Hot water from the tap

[Carpking]

Hi fellow brewers.

I always take my water from the cold tap into my HLT - treat it - and start to heat up to strike temp. Is there any reason why i cant use water from the hot tap thats probably about the right temp already? Would this affect my water treatment at all? I cant see why it should but your opinions are always valued.

Cheers.

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Water from the Hot Tap is generally considered to be fine as long as it is coming from a Combi Boiler. Water that has been hanging around in an immersion tank, with a header tank in the loft full of dead mice is probably best avoided.

The fact the water has been heated in the boiler should not make any difference to your water treatment, unless you have a water softener or other such device on the in line to your boiler.

[Carpking]

Thanks for the fast reply.

Its a new house with a combi boiler so that will save time on brewdays then.

[dave-o]

I was under the impression that hot water was "waste water" - i.e. not treated to the same standards as cold water.

[JontyR]

If it's through a combi boiler is has come straight from the mains and is perfectly safe to use. It saves me loads of time heating water in the HLT.

[bigdave]

Pheew! Ive been using hot water (I say hot its about 50º by th etime it hits the HLT) from the tap ever since I started brewing!

[Cully]

It must be fine to use, just got a Coopers lager in the fv and the instructions stipulated using hot tap water in the initial mix. I have always used pan boiled water for that. Incidentally, everyone seems to big up the Coopers kits and I am not disputing that, but of all the kits I have made so far their instruction leaflet has been the worst, most sketchyest yet.

[gnorwebthgimi]

In some commercial buildings the water on tap isn't suitable as drinking water (and is usually marked as much) but in almost every house there is only one supply and it's the same water that you drink as you flush down your toilet. However, what happens to the water when it gets to your house depends on your house.

My suggestion is you cool some hot water down and see if it tastes the same as the cold.