Strange white stuff from drinking water hose / RV hose

[jimyoung]

Hey everyone,
I have been brewing in my attached garage - just inside the house is a laundry hookup not being used, so I use it as my water supply. I bought a 50ft RV drinking water hose, put some fittings on the end, and it works fantastic.

Today I noticed some white.. things floating in the water. It's small - doesn't look like flakes like you'd see from scale / mineral buildup (and we don't have hard water). I at first thought it may be some kind of white super thin plastic film (that's what it looks like), breaking down from the hose. The hose is only 2 years old.

I've been thinking, though - that hose sits full of household water for months on end. Maybe it's white mold.. :S

I used the water to make the beer, which of course was boiled for a full 60 minutes. Anything that touched the beer (autosiphon/racking tube, carboy) was thoroughly cleaned with diversol, rinsed (with this water source), and then sanitized using iodophor. If it was white mold, I'm hoping that I killed it! I've never, in my 10 years of brewing, had an infection. I now have two brews in carboys, and I hope they turn out.... I peeked at the beer just starting to ferment and I can spot a few such pieces of film in there. sigh!

My bigger question is - what is this? I can't find anything online about it. do these hoses break down in such short a time and give plastic gunk (that I could filter / avoid in bottling). Is this a common white mold?

If it's white mold / a biofilm, I can replace the hose... but how do I avoid it happening again?

Any thoughts? opinions? advice? keywords I can use to search google?

Thanks!!!

Update 1:
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Managed to get some more out of the hose, and concentrated in a pitcher.
If I collect a bunch on my finger and rub it, it makes milky white cloudy water. So it dissolves.

UPDATE 2:
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OK Lol.. Kids toy microscope let me get this

 

[jimyoung]

I tried to merge my updates into one message above, but couldn't find how to delete this message, sorry.

 

[jimyoung]

I tried to merge my updates into one message above, but couldn't find how to delete this message, sorry.

 

[bkboiler]

hmm...im no biologist....
But i suppose you could put it on agar/gelatin to see if it grows...then i think if u have an ok microscope, you can stain, and plate it to see more details...lysing the cell walls open is only if u want access to the inner "DNA" (heavy air quotes there)...
if it doesn't grow it's either dead stuff that was formerly living or never-having-lived stuff...
If it's the latter, then you would need a SEM or TEM to tell what...
as for the pictures i can say "them's some white floaties, best get urself a good filter"
Your theory about the hose deteriorating could possibly hold water, pun always intended.

 

[jimyoung]

Trying to grow it isn't a bad idea. I used to farm my yeast so I have the gear around - just checked, out of agar and my pre-made plates are all dried up (even though I tried to seal them). Agar I guess it is!

I won't be brewing with this again. I may just get a new hose, but $30 every two years for a hose used indoors seems a little weird?

Thanks!

 

[jimyoung]

UPDATE - rotten rubber / plastic.

The hose started leaking at the house end, and so I finally decided to chuck it. But first, I grabbed a carpet knife and chopped it open. The white rubber inside was breaking down like cheap / old rubber does, and I could rub it off into a white paste with my finger. Not cool. So I guess I need a new hose

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I also use drinking water hose, have for awhile. I buy new hose every year for this reason. I wasn't getting the same large white stuff you get, but the water is clearly cloudy once the hose gets more than a year old.

 

[jimyoung]

yuck. I don't think a hose should wear out in a year. I hope my new brand works better. Just out of curiosity, do you buy the same brand each time, and, what is it?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

yuck. I don't think a hose should wear out in a year. I hope my new brand works better. Just out of curiosity, do you buy the same brand each time, and, what is it?

Hmm... I get it from Tractor Supply... let's see...

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/groundwork-drinking-water-hose?cm_vc=-10005

 

[Deadalus]

Do you need a 50'? The 25' is not as expensive. I have to use mine on the outside faucet so I usually run it down the driveway then roll it up and store. Can't leave it out in the winter and I don't like to leave it in the sun in the summer. I go through these more often as I have a travel trailer. The swivel ends usually wear out.

I hate to spend extra money on garden hoses as I don't find an increase in money justifies the lifespan. They seem to be all cheaply made.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Do you need a 50'? The 25' is not as expensive. I have to use mine on the outside faucet so I usually run it down the driveway then roll it up and store. Can't leave it out in the winter and I don't like to leave it in the sun in the summer. I go through these more often as I have a travel trailer. The swivel ends usually wear out.

I hate to spend extra money on garden hoses as I don't find an increase in money justifies the lifespan. They seem to be all cheaply made.

Yep... I buy two 25' sections cause it is cheaper than buying a 50' hose. Somehow that makes sense to them apparently.

 

[jimyoung]

ah - yours isn't the brand that just crapped out on me.. Well, if they only last a year or so I guess that is what it is. Maybe I'll run some semi-permanent pex there and put a smaller hose on. Right now, I do need 50' unfortunately.

Also, for some ridiculous reason, this kind of stuff is /way/ cheaper in the US than it is here in Canada! Maybe that's why I'm so grumpy about it.

My 50' was $32+tax, the one that wore out. My new 50' flexzilla was $60+ tax, on hopes that it'd last twice as long. We'll see.

In my case, 2 25'ers wasn't cheaper than a 50' unfortunately.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Why not use 1/2" polyethylene tubing?
https://www.buckeyehydro.com/pe-tubing/
Russ