[OSKI]

Greetings,
Cleaning and sanitation are so important, and brewing in general takes a lot of water. Has anyone got any water saving tips? We are running dry in California.

[Frankenbrew]

Save your chilling water for cleaning. Shorter boils.

[pete b]

Save your chilling water for cleaning. Shorter boils.

I wish we could send you some water, Frank and I will probably be flooding the next couple days with a lot of snow still on the ground, temps in the sixties, and rain. I'm hoping it will get rid of the last couple of feet of snow still in my garden. Even though we don't have water issues here I always save my chilling water. The first bucket is hot enough to clean, the rest waters the fruit trees near my brewing area in warmer months or goes in pots to cook with later. I find I can clean with only a little water. 

[Slowbrew]

There was the very interesting post yesterday about blender beer.   

Paul

[Pinski]

Save your chilling water for cleaning. Shorter boils.

...And get a Chill/Rain Barrel, water that you don't need for cleaning can be stored for outdoor use.

[morticaixavier]

it's a realy problem. I just moved out of that particular drought and I fell for those of you still trying to drag along. the acceptabe waste level has pretty much dropped to zero it sounds like.

What the others have said are all good answers.

You could also bath in the hot water. if you use food grade hoses you could save the water for drinking. after you've bathed in it you could use it to flush toilets.

get a rain bucket and use that for chilling water.

[Pinski]

...And re-use your sanitizing solution as much as effectively possible. 

[Slowbrew]

I really do feel for the folks living with the west coast water problems. 

My brother lives in San Diego and will have to deal this too.  Years ago he told me this was coming because California was living through an unusually wet period of time.  He based this on his time in the Army Corp of Engineers and the data they had said very clearly that the wet period was very unusual (his words, not mine).  Any plans you make around water should likely be long term and not short term.  Colorado won't keep rain water run-off illegal forever and then things get even worse.

I hope you can find a way to work around it.  Good luck and brew on.

Paul

[Jimmy K]

A recirculating washer like this is probably the best way to clean with less total water. With some modifications you could use this with hoses, kettles, pretty much everything. Move the pump between multiple buckets with cleaner, rinse water, and sanitizer if needed. And you can probably use it all to water the garden when its done. With a rain barrel, you could strain and return used cleaning water to it.
 
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pimp-my-system/matts-keg-and-carboy-washer/

[HoosierBrew]

Good suggestions by all.  Unfortunately, the water problem sounds like the start of a long term issue. I wish everybody the best out there.

[a10t2]

If I had those kind of groundwater temperatures I'd probably try to find a used window AC and build a recirculating chiller system anyway.

[chumley]

My two thoughts are:

(1) use star san to sanitize, and store in a keg.  As long as you keep it clean and out of the light, a star san solution lasts a very longtime;

(2)  get a plate chiller.

You can probably save a little water in the cleaning process by using just a little PBW or OxyClean solution, and a lot of elbow grease, as opposed to just soaking like I do.

[Frankenbrew]

Save your chilling water for cleaning. Shorter boils.

I wish we could send you some water, Frank and I will probably be flooding the next couple days with a lot of snow still on the ground, temps in the sixties, and rain. I'm hoping it will get rid of the last couple of feet of snow still in my garden. Even though we don't have water issues here I always save my chilling water. The first bucket is hot enough to clean, the rest waters the fruit trees near my brewing area in warmer months or goes in pots to cook with later. I find I can clean with only a little water.

This is true. We apparently have all the water out here that usually fills Lake Powell and supplies the west coast. Use all the water saving tips you can get for the time being, and we'll do a rain dance out here for you.

[jimmykx250]

Practice the no chill method and ditch the quick chill thing all together- Im never going back.

[Pinski]

Practice the no chill method and ditch the quick chill thing all together- Im never going back.

Until you end up with a batch that reeks of creamed corn.  Slow/no chill will almost certainly result in increased DMS production.