Showing posts with label water conservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water conservation. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Water conservation

One of the biggest wastes in the brewing process at any level is water. For a five gallon batch, a lot of water is used at a variety of stages. I had been trying to think of a way to collect and reuse the water I use during the cooling down stage, which is when the most water is wasted. When I went on a tour of the Summit Brewery they talked about how they collect their excess water and reuse it for cleaning and other things. I had been trying to think how to apply this to a smaller scale. I found a solution that worked fairly well (I've only done it once). The process is simple, I bought camping jugs that hold 7 gallons each for about $8 a piece and used them to collect the water I send through the wort chiller. I easily filled up 14 gallons and still had a lot of water that went down the drain. But, at least I can reuse those 14 gallons. I had tried before with a 2 gallon sprayer but it didn't really work. This works a lot better because there's a spigot that I can easily use to pour into a bucket or a jug. I've been using it to fill a 1 gallon jug I keep filled with 1-step sanitizer.I might buy some more if I have room, since the next time I brew I doubt I will have gone through all the reused water. Just wanted to share a method for other homebrewers to try or if any of you have another system that works, let me know.
-The Bearded Brewer