Water is one of the most important starting materials for beer production. The demands made on the brewing water requirements are frequently higher than and exceeding the stipulations in the German Drinking Water Ordinance. Above all, the respective brewing water is characterised by the greatly varying content of the most different salts (e.g. calcium and magnesium salts), and depending on the hardness it is specifically suited for a specific beer type.
In order to obtain a brewing water from the available raw water and to adapt it optimally to the requirements of the beer type to be produced, water treatment has to fulfil several tasks:

• Carbonate hardness adjustment
• Residual alkalinity adjustment
• Nitrate reduction

First of all, acid-bonding water components have to be removed or reduced as far as possible. This includes the carbonate hardness which can be found in almost any water, alone or together with magnesium or sodium carbonate with alkaline reaction. Hard water changes the colour of beer, i.e. it makes it darker. It prevents the fine bitter taste of the hops from expressing itself and reduces the enzymatic action (during saccharification of the starch in the  brewhouse). The right water treatment process helps you to brew a good aromatic Pilsner beer even with hard water, for example!

Other components of the water such as nitrate, which is converted into nitrite during the brewing process and can stop the fermentation process in this form, also have to be removed from the water as far as possible.