Lesson 2 - Brewing Water Sources and Treatment
This lesson introduces water as an ingredient for brewing. It explores the water cycle, sources of water and potability standards. It also examines some characteristics of water (hardness and alkalinity) and their effects on the brewhouse. Finally, the lesson investigates the methods of water analysis.
Preface
In this lesson, we explore the sources of water used for brewing and examine how the water is treated. We also identify the quality parameters that make the water suitable for brewing.
Water is the main constituent of beer; yet brewers often overlook its importance. Beer recipes can be developed from a wide range of malts. We can select hops from more than 200 varieties and yeast from yeast banks holding hundreds of strains. However, the water that makes up about 90-96% of the beer, is often an afterthought. After all, water is just water.
As we will find out in this lesson and unit, in brewing, water is never just water. Let's dive in!