# Turn your brew kit into a water storage system



## Floridain (Jan 7, 2010)

I've got homebrew equipment and I was wondering how I could use them to store and purify water in the event of the utilities going out for weeks.

I've got two 6 gallon glass carboys, one 2.5 gallon plastic Mr. beer brew kit, one five gallon bottling bucket with a valve on the bottom, one rubber tube for siphoning water, one large funnel with a thin mesh screen, rubber stoppers with airlocks, a stockpot, Five Star/Io-Star, and the shirt off my back.

The Five Star/Io-Star is a sanitizer. It is not meant for water purification or human consumption. It is used for making sanitizer solution to soak rags in for cleaning. It is also used for sanitizing beverage containers. It's instructions are to allow contact with the beverage container for one minute, then allow the container to air dry. The active ingredient is 1.6% iodine the rest is labeled as inert ingredients.

My current plan is to transform my five gallon bottling bucket into a sand and gravel filter (obviously I don't want to try this unless I absolutely need to). I would use a thick layer of large rocks on the bottom. Cover them with a layer synthetic fabric (or just cotton or wool but they rot). I'd put another smaller layer of rocks, and then fill the bucket with layers of sand and rocks. This should clear out most debris and give me clean enough water where I can make sanitizer solution for my water storage containers. One can improve the filter with left over wood charcoal (but not the grilling charcoal!) or if you've got activated charcoal at home for your fish tank then you should use that. 

I think it is very reasonable to have this filter ready in about half a day. Once that is working you've got water that can be boiled into drinking water and you can begin worrying about storing water. Once I've ran enough water through it and it is coming out clear I can make the sanitizer solution for long term water storage. I make a 2.5 gallon batch of IO-Star in the Mr. Beer container. Soak the rubber stoppers and other equipment in the in the container. Drain the container into the first 6 gallon carboy. Plug up the top and shake it for one minute. Pour the sanitizer solution into the second carboy and repeat. I now have three sanitized containers capable of holding 6+6+2.5 = 14.5 gallons of drinking water. It will take a long time to boil that much water, especially if I am using a 2.5 gallon stock pot, but I suppose it could be done with enough firewood.

almost forgot, don't pour boiling water into you carboy. You will crack it.


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## Knotted (Jul 20, 2010)

Very good idea! Any pics?


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