Water Source

[Possum55]

I have great home water and my last batch turned out awesome.

The problem is, I want to move the brewing process from the kitchen to my garage and am wondering if getting water from the outside hose is a serious no, no. Just asking...

 

[mongoose33]

It's not food safe, if that's what you're asking. You can buy a food-safe hose at most big-box stores. They're white, come in many lengths.

That said, many was the time when as a kid I got a drink from a hose, and I didn't get sick from it. Further, if all you're doing is boiling it as wort, I doubt there'd be a lot of issues if any at all.

But for the sake of others who might drink your beer and find out you're using water out of an ordinary hose, buy a food-safe hose and be done with it.

 

[Possum55]

Thanks for the fast reply Mongoose. I'm thinking maybe getting some gallon jugs of distilled water at Wally World and re-using the jugs to transfer needed water from inside the house after the original distilled water has been used. Extra work but won't have to worry bout the hose thing.

 

[DirtyPirate]

I would get a garden hose adapter and connect some food grade safe hosing to it.

 

[PADave]

As already said, the white RV hose if for potable water.

 

[MaryB]

For what you spend on the distilled buy a $35 50' hose... can always fill 5 gallon fermenting buckets if it doesn't reach

 

[mattdee1]

If you want to be a masochist to save yourself a few bucks that's your prerogative, but if you have the luxury of good water at your home, I'd strongly suggest you pick up one of the white hoses and be done with it. My outdoor hose spigot is very close to where I brew so I needed one just 20 or so feet long. I don't remember what I paid for it, but whatever it was, it was not much... and certainly next to nothing when considering how useful it has been.

If I really want a sore/fatigued back, there is still plenty to give it to me on a 5-6 hour brew day without having to carry around big jugs of water.

 

[BobOki]

Feel free to get a RV water filter for it as well just to help get any other poo out of the water before it reaches your hose. I used this one and it works quite well:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006IX87S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Possum55]

Thanks for the reality check Matdee. Point taken and I agree with your assessment.

 

[mabrungard]

As long as you have the hose running for a minute or so and have fresh water coming out the end, there is exceedingly little chance of picking up anything from an old hose...whether its food grade or not. I have used a hose to supply my brewing in the past and would continue too.

 

[CascadeOK]

Some hoses seem to impart a plastic smell/taste to the water. I used to bring home the "safe" hose from my RV on brew days and thats just a pain. $18 will buy you a 50' RV Fresh Water Hose, $10 will get you the 25' at walmart. I also got a sprayer attachment for the end of the hose so I didnt have to keep walking back to the water valve to turn the hose on and off.

Now I can bend the hose in half to cut off the water and change from the sprayer to my wort chiller, repeat back to the sprayer when done, then use sprayer to rinse out pot and I fill pot with water and start heating it with some oxyclean so I can wash all my utensils, run some through my pump and finally scrub out pot. Rinse/flush it all with my handy hose and brew day is over. No more hauling it all in the house and hacking off my wife. Money well spent

 

[Possum55]

Thanks for the info Cascade. The general consensus is to get the food grade hose and that is what I done. Just less worry. Bottom line is, with all the work, we want to remove as many variables as possible. Thanks again