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Overview
Water is arguably the most critical and least understood of the foundation elements in brewing. For many brewers used to choosing from a wide selection of hops and grain, water seems like an ingredient for which they have little choice but to accept what comes out of their faucet. But brewers in fact have many opportunities to modify their source water or to obtain mineral-free water and build their own brewing water from scratch. Much of the relevant information can be found in texts on physical and inorganic chemistry or water treatment and analysis, but these resources seldom, if ever, speak to brewers.
Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers takes the mystery out of water's role in the brewing process. This book is not just about brewing liquor. Whether in a brewery or at home, water is needed for every part of the brewing process: chilling, diluting, cleaning, boiler operation, wastewater treatment, and even physically pushing wort or beer from one place to another. The authors lead the reader from an overview of the water cycle and water sources, to adjusting water for different beer styles and brewery processes, to wastewater treatment.
It covers precipitation, groundwater, and surface water, and explains how municipal water is treated to make it safe to drink but not always suitable for brewing. The parameters measured in a water report are explained, along with their impact on the mash and the final beer. Understand ion concentrations, temporary and permanent hardness, and pH. The concept of residual alkalinity is covered in detail and the causes of alkalinity in water are explored, along with techniques to control alkalinity.
Ultimately, residual alkalinity is the major effector on mash pH, and this book addresses how to predict and target a specific mash pH—a key skill for any brewer wishing to raise their beer to the next level. But minerals in brewing water also determine specific flavor attributes. Ionic species important to beer are discussed and concepts like the sulfate-to-chloride ratio are explained. Examples illustrate how to tailor your brewing water to suit any style of beer.
To complete the subject, the authors focus on brewery operations relating to source water treatment, such as the removal of particulates, dissolved solids, gas and liquid contaminants, organic contaminants, chlorine and chloramine, and dissolved oxygen. This section considers the pros and cons of various technologies, including membrane technologies such as filtration, ion-exchange systems, and reverse osmosis.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781938469107 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Brewers Publications |
Publication date: | 09/16/2013 |
Series: | Brewing Elements |
Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
Format: | eBook |
Pages: | 300 |
File size: | 7 MB |
About the Author
Colin Kaminski's brewing career started as the product designer at Beer, Beer and More Beer, designing more than 180 products including the Peltier cooled conical fermentor. Colin has written on a variety of topics including lutherie, holography, solar astronomy and beer. He has been the Master Brewer at Downtown Joe's Brewery since 2003. Colin resides in California
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Foreword xv
1 A Whole Book on Brewing Water 1
Overview of Water as an Ingredient
Overview of Water and Mash Chemistry
Overview of Brewing Water Processing
2 Where Does Your Water Come From? 15
The Water Cycle
Water Sources and Mineralization
Precipitation
Surface Water
Groundwater
From Source to Faucet
3 How to Read A Water Report 29
Water Quality Report Parameters
Primary Standards
Secondary Standards
Unregulated/Aesthetic Standards
Water Hardness, Alkalinity, and Milliequivalents
4 Residual Alkalinity and the Mash 57
Water Alkalinity
Precipitation of Calcium Phosphates in the Mash
Residual Alkalinity
Refinement of RA
5 Residual Alkalinity, Malt Acidity, and Mash pH 75
Malts and Malt Color
Malt Acidity
A Discussion of Malt Acidity and Alkalinity
Determining the Alkalinity of Water in the Mash
Introducing Z Residual Alkalinity (Z RA)
The Hypothesis for Predicting Mash pH
6 Controlling Alkalinity 101
Reducing Alkalinity
Reducing Alkalinity with Acid
Acidification of Mashing and Sparge Water
Adding Alkalinity
7 Adjusting Water for Style 139
Historical Waters, Treatments, and Styles
Flavor Ion Effects
Sulfate-to-Chloride Ratio
Building Brewing Water from Scratch
Choosing a Water for the Style
Adjusting Water to Suit the Style
Brewing an American Pale Ale
Brewing a Pilsner Beer
Brewing a Foreign Extra Stout
8 Source Water Treatment Technologies for the Brewery 179
Removing Suspended Solids-Mechanical Filtration
Removing Dissolved Solids-Iron and Manganese
Removing Dissolved Solids-Ion Exchange
Removing Dissolved Solids-Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis
Removing Liquid and Gas Contaminants-Chlorine
Removing Organic Contaminants-Activated Carbon
Removing Dissolved Gases-Deaeration
9 Brewery Process Waters 203
Brewing Water
Cleaning and Rinsing Water
Chilled Liquor
Boiler and Boiler Feedwater
Packaging
Pushing Product
Dilution Water
10 Wastewater Treatment in the Brewery 217
What is Wastewater?
Why Do We Treat Wastewater?
How is Wastewater Treated?
Removal of Suspended Solids
pH Adjustment/Equalization Tank
Filtration of Fines
Digestion
Sludge Dewatering
Appendix A Chemistry Glossary and Primer 233
Appendix B Acidification of Sparging or Brewing Water 249
Appendix C Ion, Salt and Acid Calculations 263
Appendix D Water Charge Balance and Carbonate Species Distribution 273
Index 279