Are you one of those who think that the paella made on the coast tastes better? Or that your hair doesn't look the same depending on the city in which you shower? It may seem strange, but in all these actions (and their consequences) water quality is essential.
Because not all waters are the same. As a chemical compound of nature that it is, its structure can be different.
Water and craft beer
We tell you this because water is the main ingredient, in quantity, of any beer recipe. And it is that, our favorite drink is composed between 88% and 95% of water. Also, unlike the other basic ingredients for making a beer, water cannot be removed or replaced by others.
In fact, beer styles have historically been associated with geographical areas with high-quality water and a very stable and characteristic chemical composition.
How is water used in brewery?
The water is used in two ways. On the one hand, it is the ingredient whose main function is the dissolution of sugars, malt nutrients, proteins and all the components that are involved in a recipe .
Secondly, the water will also be used in all the cooling processes, steam generation and in the cleaning of facilities and containers.
How much water is consumed to make a beer?
Currently, 3.5 to 5 liters of produced beer are used. This is a high figure, but one that has halved in the last half century: in the 1980s, 10 liters of water were needed per liter of beer!
How does the type of water influence a beer?
The first thing we want to tell you is not to worry, because the type of water is going to have a very small impact on the taste or aroma of your beer. At best, a more or less salty or astringent sensation will be obtained, depending on the salt concentration.
However, the composition of the water will be important for the chemical processes that take place during the preparation of a beer.
Chemical concepts in brewing are quite complex to explain. Therefore, stay with these 4 ideas:
- the ideal range of pH of the water so that a rich must comes out should be between 5.2 and 5.5
- hard waters (those with a higher concentration of magnesium) are better for brewing. In addition, these waters reduce the level of cloudiness of the beer.
- highly alkaline waters (which are the richest in bicarbonates) are not good for brewing.
- Finally, the salt concentration will also be an important factor.
And what happens if the water is not good for making beer?
Surely that of hard water and alkaline water sounds familiar to you... In Spain, for example, it is known that on the Mediterranean coast the water has a lot of lime, that is, a concentration of minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium salts.
That is, the composition of the water will vary depending on the geographical area and the geological environment. So how do you go about brewing a beer?
Well, very easy: the water can be treated. Treatments that alter the chemical composition of the water can be applied. It can also be filtered to remove suspended particles and obtain optimal quality water for the manufacturing process.
And finally, this treatment will allow us to reproduce the water of a certain geographical area.
Craft beers with a very special water
And of course, at Beer Sapiens we cannot stop talking about our national brewers, who take care of all the details, including the water. We want to talk about some beers where the main ingredient (and about which so little is said) is chosen with care.
The Ordum brewery produced a limited edition for the 130th anniversary of the Borines Spa, where the water spring used to make this Amber Ale is located.
The Rondadora brewery also incorporates mountain water into its recipes, exactly from the Fuendepera spring located at an altitude of 1,000 meters. Be sure to try the Amber Lager Tronzadora or the Bearded Vulture Barbatus Strong Scotch Ale , among others.
Have you ever thought about the origin of the water in your beers? If from now on you are going to look for it in the ingredients of your next craft beer, our mission of beer education will have achieved its goal!
See you soon! Wow!