Water: The body of beer

I am talking water in my continuing exploration of the main ingredients of beer.  Some may read the title and wonder what I mean with water being the body of beer.  We all have had a glass of water and there is not much there when it comes to body and structure, water can leave some wanting for a more substantial drink.  But stop and think for a bit though, beer is well over 90 % water.  So that means when you quaff a beer you are drinking all most all water with a relatively small amount of malt, alcohol and a few other compounds.

To go a bit further, water is just not water when it comes to beer.  This was especially true before the revelations of water chemistry, allowing brewers to change their water to suit the beer styles they are brewing.  When you think of the classic pilsner, what city comes to mind?  Correct, Pilsen.  The same can be said for the home of IPA, Burton-on-the-Trent.  These cities had the water that was naturally perfect for the type of beer the city became famous for.  "Soft" water in Pilsen for a wonderful pilsner and "hard" water in Burton to help bring out the strong hop presence.  In present times when brewer salts are added to water by a brewer for an IPA it is referred to as "Burtonizing".  

Over the centuries brewers have perfected the style of beer that is best for their local water.  They quickly learned what beer style was best with their local water.  If you look at a report for your local water, you will see many salts and compounds dissolved in it.  Water is a very good solvent and is able to keep compounds in suspension with in it.  Try this experiment, take a drink from a glass of distilled water not much there just water.  Now take a drink from a glass of mineral water, there are flavors and structure in that drink.  The same is transferable between brewing with "soft" and "hard" water.  Water with dissolved compounds in it does have body.

When the influx of German brewers immigrated into the United States, what was their first concern to make beer?  Water of course.  The natural water was what made brewing cities such as Milwaukee, St. Louis and Golden.  In the 1800s the science was not there to change the water profile, so they had to utilize the natural water of a region.  Even the American Lager has cities where it is best made today.

A prime example of this is Saint Francis Brewery in Saint Francis, WI http://www.stfrancisbrewery.com/.  Last year we did a bus trip to the Milwaukee area  breweries and Saint Francis was our first stop.  Several of us where just blown away by the quality of the brewer's Kolsch and Dortmunder.  Both were clean, fresh, nicely malty and had a hop snap.  In discussing the beers with Scott, the brewer at Saint Francis, he told us when he brews those two beers he uses straight municipal water. To us this was an outstanding revelation of the quality of the water in the Milwaukee area even today.

Water is much more than just something that quenches your thirst.  It is the "body" of beer.  Without the differences in local water source we may not have the current range of beers we have today.    Water now can be played with by brewers to produce any beer they wish, but remember that centuries ago brewers brewed with their local water.  So some styles were better made in certain regions, thankfully creating many different styles of beer.

QC Beerguy