Interesting video featuring cold sparging

[sbond10]

Just watched this vid on YouTube and at around 6 minutes he cold sparges
https://youtu.be/ZYOaZ8g8-ho

Is this a trusted technique, I can get my tap water out at around 55c so might be worth a go.
What is everyone's opinion on this

[Hairybiker]

Since I moved to the GF I have trialled cold sparging, as long as I mash out before the only difference is it takes slightly longer to come to the boil.
I do pre-heat the water a bit, esp as at the moment my tap water is at 5C, I don't have a combi boiler so can't use the hot water.

[sbond10]

My biggest issue is I use a 100 litre pot so nothing I've found suits lifting the bag out and simply holding over the pot and sparging that way.
I normally brew with around 38 litres total volume and no sparge. I'm considering using 40 litres bringing to strike temp. TaKing out 10 litres, mash with the remaining 30 litres then do as the vid suggests with the ten litres but maybe bring it to 75 c do this for 15 minutes stirring every couple of minutes then add this to the boil.

I'm considering this since switching from minch to bairds and having a drop in efficency. Plus it's cheap as in I don't need to spend any money

[vacant]

I don't have a combi boiler so can't use the hot water.

What happens to water in an old fashioned hot water cylinder that means toddlers can drink it in vast quantities when having a bath, you can wash dishes in it at 50°C, but you can't drink it in beer that has been boiled for 90 minutes?

[sbond10]

I don't have a combi boiler so can't use the hot water.

What happens to water in an old fashioned hot water cylinder that means toddlers can drink it in vast quantities when having a bath, you can wash dishes in it at 50°C, but you can't drink it in beer that has been boiled for 90 minutes?

It's got soap in it (the bath water(

[Kev888]

What happens to water in an old fashioned hot water cylinder that means toddlers can drink it in vast quantities when having a bath, you can wash dishes in it at 50°C, but you can't drink it in beer that has been boiled for 90 minutes?

Just to mention, if its a modern system with decently enclosed cold water tank with mesh screens in the overflows (or a mains pressure-fed hot water cylinder) then there are unlikely to be dead mice etc floating around in the cold water feed to the hot cylinder, and the temperature should also be set sufficiently to kill off Legionella and no doubt similar bugs. But if its an older less protected or less well controlled system then it may not actually be safe, as such, for kiddies to drink their unboiled bathwater.

But wrt boiling, there is some question in my mind over whether verdigris in the copper cylinder should be a concern or not. I understand it shouldn't form in fully flooded systems, but looking inside some of the cylinders I've taken out, I struggle to dismiss it in practice. They can be very very grim in some cases, years worth of green gunk and unidentified sediment. Similar for the cold water feed tanks, bits of lead pipe, asbestos, all manner of fine sandy crap blown in from the loft space. Obviously, I'm not for a moment suggesting it would be instant death to brew with hot cylinder water, especially from modern installations, but as its so easy to warm up a bit of nice fresh tap water..

Cheers
Kev

[vacant]

I've been coming across the "Hot water? Eek! dead pidgeon in water tank" posts for years. Why is it nearly always a dead pidgeon? In all those years I've never seen a comparison of water analyses from hot and cold taps in a house so I'm calling "urban myth".

My expansion tank has always been covered. When I've checked it to fix the overflow ballcock there's never a dead bird to be seen.

[Kev888]

Oh well, if you have a covered tank we must all be safe then.

[vacant]

Well if someone is worried about the state of their tank, the logical response is to shut off the hot water supply until they get it checked out, not carry on washing themselves/crockery in it for years.

[sbond10]

I have a combi boiler so I'm safe

[Hairybiker]

Just to mention, if its a modern system with decently enclosed cold water tank with mesh screens in the overflows

Well I think it is as old as the house, since it is too big to get through the loft hatch, so over 50 years old now, made from galvanized iron I think. No mesh on the outputs.
The hot water tank is ~20 years old as I replaced the direct feed tank when my back boiler failed about then.

I was brought up never to drink from the hot tap, or to use that water for drinking when cooled. So I still do. It would probably be OK, but I would rather be safe than sorry, I have enough health issues without adding to them.

I've NEVER seen a pigeon in the loft let alone the water tank, but I have seen mouse signs up there.

[Hairybiker]

Well if someone is worried about the state of their tank, the logical response is to shut off the hot water supply until they get it checked out, not carry on washing themselves/crockery in it for years.

Why as long as you are using SOAP or DETERGENT then 99% of the bugs will be killed, but I don't want any of that near my beer.

[vacant]

Why as long as you are using SOAP or DETERGENT then 99% of the bugs will be killed, but I don't want any of that near my beer.

What percentage do you think just boiling for 90 minutes would kill?

[Hairybiker]

Less than that, according to a mate who is a public health inspector. Some nasties aren't killed by 100C. They need active hunting down.

By all means use your hot water, but as I say you ain't going to convince me until I move to a combi boiler and loose the storage tank.

[vacant]

I think he's winding you up if he told you a bit of soap in the bath/sink is better than boiling. You've diluted the soap way to much if you're using any water - you don't rinse your hands after using antibacterials before going into a hospital ward.

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinkin ... tment.html

"Except for boiling, few of the water treatment methods are 100% effective in removing all pathogens."