Law]

I use(d) a water hose for RVs (I use two so that I can get from my bib to the RV but only needed 1 from my bib to the kettle...before I went RO water). I also used the RV water filter. Camco is a popular brand. Go to Amazon and search "rv water hose".

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Yeah I use the Camco hoses, like these.

No problems to report!

 

[normonster]

Yep...RV hoses.

 

[ChelisHubby]

I would not use hose for my beer. I could use hose but if I had a strange flavor it would be the first thing I would suspect. I currently carry my water that I brew 20 ft and I make 11 gallon batches so it takes me a few trips. If I did use hose I would let it run for a couple of minutes to eliminate any flavors I could from a hose.

 

[Horseflesh]

I bought an RV hose, experienced a couple of weird off flavors in 2 subsequent batches, and abandoned it. It's not proof but I am sure suspicious. I sure can't taste anything wrong with the hose water, though... if I did it again I'd try a camco instead of my cheaper brand.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

You'll find one of the "cheaper brands" at Home Depot and Lowes - I wouldn't bother with it tho. If you so much as look at it, or touch it, it will kink.

 

[pinemarten]

Yeah I use the Camco hoses, like these.

No problems to report!

Thanks drgonzo2k2!

I ordered the exact the hoses you linked to. They look as though they will last for years.

Also thanks all for the other replies. I recognize using a hose is less than ideal, but it can't be too bad. I ran about 100gal through one and then drank a glass of water from the hose. Tastes fine.

 

[thekraken]

FYI I used that RV hose too, mainly for cleaning water. Just recently I've been noticing black flakes floating in my water after using the hose, it looks as though the rubber inside of it has broken down and is now coming off in the water. I'm throwing it out and am going to probably rig something up with some tubing from the hardware store.

 

[hio3791]

FWIW, I setup a charcoal filter with a valve that I attach the RV hose to, so that I can run clean water and have the ability to shut the line. I always run the water for a couple of minutes just flush the line and filter out.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

When you run a garden hose (think 3 to 6 gpm) to a carbon block, be careful you don't exceed the flow capacity of the block. If you do, you'll allow chlorine through. For a 10" x 2.5" block, try to keep the flow at less than half of the 1 gpm typical max for a carbon block that size.

Russ

 

[hio3791]

Thank you Russ for pointing that out. I didn't know that.

I have a whole house filter which uses the filters that I believe you're​ describing.

 

[govner1]

I made a hose for filling my HLT from 30' of 5/8" beverage grade hose. I added the necessary brass connections.
I run directly from hot water bib in my garage/brewery through a hot water carbon filter.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Here are some typical flows recommended for the four standard sized carbon blocks. We recommend you read the spec's on your carbon blocks carefully, and stay at ONE HALF these max flows:
10" x 2.5": 1 gpm
20" x 2.5": 2 gpm
10" x 4.5": 4 gpm
20" x 4.5": 6 gpm

And always use a sediment filter before the carbon block.

Russ

 

[jodell]

Deleted

 

[pinemarten]

Uhh, I'd say jodell was hacked but then I saw Arkansas. So 50/50

 

[redllama]

I wouldn't use any type of garden hose. When helping a startup brewery we had garden hose tasting off flavors in pilot batches. Once the brewery hoses came in the problem was solved. "Drinking water safe" does not mean free from garden hose flavor

 

[day_trippr]

I wouldn't use a "garden hose", either. But I'd have no problems using a good quality RV hose...

Cheers!

 

[jodell]

My bad...... My butt had something to say I guess

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I use an RV hose as well, but always run it for a few minutes before I draw my liquor - the water that has sat in the hose picks up plastic flavor from sitting so long. I don't use a filter, as I draw the water a day ahead to let the chlorine dissipate.

 

[pinemarten]

No longer hose related, but I wanted to pass along something interesting about water treatment Black Island Brewer reminded me of. I recently emailed the water treatment authority in Massachusetts with a few questions and it turns out one of the directors is a serious homebrewer. He sent me a ton of useful information and suggested one thing I've never heard of.

As I suggested in my response last night, chloramine treatment is really important or you can get some funny tasting phenols. Bill Pierce (former columnist for BYO and moderator for Brews and Views bulletin board) recommends ½ campden tablet (each tablet is 0.5 g) per 5 gallons to neutralize the chloramines. The water should be allowed to sit long enough to let the sulfur dioxide off gas…like overnight. I have seen references to using hydrogen peroxide to treat the chloramines (about 1 ml of 3% H202 per 5 gallons) but not necessarily from any reliable sources.​

Let the sulfur dioxide off gas overnight is not something I've ever done. I generally pulverize a campden tablet, toss it in the HLT and recirc for about 15 minutes. It sounds a little cumbersome, but probably worth doing. I mean this guy's whole job is water so I defer to him. Does anybody else do the off gassing step?

 

[hio3791]

I've always pulverized 1 campden tablet and mixed it in with the water prior to brewing. I've read that the reaction, to drive off chloromines, is instant. This is the first I've seen saying to leave it over night.

 

[pinemarten]

I also have been told that the effect on chloromines is nearly instant. I believe what he is talking about is some other chemical process happening. It makes some sense to me that the campden isn't just removing chloromines, but is also creating other reactions. So I'm thinking when you toss in the tablet the potassium metabisulfite is instantly attacking the chloromines but then takes additional time to work it's way out of solution.

 

[kh54s10]

I use one of the cheap Home Depot RV hoses.... I run it through one of those house sized canister filter systems with a charcoal filter in it. My town has very good water apparently. I have never had any issues.

 

[benco]

I actually use a old garden hose I've been using for years and have always kept a sprayer hooked up to it. I use a small local water company that has really good water, not perfect but makes good beer. I always run it a few minutes before using. Not ideal but it works for me.