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29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why are breweries considered water intense operations? |
Firstly beer is 85-95% water. Other processes also require large quantities of water including mashing, sparging, cleaning, sanitizing, wort chilling, steam generation, etc. |
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How many gallons of water are used to make one gallon of beer? What is the record for the least amount used? |
4-5 2 |
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What are some classic examples of historical brewing areas that demonstrate the effect of water on beer style? |
Burton-on-Trent in England Plzn in Czech Republic Bavaria in Germany London in England Dublin in Ireland Vienna in Austria |
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What is the main difference between surface water and ground water? |
Surface water is relatively low in minerals as it is predominantly made of recent precipitation. Ground water can be anything from very soft (Plzn) to very mineral-rich (Burton) depending on the local geology. |
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What are the two main factors affecting the mineral content of ground water? |
The time it takes for precipitation to drain down to the aquifers, as well as the geolayers between the surface and the aquifer. |
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What is depth filtration? |
The use of various filters (sands, panels and pads, cartridges, etc.) that use a porous filtration medium in order to retain particles throughout the medium instead of just on the surface of the medium. The broadest types, such as sand, remove particulate mater. |
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What is reverse osmosis? |
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. In the normal osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute concentration (high water potential), through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration (low water potential). You have a container that has a high pressure and a low pressure zone separated by a membrane with tiny holes. |
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What is Brewing Liquor? |
This is the composition of water desired for brewing. |
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Define water hardness |
The combined content of the anions sulfate and bicarbonate of the cations (net positive atom) calcium and magnesium. |
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What is the difference between permanent and temporary hardness? |
Temporary hardness is calcium and magnesium bicarbonate content in water than can be removed through boiling. Permanent describes the content of calcium and magnesium sulfate, which cannot be removed through boiling. |
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How can water with permanent hardness be made soft? |
Through the addition of chemicals that react with and precipitate the hardening materials. Or by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions. (home water softener) |
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Calcium and magnesium (to a lesser extent) ________ the water's pH by reacting with phosphate and other ions. Bicarbonate _________ raises its pH. |
Lower Raises |
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In general, how can the pH (i.e. calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate levels) affect beer? |
They can affect the extractability of certain qualities of malt and hop components, and affects the perceived bitterness of the beer.
pH |
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The effects of Calcium (Ca2+) in water on beer: |
Decreases pH (acidifies) and stabilized alpha-amylase during mashing. Calcium improves the sedimentation of both trub and yeast after fermentation and precipitates calcium oxalate (creates nucleation sites for CO2) that might otherwise cause gushing in beer. |
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The effects of Magnesium (Mg2+) in water on beer: |
Enzyme cofactor. Too much can result in astringent bitterness. |
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The effects of Sodium (Na+) in water on beer: |
Sodium contributes body and mouthfeel to the beer, but if used in excess will result in salty seawater flavors. High sodium water often comes from household water softeners, which is why most brewers recommend against mashing with softened water.
Sodium levels in the 10-70 mg/l range are normal, and levels of up to 150 mg/l can enhance malty body and fullness, but levels above 200 mg/l are undesirable. |
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The effects of Potassium (K+) in water on beer: |
Similar effects as sodium. Small amounts are necessary for healthy yeast, higher concentrations can interfere with enzymatic activity in the mash. Laxative! |
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The effects of Iron (Fe2+) in water on beer: |
An oxidizing agent; can cause haze in worts and gives metallic off-flavor to beer. |
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The effects of Zinc (Zn2+) in water on beer: |
Stimulates yeast by activating alcohol dehydrogenase. Foam enhancer |
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The effects of Bicarbonate (HCO3-) in water on beer: |
Increases pH. Gives a less fermentable sugar profile from mashes and can produce difficulties in separation of proteins and polyphenol complexes during the cold and hot breaks. This can later cause difficulties in filtration. Causes scaling in brewery vessels in piping. |
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What is Beerstone? |
Calcium Oxalate |
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The effects of Sulfate (SO4 2+) in water on beer: |
Gives a drier and more pleasantly bitter taste and flavor in moderate to high concentrations. Gives rise to sulfidic aroma and flavor when reduced by yeast. Sulfate plays a major role in bringing out hop bitterness and adds a dry, sharp, hoppy profile to well hopped beers. It also plays a secondary role to lowering Ph of the mash, but the effect is much less than with carbonates as sulfate is only weakly alkaline. High levels of sulfate will create an astringent profile that is not desirable. Normal levels are 10-50 mg/l for pilsners and light beers and 30-70mg for most ales. Levels from 100-130 mg/l are used in Vienna and Dortmunder styles to enhance bitterness, and Burton on Trent pale ales use concentrations as high as 500 mg/l. |
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The effects of Chloride (CL0-) in water on beer: |
Mellows out and increases the fullness of the palate of the beer. Normal brewing levels should be below 150 mg/l and never exceed 200 mg/l. If you have heavily chlorinated city water you can reduce it using a carbon filter or by pre-boiling the water for 20-30 minutes before use. |
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What is Burtonization? |
The name of a very specific water adjustment which replicates the positive effects, especially in English style ales, of the calcium, sulfate and chloride ions in brewing. The addition of calcium sulfate (gypsum) and calcium chloride to water. |
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Why must chlorine be removed from brewing water? |
Many public water supplies are chlorinated, and therefore are filtered with activated carbon filters. This prevents the interactions between chlorine and other organic compounds creating organochlorines, which can cause strong, unpleasant, bandaid-like off-flavors. |
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What are the three basic ways in which water affects beer? |
Water impacts beer in three ways. 1) Water ions are critical in the mashing process for all grain brewers, where the character of the water determines the efficiency and flavor of the extracted wort. 2) Water also affects the perceived bitterness and hop utilization of finished beer. 3) water adds flavor directly to the beer itself – as water is the largest single component in finished beer. |
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What are the 6 main water ions? |
Carbonate, Sodium, Chloride, Sulfate, Calcium and Magnesium. |
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Carbonate or Bicarbonate (CO3 and HCO3) |
Carbonate is considered the most important ion for all grain brewing. Carbonate (or bicarbonate), expressed as “total alkalinity” on many water reports, is the ion that determines the acidity of the mash. It also is the primary determinant in the level of “temporary hardness” of the water. If carbonate levels are too low, the mash will be too acidic, especially when using darker malts (which have higher acidity). If carbonate is too high, mash efficiency will suffer. Recommended levels are 25-50 mg/l for pale beers and 100-300 mg/l for darker beers. Note that bicarbonates and temporary hardness can be reduced by pre-boiling the water – the precipitate that falls out after boiling is primarily bicarbonate. |
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What is mg/l? |
milligrams per liter, same as 1ppm |
