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.
Surface water
The low mineral, low alkalinity rain water becomes surface water.
Surface water is any body of water above the ground. This would include ponds, rivers, lakes, puddles, streams etc. but not oceans and seas.
The surface water now begins to pick up minerals and some organic matter, which can increase the pH to between 6 and 8. The quality of this water varies and depends on the area. Fast moving water over rocky surfaces is likely to be purer than large slow moving rivers that flow over soil, with high levels of organic material and agricultural pollution.