In the brewing process of craft beer, every drop of wort and every drop of liquor embodies the ultimate pursuit of the quality of finished beer by the brewer. Brewing excellent craft beer requires advanced equipment, exquisite brewing technology, and four high-quality raw materials: malt, hops, yeast, and water. Today, Tiantai will introduce “water”, one of the four major raw materials, in detail, and discuss with you the important role of reverse osmosis water treatment technology in craft beer brewing.
Water, known as the “blood of beer”, its purity is directly related to the quality of the beer. Through reverse osmosis water treatment technology, we can prepare low-salinity water, and remove organic matter, microorganisms, bacteria, and other impurities in the water according to brewing needs. This process is like a deep purification of the water, ensuring the purity of the brewing water.
In the process of preparing low-salinity water, the raw water output rate of the reverse osmosis water treatment equipment can usually only reach 75%. This seems to lose some water, but it is a crucial link for the preparation of brewing water. If the water content is too high, reaching 90%, the permeability of salt will also increase accordingly (about 10%), which will undoubtedly affect the quality of beer. It is worth noting that when the salt content of raw water is less than 1000mg/L (in terms of sodium chloride), the working capacity of the reverse osmosis equipment will not be affected and it can still operate efficiently.
The ability of anions and cations in raw water to pass through the reverse osmosis membrane varies, and this process is affected by both ionic chemical bonds and ionic spans. For example, when the content of alkaline ions such as sodium ions in water is high, sodium bicarbonate may be formed in pure water to varying degrees, that is, the carbonate concentration in water will exceed the total concentration. This fine ion screening ability enables reverse osmosis technology to adjust the water quality composition according to the needs of different beer styles, thereby affecting the flavor and taste of beer.
The use of reverse osmosis treatment technology to meet the high requirements of craft beer for water quality is undoubtedly an important trend in the development of brewing technology in the future, which should not be underestimated. It not only improves the quality of beer but also allows brewers to explore more diverse beer flavors, creating possibilities for brewing different styles of beer and bringing consumers more wonderful taste experiences.
