Water makes up between 90-95% of beer, and yet oddly it seems the most ignored ingredient by brewers, perhaps due to the more prominent flavors and aromas imparted by grains, hops, and yeast. Since numerous water chemistry exBEERiments that have produced statistically significant results, it seemed like a good time for us to share our views on this issue.

Determining the mineral and acid adjustments to make to brewing water typically requires the assistance of a calculator designed to help dial in precise profiles based on the quality of one’s source water. While many such calculators exist, all of us here at Brülosophy regularly rely on the Bru’n Water Spreadsheet, a convenient and simple-to-use tool that allows brewers to achieve their desired water profiles with little hassle.

Sharing his perspectives as a guest for this Brü’s Views is none other than the creator of the Bru’n Water Spreadsheet, Martin Brungard! Martin is a longtime homebrewer with a passion for helping brewers understand the importance of water chemistry in brewing.

On The Importance Of Water Chemistry

| MARTIN BRUNGARD |

I’ve heard this line for years: Homebrewers worry too much about water. However, there is a reason that more and more brewers “worry” about their water… it makes a profound difference to the resulting beer. Read on to understand why this is a worthwhile step in your brewing practice.

Water is the largest component in beer and its quality can affect the other beer components: Malt, Hops, and Yeast. While it’s true that you don’t want to brew with bad tasting water, how the water tastes cannot assure good beer. You actually need to do a little more to promote your beer’s success.

Ions such as sulfate, chloride, sodium, and magnesium make a difference in beer taste. But the aspect that brewers need to be most concerned with is the pH of their wort. pH influences beer quality and perception in a major way.

Another thing that I hear is: Old time brewers didn’t worry about their water. However, the truth is that they did. It’s just that most people don’t recognize that early brewers did special things for their brewing success. One of the primary things they did was to limit their brewing to the styles that worked best with their water. But there were other methods they used to help improve their beers back then. Techniques like conducting acid mashing rests; adding acid malt, sauergut, or dark grains to the mash; pre-boiling or lime-softening the water; or adding minerals to the water were useful to those old brewers, just like they are still for modern brewers. So pay attention, your brewing water matters!

The greatest fault I’ve found in the thousands of homebrews and craft brews I’ve tasted and judged can be attributed to higher than desirable mashing and wort pH. Brewers have found that keeping their mashing and wort pH in the range of 5.2 to 5.6 (measured at room temperature), produces the best result for their beers. Higher pH affects malt, hop, and yeast character.

Higher wort pH affects malt character by increasing tannin and silicate extraction into wort, which adds to astringency in the beer. Higher wort pH also decreases starch conversion, dulls beer flavor, and darkens the wort color. Higher wort pH damages hop perception by increasing the extraction of polyphenols from the hop vegetal matter. In addition, higher wort pH results in a harsher bittering perception along with an altered hop flavor. While higher wort pH doesn’t directly affect yeast character, it does reduce flocculation. Another important detriment of higher wort pH is that the yeast have to work harder and longer to get that beer pH down below 4.5 where spoiling organisms can be overwhelmed and diminished.

High wort pH is a natural result when brewing many styles without proper water treatment. A typical pale base malt mixed with distilled water often produces a wort pH of about 5.7 to 5.8. That is obviously higher than the ideal pH range mentioned above. So, even when brewing with water such as distilled or reverse osmosis that have very little alkalinity, a pale grist will end up producing a higher than desirable wort pH. This problem is worse when your water supply has significant alkalinity. Alkalinity is a measure of water’s resistance to pH reduction when a strong acid is added to it. Most water supplies have significant alkalinity and the resulting wort pH for a pale beer will likely be far too high.

The truth is that all brewing requires some form of acid in the brewing process in order to drive wort pH down to a desirable range. Fortunately, in addition to those acidifying methods used by old brewers, we have access to a variety of liquid and solid acids for acidifying mashes and sparging water. We also have the tools by which to estimate their dose and check the resulting pH. This makes the job of achieving a desirable wort pH easier.

Another easily correctable fault I find in some beers, is the presence of chlorophenols. Chlorophenols are typically perceived as a medicinal, band-aid flavor and aroma in beer. Chlorophenols are created when chlorine compounds come in contact with the organic compounds in wort. Chlorine compounds such as hypochlorite and chloramines are typically present in municipal water supplies to protect the public from waterborne disease. And even though those compounds are typically present at 1 to 3 milligrams per liter (aka ppm) in the water supply, most beer drinkers can taste the resulting chlorophenols at 10 to 30 micrograms per liter (aka ppb) in beer. That means that there is roughly 100 times more chlorine compounds in water than are needed to affect beer taste.

The problem I find is that not all beer drinkers notice them. Part of the problem may be that chlorophenols are a typical component of peaty Scotch Whisky. Some drinkers may just think that chlorophenols are supposed to be in their beer. However, chlorophenols should never be present in beer.

Removing chlorine compounds from water is actually easy. It can be neutralized with simple chemical additions or removed by filtering the water through activated carbon. This has to be done before the water ever contacts the malt or chlorophenols will be instantly created. This problem can exist all the way into the beer drinker’s glass. If the glassware is rinsed in water with a chlorine disinfectant, chlorophenols can be created in the glass of beer.

All of these faults in brewing are easily correctible. Tools such as Bru’n Water software make it much easier for regular brewers to improve the chemistry of their brewing water. But making chemistry adjustments to your water is dependent upon what is already in that water. You need to know what ions are in your water source. Sometimes, that information can be obtained from the water utility or supplier. But not all utilities perform that testing. Brewers often have to send their water to a testing lab to get those answers. Another option is to use water that has nothing or next to nothing in it. Distilled or RO water allow a brewer to assume their water has virtually nothing in it and they can reliably add minerals and acids from that point.

Messing with your water can make a substantial difference in your brewing and enable you to better brew a broad range of beer styles. You can start your journey in learning why and how to manage your brewing water by visiting the Water Knowledge page on the Bru’n Water website.

Taking that next step to better beer is worth the worry about your water. Get chlorophenols out of your beer and pay attention to your pH.

| RAY |

I’ve never made a batch of beer with water out of the tap – always favoring instead to buy RO water from a store, and later to make my own with the HBrewO portable RO kit. I didn’t start off brewing that way because I had any deep held convictions about water chemistry– quite the opposite was true, rather it was just easier for me to deal with than using my ultra-hard(and inconsistent), highly chlorinated tap water. From the standpoint of figuring out mash pH, it just seemed easier to simply do the RO water with everything stripped out, then remineralize as desired– initially choosing to follow AJ Delange’s famous “Water Chemistry Primer” on homebrewtalk, and later tailoring more directly to each grain bill using Bru’n Water.

So even while I followed a fairly “advanced” water chemistry regiment, I largely internalized John Palmer’s notion that the water minerals were the final “seasoning,”the last frontier to fine tune a beer, after getting the major building blocks of a recipe dialed in. I don’t personally know John, though we have conversed a couple times by email, and my takeaway from those interactions, and everything anyone has ever told me about spending time with him, is that John is a really genuinely nice dude. I’m coming to the feeling that with regards to water, he’s maybe being too nice, trying to avoid over-promoting his own book, or trying not to scare people off by the initially intimidating nature of water chemistry. Or maybe he is right all along, and we were all interpreting it wrong:

Water chemistry is like the seasoning on food, if you get it wrong, the food will be either insipid or taste like shit. Get it right, and it brings the flavors into focus and balance.

Having had the chance to taste Jake’s version of my MACC IPA recipe that were brewed with two very different mineral profiles, I can honestly say my eyes have been opened wider than ever to water chemistry. I really think this is a case of tasting is believing. I have had to reconsider the magnitude of impact I associated with fermentation temperature, pitch rate, mash temperature, boil length, and more… but not water. As an example, if a year ago I was drinking a beer and wanted to make it a bit drier and crisper, I would have instantly planned to adjust the mash temperature down a few degrees. Now? No way! I’d be adding in more gypsum to bump up those sulfate (SO4) ions!

| MARSHALL |

I fully admit that my early perspectives on water chemistry were hugely the result of an appeal to authority, opinions formed after hearing trusted others claim it was something only advanced homebrewers ought to focus on.

“As long as your water doesn’t taste bad…”

Thinking back, it seems sort of odd that I didn’t question but rather interpreted as meaning water chemistry only matters if the source water is shit. I brewed a bunch of tasty batches, no problems at all, and even won a couple awards, all of which served to validate my position that making adjustments to brewing water served no purpose.

Soon after starting the exBEERiment series, the topic of water chemistry came up in a conversation with my buddy, Dan Paris, from the InBounds Brewing blog. We went back and forth for a bit, Dan swearing adjustments made a difference and me shoving heaps of anecodtal evidence in his face. We’d all but agreed to disagree when Dan quaintly challenged me test it out as an exBEERiment.

This was sometime early 2015, I’d been pumping out exBEERiment results for nearly a year, and yet I’d completely avoided any water chemistry variables. So convinced of its futility, I actually recall myself considering ignoring the challenge for something I thought would be more interesting. But I eventually agreed to do it, if only to be able to wave the results in Dan’s face. In April, I published the first of many xBmts focused on water chemistry that produce statistically significant results, the beers of which even I had little trouble distinguishing. Dan was right.

Needless to say, my entire perspective on brewing water has changed, to the point I truly believe those in positions of authority may be doing a slight disservice to homebrewers by actively encouraging them to ignore this obviously important variable. I’m sure fear is the culprit for many shying away from making mineral and acid adjustments, but there’s really nothing to be afraid, with just a little reading, a free calculator, and some cheap ingredients, anyone can take their beer to the next level.

| GREG |

I feel like I’m stating the obvious when I proclaim my belief that water is an incredibly important component in beer. Those who agree with this statement and already have a system to adjust their water profile can safely skip this rant. Those who don’t bother to adjust their water… why the hell not?! So many water chemistry xBmts have consistently yielded statistically significant results, the importance of water seems nearly undeniable. Rather than just share my opinion on this topic, I’m actually going try to convince those who are still on the fence that managing brewing water is a worthwhile, cheap, and surprisingly easy effort.

Step 1: Convince yourself water profiles are important

Many brewers don’t realize that it’s possible to adjust the water profile of beer even after the beer has completed fermentation. To get a better idea of how chloride and sulfate can affect the flavor of beer, try this easy post-fermentation salt experiment. Next time you are at your LHBS, find the brewing salts section and purchase some Calcium Chloride and Gypsum (you’ll want these salts later anyways). Go home, grab a beer from your fridge, and split the contents equally between two cups. Next, sprinkle a minuscule amount of Calcium Chloride in one cup and an equally small amount of Gypsum in the other. Swirl the glasses and drink the two beers. You will likely find they taste radically different. This should give you a very clear idea of how targeted water profiles can completely transform a beer by carefully managing salt additions.

Step 2: Get Water

If you are cursed with hard water like me or just don’t know the mineral content your home supply, the easiest way to jump into building a water profile is to use RO water. RO, or Reverse Osmosis, is a process that removes nearly all ions and minerals from water. It is not quite as pure as distilled water, but it is close enough for our purposes that we can treat RO water as if it were 100% pure. It’s likely that outside your local grocery or hardware store that you’ve seen one of these large water vending machines. Yep, that’s RO water. For around $1.50, you can fill a 5 gallon bucket or carboy full of water that is a perfect starting point for brewing

Step 3: Build your water profile

If you are just starting out, I recommend using the absolute simplest method for building your water profile. My method is almost identical to the nearly foolproof system described by AJ Delange/Yooper and Bertus Brewery. For most beers, I’ll start by adding 2% acid malt to my grain bill (3-5 oz). I’ll then add ⅔ tsp Calcium Chloride (2.3 grams) and ⅓ tsp Gypsum (1.3 grams) for every 5 gallons of water. THAT’S IT! See, that wasn’t so hard!

Ok, so there are a few beer styles where you may want to make a few simple modifications to this profile. For roasty beers like stouts, ditch the acid malt. For soft water beers like Pilsner, reduce the calcium chloride to ⅓ tsp and increase the acid malt to 3%. For hopped up beers like IPA, add an extra 1 tsp gypsum. Finally, for British beers add an extra 1 tsp of both gypsum and calcium chloride.

That’s really all there is to getting started with water profiles. It doesn’t have to be particularly difficult, expensive, or time-consuming. Once you get hooked, you’ll likely want to delve deeper to further tweak your beers to bring them to exactly the point you want.

| JAKE |

The first two years my wife and I lived in our house in Denver, I never knowingly drank water straight from the tap, as it always came from the filtered refrigerator; however, when I started homebrewing, I thoughtlessly used unfiltered tap water to make beer with. Looking back, it’s crazy to think I brewed for so long without giving the water I used a second thought.

It wasn’t until about a year into homebrewing that I happened to notice an off-flavor in a pale beer I made that’s commonly associated with high chlorine levels. Sure enough, I noticed the same flavor in a glass of tap water and in that moment decided it was time to start considering the quality of my brewing water.

I downloaded Martin’s amazing spreadsheet, purchased five water jugs, and loaded up on minerals commonly used in brewing. While it took me a few batches to really dial in my process, I noticed a difference in the quality of my beers immediately. Gone were the days of harsh Pale Ale, sharp Light Lager, and the worst of my oft attempted Spotted Cow clones. Rather, I was making lagers with a soft and smooth profile and IPA bursting with fresh hop flavors. To me, no other change in my brewing process had produced the marked improvement as my newfound understanding of water chemistry, and it was nowhere near as daunting a task as some made it out to be.

One thing that has added to my conviction that water quality matters is the fact even beers made with intentionally bad methods come out tasting pretty damn good! I often brew “short and shoddy” batches between xBmts where I employ a full volume mash, reduced mash and boil lengths, and minimal fermentation temperature control (e.g., lager fermented at ale temp), though despite poor efficiency and subsequent low ABV, not a single one has come out anywhere near “bad,” in fact one even won an award. It’s totally conjecture, but I’m personally inclined to believe a contributing factor here is that I start with great water and adjust it to achieve my desired result.

In preparation for writing this piece, I asked my wife to help me perform a simple triangle test that’s easy enough for anyone to easily do on their own– one cup was filled with filtered water from my regrigerator while two contained unfiltered water straight from my faucet, each receiving a single ice cube to ensure consistent temperature before she served them to me. Based on aroma alone, I was consistently able to identify the unique sample, which added to my strong opinion that water chemistry matters in beer and shouldn’t be the last thing brewers focus on.

| MALCOLM |

I am a fan of water chemistry in brewing, but my initial introduction to chemistry was not filled with much fanfare. My high school teacher was the no BS type who immediately took me to task when she noticed I wasn’t doing too well. Like many students, I wondered, “Will I ever use this crap?” Why does it seem so many educators are unable to give practical or professional examples of how cool a subject like chemistry can be? Demonstrating how ubiquitous the concepts are throughout life would have made learning the concepts so much more interesting. Maybe they did and I just didn’t listen, though I like to think if they’d gone over a few chapters of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, it would have turned on a few lights. More so than a potato clock or yet another baking soda volcano.

My interest in brewing water chemistry was immediately piqued after listening to an episode of Basic Brewing Radio in which James Spencer interviewed the late great Greg Noonan. Greg was a good interviewer with a great reputation, if he was claiming there was more to beer water than just “add some gypsum,” I was all ears. I’d learned some basic water chemistry via the Navy nuclear power program, but that gave me just enough information to know I didn’t know enough. So I continued exploring and quickly discovered a multitude of informative sources on the topic of brewing water in books by George Fix and John Palmer, The Brewing Network and BeerSmith podcasts, as well as forum posts by folks with expertise in the area of water chemistry such as AJ Delange.

Admittedly, my initial attraction to addressing water in my brewing was an appeal to authority. These seemingly smart folks, authors and brewers alike, were saying it mattered. Beyond that, I loved the idea of science inter-playing with the brewer’s art. The concepts of water chemistry are real and measurable, but I often wondered to what extent they impacted the perceived components of beer. My initial trials led me to believe making adjustments to my brewing water produced beers that were different and often “better.” I was convinced that water mattered more than many of us were led to believe. Given the subjectivity of preference, confirmation bias could certainly have been at play, but the fact my beers started faring better in competition validated this idea that my beers were in fact “better,” which I believe was due in part to my attention to the water I used to make them.

A review of our exBEERiment archives indicates, by and large, that those focused on water chemistry tend to achieve a significant result more often than not, and since this confirms my personal experience, I’m confident that water quality matters when it comes to brewing beer.

That’s what we think about the importance of water chemistry, what about you? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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