Strange to me, extract instructions

I see some instructions asking for a partial boil, adding cold water at the end.
I thought one of the reasons for a boil was to sterilize ingredients.
Fresh tap water would then be a no, no.
Before I start, I boil a batch of water then transferred to a sanitized bucket. This is used for any make water needed.
Comments welcomed

I have never done an extract batch with anything other than water from the tap. It is safe to drink plus you are adding it to boiling hot wort. No reason you can’t pre-boil water and save it but I would worry more about it becoming contaminated if you kept it for long.

1 Like

You’re correct that the boil is to sanitize the water and equipment. The length of the boil is primarily for hop utilization and bittering.

Top up water is a personal choice. I know brewers who used tap water. If it’s from a municipal water supply you need to treat it for chloramine. Boiling would be at your discretion. If your kettle is large enough and you have a good chiller just do a full boil.

I always use tap water for top up. Yes if its chlorinated no i wouldnt. Ive also poured bottles of cold bottled spring water in or chilled tap water to speed the chilling

Hey, He removed some ground up seashells!! :joy:…
Sneezles61

I top off with tap water but we have extremely good water here.
You don’t need to really need boil to pasteurize.
161 degrees F is pasteurized in 15 seconds

Boiling extract is a left over from days of yore. Extract has already been boiled and made into wort. With extract you just need to dissolve it really. Boiling and extract is more about hop usage.

2 Likes

I used to buy the distilled water to top off my carboys, then one batch I forgot, and then used tap water. Then I started brewing out side, now I just top off with my garden hose. Unless you are doing a brew with a specific water profile (Like a Kolsch or a Gose) I do not add anything to my water. it turns out fine.

3 Likes

I brew in our detached garage and all my water come from a garden hose. Make sure you are using a drinking water safe hose though. Also I would try to empty them when not in use and run some water through before use. If they are in the sun all kinds of things can grow in them.

Did a project up north, needed water for finishing sheetrock and painting… The city hooked up a regular hose from the hydrant to feed the water system… When the plumber inspector was out looking at stuff, saw that… He came unglued… He settled down after we told him the city workers did the hook up… They were back, real fast, with PEX tubing designed for potable water…
Perhaps IF you thought a hose might not be good enough… try PEX…
Sneezles61

When we bought our house one bath was hooked up with PEX. Something didn’t look right about the connections. Sure enough after we installed the toilet the tank filled up with hot water. I didn’t have the crimp tool to fix it but the double O ring compression connectors made for it worked great to fix it.

The RV/marine hoses work fine and I use campden tablets for the chloramines. Everything gets boiled in the end so no contamination problems. We did have a RV hose explode in the Florida sun once. Fortunately a neighbor saw it and shut it off.

Hot water to the toilet… No sweating tank… messing up the floor… in the summer of course…
Now to tie this back to the original post… hmmmmm… :no_mouth:
Sneezles61

You could do Sous Vide in the tank!

1 Like

Oh Geez Squeegee… :poop: (was looking for the puking face)
Sneezles61

the tank is hygienic its the bowl that isn’t

Good thing. Ever put a couple of cans of beer in the tank while staying in a hotel to get them a little cool?

Aren’t there ice machines?
Sneezles61

Yup. Dump the ice in the tank! We bring a cooler now that we are older and wiser.

1 Like

I did his in college doing all nighters in one of the studios. I got in trouble because I forgot a can in there and it jammed up the float.