Lesson 7 - Brewing Product Water Final Treatment SAQ

1. *Identify which technologies/methods can be used to remove the following contaminants from water:

a) Iron

b) Nitrate 

c) Trihalomethanes (THM)

d) Chlorine

e) Bacteria

2. *Membrane filtration is one method for treating water. Please provide short answers to the following questions:

a) Describe the principle of membrane filtration (use a diagram to help explain). List the four main types of membrane filtration used in water treatment. Your answer should refer to pore size and operating pressures.

b) What is the main reason for using microfiltration? 

c) What is the principle of reverse osmosis? Explain how a RO plant works in water treatment.

3. **Your marketing department has identified a need for a pilsner in the brewery’s brand portfolio. However, your primary water source has high levels of temporary hardness. How would you overcome this problem? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your solution?

4. **Chlorine is very effective at killing bacteria. Why is it removed during water treatment, when we know that potable and brewing water requires the water to be free of bacteria? How is the water dechlorinated? How could you alternatively sterilise brewing product water?

5. **The base product water entering the brewery has the following high-level composition:

• High levels of magnesium chloride.
• Low levels of bicarbonate.
• Summer levels of chlorine.
• A risk of THM.
• High levels of sodium sulphate.
• Trace levels of iron.

Explain what you would include in your final product water treatment plant to ensure that the water is:

• free of microbiological contaminants
• soft
• of low alkalinity
• free of THMs

Please note- you are not able to use reverse osmosis.