BREWING WATER

Mike Conant
Nov 1, 2013
MIKE CONANT

11/1/2013
Background:
Homebrewer since 1994

Penchant for big, hop-forward

IPAs, well before they became a
west coast phenomenon
Now into curiously flavorful
farmhouse ales!

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BREWING WATER

11/1/2013
Introduction: Why as a brewer, do you care about
water?

Treating Water for Chlorine and Chloramine

Water pH, Alkalinity, and Hardness

Managing water flavor profile

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Acidifying your sparge water
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INTRODUCTION
4 Why as a brewer, you care about water?
WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT WATER?

11/1/2013
It is 90% of your beer

Typical
water sources contains
chemicals that impact the beer process
and beer flavor

Knowing how to handle water will

improve your beer
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WHEN YOU CARE ABOUT WATER
(AND WHEN YOU DONT)

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Most water sources are good to brew with and make good beer!

Brewing GREAT beer requires management of your water, especially

when:
Your water is nasty (too much iron, salt, or other off-flavors, or too much
chloramine / chlorine)
Full mash brewing alkalinity/pH or calcium deficiency impacts to mash
effectiveness
When water mineralization doesnt meet the style

When not to care about water

Extract brewing just know what flavors your water may be adding
You brew what you brew, and it works
Talk about ions reminds you of the horrors of high school chemistry class
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THREE REASONS TO MANAGE YOUR
BREWING WATER

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To remove unwanted chemicals or flavors in
the water

To Manage the chemistry of your mash

To Tailor your desired flavor profile

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TREATING WATER FOR
CHLORAMINE AND CHLORINE
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 WATER RULE #1: REMOVE CHLORINE AND
CHLORAMINE FROM BREWING WATER

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Chlorine (as hypochlorous acid)* and Chloramine are
results of public water supply treatment

Chlorine and chloramine react with phenols to make

chlorophenols which have a very low flavor threshold and
can give your beer that medicinal or band-aid flavor

Filtering with activated carbon, boiling, or just letting

the water sit overnight will remove chlorine

Chloramine is stubborn and cannot be boiled off. Quality

granulated activated carbon (GAC) filters can work if you
manage flow rate

Recommendation: Use Metabisulfite (aka Campden

Tablets) to remove chloramines (and chlorine)
from water because it is cheap and easy. 9

*Chlorine in this form (HClO) is bleach -- a disinfecting oxidizing agent -- and acts differently than the
Cloride (Cl-) ion contributed by salts, a topic covered later
METABISULFITE EASILY CLEARS CHLORINE
AND CHLORAMINE FROM WATER

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Potassium metabisulfite or sodium
metabisulfite effectively removes
chloramine
Takes just a couple of minutes!
Campden tablets are a convenient form of
metabisulfite

Use 1/4 g, or 1/2 Campden tablet, per 10

gal

Potassium Metabisulfite, sold in bulk

powder ($4/lb), will last you forever

(Metabisulfite comes in handy for wine

must and cider making, but that is a
different topic!)

Metabisulfite additions are a *small* amount of chemical and will

not affect taste or mineral profile. Additions listed treat up to 3ppm 10
chloramine
More details than youll ever need: http://morebeer.com/articles/removing_chloramines_from_water
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WATER PH, HARDNESS, AND
ALKALINITY
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 WHY YOU CARE ABOUT PH

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pH measures a solutions acidic or basic nature (1 acidic 14 basic)
Acids (Latin acidus/acre, means sour)
RO/ Distilled water pH is 7.0
Municipal Water has a pH of 6.5 8
Water companies want it slightly basic

You care about pH when mashing

Target pH between 5.2 and 5.6
~5.5 for dark beers
~5.2 for tart, crisp beers

You care about pH when sparging Source: http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter14-1.html

Sparge water should be < 6.0 pH to prevent tannin extraction

pH in mash impacted by the grain bill and water alkalinity

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pH is typically adjusted by adjusting grain bill, salt buffers, and/or acids
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=An_Overview_of_pH
WATER HARDNESS

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Hardness
is due to the concentration of calcium (and magnesium) in water
Temporary Hardness:
Calcium or Magnesium paired with Carbonate/Bicarbonate
It can be boiled off (bi/carbonate leaves as CO2, calcium stays
behind
Permanent hardness
Calcium or Magnesium paired with Sulfates or Chlorides
Cannot be boiled off

hardness in dGH/
Classification hardness in mg/L hardness in mmol/L hardness in gpg
dH
Soft 060 00.60 0.3-3.00 0-3.50
Moderately hard 61120 0.611.20 3.72-6.75 3.56-7.01
Hard 121180 1.211.80 6.7810.08 7.06-10.51
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Very hard 181 1.81 10.14 10.57
CARBONATE (CO32-) AND BICARBONATE
(HCO3-)

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These ions prevent decrease of pH (act as a buffer)
They are twice as effective in raising wort pH as
calcium is in lowering pH.
Contribute to alkalinity
Manage through pH adjustment

Carbonate and
bicarbonate are in
balance, based on
the pH

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WATER ALKALINITY

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Alkalinity
Is generally due to Carbonate / Bicarbonate in water*
Acts as a buffer to pH changes (absorbs acids without
changing pH much)
Excessive alkalinity can make our mash pH too high,
unless mashing with dark grains
We can lower by boiling, adding dark grains, adding acidulated
malt, or adding acids

Too little alkalinity:

will not work for dark beer mashes (Toasted malts make your
pH lower, too low with low alkalinity water
Alkalinity can be raised with adding Pickling Lime,
Potassium Hydroxide, or Sodium Bicarbonate (see table) 15

*Ground water Alkalinity is set equal to:

AT = [HCO3]T + 2[CO32]T + [B(OH)4]T + [OH]T + 2[PO43]T + [HPO42]T + [SiO(OH)3]T [H+]sws [HSO4]
RESIDUAL ALKALINITY
Residual alkalinity is the measure of alkalinity left after the acidity
of the malt reacts with the waters hardness

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Helps predict mash pH based on water profile and beer color
Not very accurate
Recommendation: use the water calculator and buy a pH meter!

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WATER RULE #2: BUY A PH METER

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Chemistry calculations, including Residual
Alkalinity is great for understanding and
predicting mash pH

In
practice, measuring and adjusting ACTUAL
mash pH takes the guess work out of what often
happens on brew day!

Test strips arent accurate enough!

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BREWING WATER IONS
18 (at least the ones you care about)
IMPORTANT IONS FOR BREWING:
CALCIUM (CA++)

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Protectsenzymes from thermal degradation,
extends activity in mash
Improves trub formation during wort boil
Decreases pH during mashing and wort boil
100 ppm calcium addition decreases pH by 0.4 pH units
However adding calcium is not an effective method for
lowering pH (there are easier ways!)
General rule:
40-60 ppm is needed in packaged all malt beer.
80-120 ppm calcium is required from brewing water
AND calcium addition in mashing all-malt beer.

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IMPORTANT IONS FOR BREWING:
MAGNESIUM (MG++)

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Magnesium salts are much more soluble than
those of calcium.
Less effect on wort pH

Can provide slightly bitter or sour flavor to beer.

General rule:
< 50 ppm

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IMPORTANT IONS FOR BREWING:
SODIUM (NA+)

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At low concentrations (<100ppm), sodium gives a
slightly sweet flavor to beer.
But > 100 ppm, sodium gives a salty flavor.

General rule:
< 100ppm
< 50 ppm for dry, crisp beers

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IMPORTANT IONS FOR BREWING:
SULFATE (SO42-) / CHLORIDE (CL-)

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Chloride increases palate fullness and gives a mellow
flavor to beer.
Sulfate results in drier, more bitter flavors in beer.
Sulfate can be a source of SO2 and H2S formed during
fermentation that may give the beer a sulfury note
(especially in Burton beers).
Sulfate to Cloride ratio is generally used to target
beer flavor profiles. A high ratio accentuates
bitterness; a low ratio, sweetness
2:1 Sulfate to Cloride => great for Pale Ales, IPAs
1:1 Sulfate to Cloride => Balanced beers
1:2 Sulfate to Cloride => Malty beers
General Guideline:
Chloride below 100ppm
Sulfate below 100ppm generally, higher can work (up to 22
400ppm) for distinct Pale Ale beer character
UNDERSTANDING YOUR WATER IONS

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Sources of water information

Source Accuracy Cost

City Water Report Low to medium Free
Ward Labs Very high $30 / test
Testing Kits Medium to high $100 + / kit

Ward Labs: Brewers Test W-5A $27.25

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 WARD LABS TEST RESULTS APTOS, CA

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Hard Water Water Softener
Tap August 13 August 13
pH 7.7 7.7
Total Dissolve Solids 484 500
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.81 0.83

Cations/Anions, me/L 8.9 / 8.7 8.5 / 8.5 Water softener adds

too much Sodium ( >
Sodium, Na 67 188 100 ppm)
Potassium, K 8 8
Calcium, Ca 82 2
Magnesium, Mg 21 <1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 293 5
Ppm (mg/L)

Nitrate, NO3-N < 0.1 < 0.1

Sulfate, SO4-S 33 32
Chloride, Cl 61 59
Carbonate, CO3 <1 <1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 299 293
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 245 240
Total Phosphorus, P 0.02 0.03 24
Total Iron, Fe 0.28 0.01
< Not Detected / Below Detection Limit
 WARD LABS TEST RESULTS
LOS ALTOS, CA 2011, WINTER VS. SUMMER

11/1/2013
Winter Summer RO Water
March 11 August 11 (Pure Water)
pH 7.9 7.9 6.6
Total Dissolve Solids 249 395 12
Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.41 0.66 0.02

Cations/Anions, me/L 3.8 / 3.6 7.1 / 8.0 < 0.1 / <0.1

Sodium, Na 41 28 <1
Potassium, K 2 1 <1
Calcium, Ca 22 78 <1
Magnesium, Mg 11 23 <1
Total Hardness, CaCO3 101 291 <1
Ppm (mg/L)

Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 4.7 0.1

Sulfate, SO4-S 20 11 <1
Chloride, Cl 33 49 <1
Carbonate, CO3 <1 <1 <1
Bicarbonate, HCO3 89 338 3
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 73 277 3
Total Phosphorus, P 25
Total Iron, Fe Moderately hard in winter to VERY
hard water in summer! (3X)
< Not Detected / Below Detection Limit
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ADJUSTING WATER
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 WATER PROFILES FOR LAGER STYLES
Type Color Bitterness CA Alkalinity Sulfate Chlorid Acidify Styles

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e
Light Lager Pale Soft 50 0-40 0-50 50-100 Yes American Lager,
Munich Helles
Medium lager pale Moderate 50-75 0-40 50-150 50-100 Yes American premium
lager, Germin Pils
Medium lager amber Soft, 50-75 40-120 0-100 50-150 Maybe Vienna, Oktoberfest
moderate
Medium lager Brown/ Soft, 50-75 80-120 0-50 50-150 No American Dark,
black moderate Munich Dunkel,
Schwarzbier
Strong lager Amber Soft, 50-75 40-80 0-100 50-150 Maybe Helles, Traditional
moderate Bock, Doppelbock
Strong lager Brown/ Soft, 50-100 80-150 0-100 50-100 No Traditional Bock,
black moderate Doppelbock,
Eisbock, Baltic
Porter

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Source: Water: A Comprehensive Guide, Palmer , pp 156-7

 WATER PROFILES FOR ALE STYLES
Type Color Bitterness CA Alkalinity Sulfate Chlorid Acidify Styles

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e
Light Ale Pale Moderate 50-100 0-80 100-200 50-100 Yes Blonde Ale,
American Wheat,,
Best Bitter
Light Ale Amber Soft, 50-150 40-120 100-200 50-100 Maybe English Mild,
moderate Scottish 60/70/80
Light Ale Brown / moderate 50-75 80-150 50-150 50-100 Maybe English Brown, Dry
black Stout
Medium Ale Pale Soft, 50-100 0-80 0-50 0-100 Yes Weizen, Witbier,
moderate Koelsch
Medium Ale Pale Moderate, 50-150 40-120 100-400 0-100 Maybe American Pale Ale,
assertive IPA, Saison
Medium Ale amber Moderate, 50-150 40-120 100-300 50-100 No Altbier, Cal
assertive Common, Amber
Medium Ale Brown/ Moderate, 50-75 80-160 50-150 50-150 No Brown, Dry Stout,
black assertive Dunkelweizen
Strong Ale pale Moderate 50-100 0-40 50-100 50-100 Maybe Belgian blonde,
Golden strong,
Tripel
Strong Ale amber Moderate, 50-100 50-100 40-120 50-100 No Strong Scotch Ale,
assertive Dubbel, Barleywine
Strong Ale Brown / Moderate, 50-75 120-200 50-150 50-150 No 28
Baltic Porter, RIS,
black assertive Old Ale

Source: Water: A Comprehensive Guide, Palmer , pp 158-9

 BREWING WATER ADJUNCTS
TO ADJUST YOUR IONS
Use your favorite water calculator to find right combination

11/1/2013
Molecular ppm impact at 1 pH
Common Name Formula gram/gal impact Use
Water Adjuncts +2
Gypsum CaSO42H2O 61.5 ppm Ca down Adds calcium to lower RA and sulfate to add crispness to hop biNerness
-2
147.4 ppm SO4
+2
Epsom Salt MgSO47H2O 26 ppm Mg down Can be used sparingly to lower pH, add Mg for yeast nutriEon (5-30ppm)
-2
103 ppm SO4 and add sulfate crispness. Too much Mg (>50ppm) adds sour/biOer
avor
+1
Canning Salt NaCl 104 ppm Na generally sodium should stay low for biOer beers, higher range of Na+
-1
160.2 ppm Cl increases malt sweetness. NEVER add iodized salt.
+1
Baking Soda NaHCO3 75 ppm Na up use to add alkalinity but watch the Na+ levels
-1
191 ppm HCO3
+2
Calcium Chloride CaCl2 72 ppm Ca down good for adding calcium without the sulfates, i.e., good source of calcium
-1
127 ppm Cl for light lagers
+2
Chalk CaCO3 105 ppm Ca up Adds hardness, but not very soluable. Adding directly to the slightly
-2
158 ppm CO3 acidic mash will dissolve ~50% of the chalk, so add 2x the perscribed
amount. AlternaEvely for beOer control, can pre-mix brew water with
pressurized CO2 to re-create "hard" water (carbonic acid interacts
-1
dissolving chalk and making bicarbonate (HCO3 ) as principle anion).
Keep in mind that boiling will reverse the eect (i.e. decarbonaEon) so
don't go boiling your newly concocted HLT water!
Pickling Lime (Calcium Ca(OH)2 142.9 ppm Ca+2 UP Very eecEve at adding alkalinity to water. Use sparingly!
Hydroxide) 121.3 ppm OH-1
+2
Magnesium Chloride MgCl26H2O 31.6 ppm Mg generally not used; alternaEve to Epsom salt for Mg addiEon
-1
92 ppm Cl
+1
Potassium Bicarbonate KHCO3 103 ppm K Up can be used to buer pH/decrease acidity; more ogen seen in wine
-2
161 ppm HCO3 producEon since Ca is a more useful CaEon in beer than K
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+1
Potassium Carbonate K2CO3 149.5 ppm K UP Can be used as a pH buer & increase alkalinity; unlike CaCO3 it is
-2
114.7 ppm CO3 soluable in water (1.1Kg/L at 20C ). Good for mead producEon since K is
short & needed for yeast
ADJUSTING IONS WITH SALTS IN BREWING
WATER

11/1/2013
Use a mix of RO water to lower ions
If desire is to impact mash, add salts to strike
water or at start of mash
Add salts sparingly. Gram scales are useful

Spreadsheet and web calculators are very useful

You can experiment with impact to flavor after

brewing, if desired

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ADJUSTING WATER WITH ACIDS

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Acids can be used to adjust mash pH and acidify
the sparge water
Phosphoric Acid Easy to use, will not impact
flavor profile with its ion (Phosphate)
Other options:
Lactic Acid (traditional, due to Reinheitsgebot, adds a
smooth sourness)
Sulphuric Acid (adds sulfate)
Hydrochloric Acid (adds chloride)
Citric Acid (adds some sour fruitiness in larger
concentrations)
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WATER RULE #3: USE A WATER
CALCULATOR

11/1/2013
Uses water report ion concentrations, target beer
style, and grain bill as input
Provides recommendation for adjusting water
with dilution (RO water), salt additions, and acid
additions for the mash and sparge
Several exist (see references at end for links):
Brun Water
EZ Water Calculator
Brewers Friend Brewing Water Chemistry Calculator
Howtobrew.com water calculator

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BRUN WATER CALCULATOR (EXAMPLE)
Uses your source water

11/1/2013
and target profile as
input, accounting for
water dilution

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Calculates salt and acid
addtions based on source
and target water profile
WATER ADJUSTMENT FOR THE MASH

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1. Identify your water profile to match your beer
style
Brun Water Calculator is my favorite
2. Adjust water to match style. Adjustment
options:
Dilute source water with RO water to lower
alkalinity and/or mineralization
Option: Boil to lower alkalinity via decarbonation
Add Salts to raise ions to profile
Add Acid (or, rarely, add alkalinity) to adjust pH
3. Ensure the mash pH is in target Range (5.2-5.6)
Mash pH is important, not the strike water
Use acid to lower pH 34
WATER RULE #4: ACIDIFY YOUR SPARGE
WATER

11/1/2013
Sparge water pH should be < 6.0 (I target 5.5)
Higher pH can cause extraction of tannins
(polyphenols) from the husks of your grain,
imparting a harsh astringent flavor
Many brewers acidify all of the brewing water
because it is easier for them to do so
If you acidify all the water, be sure to account for
acid additions to your mash calculations

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RESOURCES

11/1/2013
Brun Water calculator and Water knowledge
https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/
EZ Water Calculator
http://www.ezwatercalculator.com/
Brewing Water Chemistry Calculator
http://www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry/
Howtobrew water calculator spreadsheet
http://howtobrew.com/section3/
Palmers_Mash_RA_ver3ptO.xls
Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers by
John Palmer and Colin Kaminski
http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-
Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993 36
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THANK YOU!
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