Filling HLT/all-in-one from garden hose

AnimatedGIF · Nov 1, 2021

Is it ok to fill my brewing vessel from a garden hose? I have a detatched garage and the brewzilla is in the garage, which (currently) has no water supply. I can lug the water across the garden in a FV and fill the brewzilla, but the garden hose would be easier. I'm thinking the issue would be with leaching chemicals rather than anything biological, but shall willingly take any advice on this.

Renegade · Nov 1, 2021

I use a special blue hose for "potable" water.

matt76 · Nov 1, 2021

Absolutely not, don't do it!

I happen to have "Simple Homebrewing" by Drew Beechum & Denny Conn to hand:

"Drew: The vinyl phenols in those [green plastic] hoses easily leach into your beer and are utterly and ruinously destructive. Use either food grade vinyl hose from your homebrew shop out a white 'potable water/RV' hose."

AnimatedGIF · Nov 1, 2021

Thanks both, that's all I needed to hear. Appreciate it athumb..

Jim Brewster · Nov 1, 2021

[deleted]

Stu's Brews · Nov 1, 2021

I brew in my detatched garage and fill both my Grainfather and sparge water heater from the garden hose. Never had an 'utterly and ruinously destructive' problem from doing so. :confused.:

Rodcx500z · Nov 1, 2021

Just make sure you run some off first, you don't want water that's been in the hose a week or more

Brewnaldo · Nov 1, 2021

I always use my garden hose. Genuinely cant say iv ever had a problem, but liek with many other potential issues, cant say my beer wouldnt be improved by going straight from the tap.....

Would only be the inconvencience of carrying a boiler full of water about 15 yards so might try is next time.

The-Engineer-That-Brews · Nov 1, 2021

Rodcx500z said:
Just make sure you run some off first, you don't want water that's been in the hose a week or more

I tend to agree Rod - whilst I’m sure it’s true that chemicals/flavours can leech from the hose over time, I imagine it takes a while so as long as you run off a hoseful first you should be OK

Stu's Brews · Nov 1, 2021

The-Engineer-That-Brews said:
I tend to agree Rod - whilst I’m sure it’s true that chemicals/flavours can leech from the hose over time, I imagine it takes a while so as long as you run off a hoseful first you should be OK

Can't say it is something I consciously do but I'm pretty sure in the process of getting ready to brew I've always run some off even if its just to rinse something.

Alastair70 · Nov 1, 2021

I’ve got a blue food safe hose which cost less than a tenner at our local caravan place. There’s a lot of stuff in black plastic I’d rather not consume, wether it ultimately affects the taste or not.

Big_Eight · Nov 1, 2021

As long as the hose is food safe and the water is for drinkable go for it.

They do sell food safe hoses.

Rodcx500z · Nov 1, 2021

I will be honest here it is something i have always done without thought weather it is right or wrong i don't know, the only thing i know for sure is i am still alive and i am not being flippant

AnimatedGIF · Nov 1, 2021

Thanks everyone. Just finished setting up for tomorrow and in doing so, realised it would have been just as much effort to get the hose out and hooked up as it was to carry two buckets of 12L cross the garden.
That said, I'll need the hose out for chilling tomorrow anyway. Just working out what processes work best for me as I begin full size AG batches. Thank you all for your contributions acheers.

An Ankoù · Nov 2, 2021

What à load of old todge. I used a garden hose for years. It was a cheap one from In Excess running from the house to the garage. In fact it was so permanent that I'd buried it. If there had been anything leeching out of the plastic then the hose would have degraded over time, but it didn't! There's more shi'ite in your town water supply, covered over with chlorine, than you'll ever get out of a garden hose. If you're worried, just let any water sitting in the hose overnight (or longer) run through before using.

Alastair70 · Nov 2, 2021

An Ankoù said:
What à load of old todge. I used a garden hose for years. It was a cheap one from In Excess running from the house to the garage. In fact it was so permanent that I'd buried it. If there had been anything leeching out of the plastic then the hose would have degraded over time, but it didn't! There's more shi'ite in your town water supply, covered over with chlorine, than you'll ever get out of a garden hose. If you're worried, just let any water sitting in the hose overnight (or longer) run through before using.

That's not exactly true. Town water is food safe, the chlorine (or sometimes chloraminide) is added to prevent antimicrobial contamination after processing, and the water pipes that get it from processing to consumer are food safe. You will leech some BPA from your garden hose, and that amount will increase as the hose ages and degrades. Whether the extent of contamination is enough to worry you or not is a personal matter. Personally, I decided a sub-£10 was a reasonable spend to make in a non-issue for me.

Binkei Huckaback · Nov 2, 2021

Don't use garden hose. There's a reason hose comes in 'garden' and 'food' grades.

Cheshire Cat · Nov 2, 2021

I also brew in the garage since we upgraded our utility room and I have filled from a garden hose I now carry the water 6 litres x3 to the garage for mash and 7 litres x2 for the sparge. I do run the hoses for chilling. I think I'll get a tap in the garage as the water pipes are there already.

bobukbrewer · Nov 2, 2021

I walk kitchen to garage (5 metres) 8 times carrying a 4 litre jug of water. I have never been injured yet.

The Cat · Nov 2, 2021

bobukbrewer said:
I walk kitchen to garage (5 metres) 8 times carrying a 4 litre jug of water. I have never been injured yet.

Snap. In my case it's less than 5m so easy enough.

Filling HLT/all-in-one from garden hose

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