Brewing with water from the bath!

[clz]

Hi all! Slightly odd first post, but... I've done a few kits so far and had the idea of speeding things up by placing my fermenting bin in the bath and filling it up straight from the tap, instead of the time-consuming process of transferring water in from the kitchen sink tap using a jug. However my flatmate seems to think that this is a bad idea, something about the water in the bath not being treated for drinking like it is in the kitchen. Is there any truth in this at all? Has anybody done this, and if so what were the results?

 

[BigYin]

Chances are your bath tap is fed from a cold water tank, and because the water lies in the tank, and if the lid of the tank isn't tight fitting there can be dust or even dead animals in it (dead pigeons have been found in cold water tanks!) - is it really worth the risk?

 

[PD]

would make for an usual tasting brew........ :shock: Coo Beer perhaps :

 

[theboytony]

The cold water for my bath comes straight from the mains the same as the kitchen, suppose the best way find out is to have a look in the loft

 

[clz]

Chances are your bath tap is fed from a cold water tank, and because the water lies in the tank, and if the lid of the tank isn't tight fitting there can be dust or even dead animals in it (dead pigeons have been found in cold water tanks!) - is it really worth the risk?

Probably not worth the risk to save a bit of time, no, but wondering if there's any truth in what my flatmate's saying about the water being less drinkable or if I'm right in thinking it's likely to be exactly the same stuff coming out of all the taps in the flat.

 

[EskiBrew]

Find your main stopcock and turn it off. If the cold water tap in the bath continues to work as before then it is being fed from a storage tank in the loft and you should definitely not use it. Otherwise it is mains fed and should be safe to use. Nowadays I think most new builds have mains fed water in the bathroom too.

 

[PD]

Its the same stuff whatever and its drinkable but as said your upstairs supply might go direct from the mains feed into a cold water tank where it hangs around till you use it. Thats why your upstairs taps usually run slower without as much pressure. But its still water from the mains and drinkable

 

[Sideboard]

I use boiled and cooled, or filtered only. Maybe you could be lucky not to get an infection, but is it worth the risk. But then theres the chlorine, maybe leaving it in a bucket of water overnight to stand so the chlorine dissipates.

 

[clz]

Cheers for the replies guys. Don't think I'll risk it at this stage. I'm in a flat rather than a house though so no upstairs or loft to speak of!

 

[Jeltz]

If you are in a flat then chances are its from the main, follow Eskimobob's advice and you'll know (actually I types the same but his post came 1st) if its off the main then its fine and no different from kitchen sink.

 

[Rwilts]

I use bath tap to top up all my brews. 8'so far. But I know I have no tank so it's just the same as the kitchen as far as I am concerned. No adverse effects on my brews so far :

 

[ScottM]

Very easy way to find out if your tap is mains fed or tank fed.... turn it on and try to stop the flow with your hand. You will be able to stop gravity fed water, you won't be able to stop mains pressure.

 

[Sideboard]

If you have somthing like this near to your house it may be gravity fed

 

[Devonhomebrew]

Outside tap is fine aslong ad you use brewing salts you can gt them in any brewing shop but i get mine from local brewpub i work in :thumb:

 

[miker7301]

Legionaires disease grows in still water so its not just dead pigeons or mouse **** you have to beware of by drinking water from a tank.

Test your bathroom tap as others have suggested, by turning your stop cock off.

Tanked water may be ok for bathing, and rinsing after brushing your teeth, but don't drink it, just as you wouldn't drink from continental taps for the same reason.

 

[Casey76]

Tanked water may be ok for bathing, and rinsing after brushing your teeth, but don't drink it, just as you wouldn't drink from continental taps for the same reason.

Hello *waves* living-in-France person here... the tap water is perfectly OK to drink, even if the water in my region is very hard.

 

[Triker]

This reminded me of my mate who is a 'beer fanatic' whilst on one of his regular visits to Belgium, his wife treated him to this http://www.luxist.com/2006/05/01/beer-spas/ He tells me that you do get drunk by 'absorption' :party:

 

[Belter]

If the water is the same supply as the kitchen tap its the same water. You don't have to worry about legionella as its cold water.

 

[ScottM]

Tanked water may be ok for bathing, and rinsing after brushing your teeth, but don't drink it, just as you wouldn't drink from continental taps for the same reason.

Hello *waves* living-in-France person here... the tap water is perfectly OK to drink, even if the water in my region is very hard.

Tank water, not tap water. Tank water is never safe regardless of where you live

 

[Casey76]

Scott, Miker7301 said: "just as you wouldn't drink from continental taps for the same reason."

However I'd say that the water treatment in France is just as efficient as that in the UK, and that mains water is safe to drink.

But you're right, I wouldn't drink water that has been tanked.