Water use

[Moe]

My wife showed me the water smart meter graphs last night.

We average 400-450 litres a day.

Last Sunday, a brew day, we used approximately 850 litres.

This was approx 400l over our mean daily usage. We’ve only had the smart meter for two weeks so the mean may settle on a different value over time.

However, even with the extra load or two of washing we do on a Sunday, this leaves my brew day water consumption between 300-400l.

In my head I thought 150-200l max, so this is a surprise.

Last Sunday I brewed a 23l batch, and chilled it with my immersion chiller for 30-40 mins. I also kegged the previous batch, which included washing out a keg, washing 8 bottles and washing my fermenter.

Even so I was surprised at the figure: somewhere between 12-16l of water used per litre of beer.

Has anyone else tracked their water usage?

 

[Rwilts]

Don't have a water meter but all those numbers suprise me !

 

[Moe]

Surprised me too

 

[Rwilts]

Thread 'water usage immersion wort chiller Answer near as' https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/water-usage-immersion-wort-chiller-answer-near-as.43931/

Looks like someone already did the math for us

Spoiler. Your figures look spot on

 

[dlowe1992]

When I use my immersion chiller the output goes into a spare fermenting bucket. Three 30L FV’s worth and I’m not at pitching temp. And that’s in cold weather with cold water.
It does bother me and I’m thinking I’ll no-chill next time.

I use enough water cleaning / sanitising.
On a similar note, how long do people use / re-use made up steriliser/cleaner?

I know sanitiser has a one hour life, but always wondered about sterilisers / cleaners such as young’s..

 

[RoomWithABrew]

[QUOTE

I know sanitiser has a one hour life
[/QUOTE]

Are you sure about this?

 

[dlowe1992]

[QUOTE

I know sanitiser has a one hour life

Are you sure about this?
[/QUOTE]

I think suresan / starsan breaks down after an hour does it not? I’d be glad to learn it doesn’t!

 

[RichardM]

Are you sure about this?

I think suresan / starsan breaks down after an hour does it not? I’d be glad to learn it doesn’t!
[/QUOTE]
Starsan lasts a long time. Over time it's ph rises but as long as it is under three point something it is ok. The detail is on their website if you care to look for it.

[Edit]
By "long time" I mean weeks or months

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I thought it lasted ages, I check the pH every now and then, apparently lasts longer if RO or distilled water used to make it.

 

[foxy]

When I use my immersion chiller the output goes into a spare fermenting bucket. Three 30L FV’s worth and I’m not at pitching temp. And that’s in cold weather with cold water.
It does bother me and I’m thinking I’ll no-chill next time.

I use enough water cleaning / sanitising.
On a similar note, how long do people use / re-use made up steriliser/cleaner?

I know sanitiser has a one hour life, but always wondered about sterilisers / cleaners such as young’s..

Proxitane has a shorter shelf life but kept in a fridge can go a year. Starsan drop the pH when mixing, will last a year or two. I use pH down when mixing.

My wife showed me the water smart meter graphs last night.

We average 400-450 litres a day.

Last Sunday, a brew day, we used approximately 850 litres.

This was approx 400l over our mean daily usage. We’ve only had the smart meter for two weeks so the mean may settle on a different value over time.

However, even with the extra load or two of washing we do on a Sunday, this leaves my brew day water consumption between 300-400l.

In my head I thought 150-200l max, so this is a surprise.

Last Sunday I brewed a 23l batch, and chilled it with my immersion chiller for 30-40 mins. I also kegged the previous batch, which included washing out a keg, washing 8 bottles and washing my fermenter.

Even so I was surprised at the figure: somewhere between 12-16l of water used per litre of beer.

Has anyone else tracked their water usage?

Get yourself a rainwater tank and a pump. Conscience will be clear and water usage down. I have 2x3,000 litre tanks in line to draw from but in the UK will not need as much.

 

[dlowe1992]

Maybe I need to get hold of some Starsan then!
I’ve been using Harris Suresan, and following these directions…

 

[MashBag]

Many commercial coils are a bit inefficient, and any coil does not need (ever) to be run at full pelt.

About 50 liters will do it, through a good coil.

Overnight chilling uses none at all. And reduces the washing up

 

[MashBag]

Get yourself a rainwater tank and a pump. Conscience will be clear and water usage down. I have 2x3,000 litre tanks in line to draw from but in the UK will not need as much.

In the UK 1 ibc (1000L) will do it.

 

[RichardM]

Maybe I need to get hold of some Starsan then!
I’ve been using Harris Suresan, and following these directions…

View attachment 95598

That means the sanitiser on the surface of the item being sanitised will break down. It doesn't necessarily mean that the solution has to be thrown away.

 

[YeastFace]

Isn't sodium percarbonate a cleaner rather than a sanitiser? Wouldn't trust it as a no rinse either, always leaves a residue when I've used it.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Even so I was surprised at the figure: somewhere between 12-16l of water used per litre of beer.

Commercial breweries are generally somewhere around 9-10 litres of water per litre of beer, but it's something that's a bit of a hot topic at the moment and a lot of work is going into reducing it. I've heard of breweries getting their net call on the tapwater system down to 2-3 litres by eg using rainwater for initial cleaning of containers etc.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I use a CFC. A couple of years ago I did an outdoor brew and collected the cooling water in a 10L watering can. I think I filled it 12 times, so 120L cooling water for a 23L batch. That was in summer. In winter the tap water is colder so I would guess I use more like 100L. I save the first bit of the water on my sparge kettle for cleaning too.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Maybe I need to get hold of some Starsan then!
I’ve been using Harris Suresan, and following these directions…

View attachment 95598

That's good for cleaning it is one of the components in PBW and vanish whitener.
You should make sure your equipment is clean of debris before using a sanitiser such as starsan.
I find that PBW is still reactive after several days but would not rely on it as a sanitiser. It also needs a good rinsing out, starsan you just empty out and don't fear the bubbles.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Commercial breweries are generally somewhere around 9-10 litres of water per litre of beer, but it's something that's a bit of a hot topic at the moment and a lot of work is going into reducing it. I've heard of breweries getting their net call on the tapwater system down to 2-3 litres by eg using rainwater for initial cleaning of containers etc.

Struise brouwers have the incredible use of 1.5 litres water per litre of beer.
Very interesting podcast and also about high gravity brewing.
https://beerandbrewing.com/podcast-episode-233-urbain-coutteau-struise-brouwers/

 

[dlowe1992]

That's good for cleaning it is one of the components in PBW and vanish whitener.
You should make sure your equipment is clean of debris before using a sanitiser such as starsan.
I find that PBW is still reactive after several days but would not rely on it as a sanitiser. It also needs a good rinsing out, starsan you just empty out and don't fear the bubbles.

Cheers. As in Suresan is good for cleaning?

My current regime for FV’s, and generally anything in contact post boil is a soak in Youngs steriliser / cleaner, rinse, suresan and another healthy rinse in cold water.

Water usage stacks up though. Would a clean, rinse and then starsan suffice?
Have tried to find what’s in the hounds steriliser / cleaner but can’t seem to find out…