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Composition and Impact Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 goals for brewing product water?

A

To have the right amount of:
* hardness
* alkalinity, and
* mineral composition to produce specific beer styles.

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2
Q

What is the suggested level of alkalinity (as CaCO3) in source water for brewing?

A

0-100 mg/L

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3
Q

What is the suggested level of Calcium in source water for brewing?

A

50-150 mg/L

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4
Q

What is the suggested level of Chloride in source water for brewing?

A

0-100 mg/L

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5
Q

What is the suggested level of Sulphate in source water for brewing?

A

0-250 mg/L

However, it can act as a precursor to the formation of H2S and SO2 durin

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6
Q

What is the suggested level of Zinc in source water for brewing?

A

0.1-0.5 mg/L

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7
Q

How does calcium affect mash pH?

A

Calcium decreases mash pH by precipitating calcium phosphates and releasing hydrogen ions.

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8
Q

How do high levels of alkalinity affect mash pH?

A

High alkalinity can raise the mash pH.

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9
Q

How is the chloride:sulphate ratio of 2:1 thought to affect beer?

A

Increases the beer’s body and sweetness, reducing any drying, bitter, and metallic flavors.

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10
Q

How is the chloride:sulphate ratio of 1:2 thought to affect beer?

A

Results in beer with reduced body and sweetness, with increased dryness and bitterness.

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11
Q

What is the effect of calcium on yeast flocculation?

A

Calcium is essential for yeast flocculation, as it promotes the binding of yeast cells.

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12
Q

What is the impact of copper and iron on colloidal stability?

A

Copper and iron act as oxidation catalysts, which can negatively affect colloidal stability.

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13
Q

What is the impact of silicate on colloidal stability?

A

Silicate can cause haze when bound to calcium. It can also negatively affect wort runoff separation, causing a more turbid wort and ultimately affecting wort clarity.

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14
Q

What is the impact of residual chlorine in brewing water?

A

Can cause off-flavors in beer (such as chlorophenol) and be toxic to yeast in high levels.

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15
Q

What is the impact of high levels of sodium in brewing water?

A

Contribute salty, sour, and metallic notes.

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16
Q

What are common methods for adding calcium to brewing water?

A

Adding either calcium chloride (CaCl2.2H2O) or calcium sulphate (CaSO4.2H2O).

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17
Q

What is the effect of adding too much calcium chloride to brewing water?

A

Risks increasing the level of certain ions in the final beer beyond the point where they provide a desirable or acceptable palate.

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18
Q

How does the addition of calcium sulphate affect the water composition?

A

Increases both calcium and sulphate levels.

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19
Q

Name other salts that can be added to elevate chloride or sulphate levels in brewing water.

A

Sodium chloride (NaCl), Potassium chloride (KCl), Potassium sulphate (K2SO4), Magnesium chloride (MgCl2.6H2O), Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4.7H2O).

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20
Q

Why is potable water not necessarily ideal for brewing beer?

A

Some chemicals found in standard water will negatively affect the brewing process, equipment, and final beer quality.

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21
Q

What type of filtration do breweries use to remove suspended solids from potable water?

A

A relatively small filter, such as a cartridge filter.

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22
Q

How are iron and manganese removed from water?

A

Specialty filters using catalytic media such as manganese dioxide or greensand.

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23
Q

What is the purpose of injecting air or ozone into water?

A

Oxidizes iron into insoluble oxides and hydroxides, which then precipitate and can be removed via filtration.

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24
Q

How is manganese removed from water?

A

Greensand filtration, using granular media containing glauconite.

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25
What is removed using an ion-exchange system?
Dissolved solids from the water.
26
How is alkalinity reduced in water?
Decarbonation by heating, treatment with lime, or acid addition.
27
What does an ion-exchange system do?
Exchanges undesirable ions with more desirable ones.
28
What are the four basic types of ion exchange resin used in water treatment?
Weakly acidic cation, Strongly acidic cation, Weakly basic anion, Strongly basic anion.
29
What do Weakly acidic cation resins remove?
Weakly Acidic Cation (WAC) resins are used for de-alkalization, which involves removing calcium and magnesium associated with temporary hardness (bicarbonate). | WAC resins only remove cations associated with weak acids, such as carbo
30
What do Strongly acidic cation resins remove?
Strongly Acidic Cation (SAC) resins are used to remove metal cations, including calcium and magnesium ions bound to bicarbonates at any pH. ## Footnote SAC resins remove cations associated with strong acids. SAC resins with sodium (Na+) exchange ions are used in domestic water softeners. Also, SAC can be used upstream of a reverse osmosis unit to prevent calcium from scaling up its membrane.
31
What do Weakly basic anion resins remove?
Weakly Basic Anion (WBA) resins remove anions associated with strong acids such as nitric, sulphuric and hydrochloric acid. However, they will not remove the anions of weak acids, carbon dioxide or silica. | WBA resins are best used where strong acid anions predominate and silica
32
What do Strongly basic resins remove?
Strongly Basic Anion (SBA) resins can be used with either chloride or hydroxyl as exchange ions. * When using hydroxyl as the exchange ion, SBA resins remove all anions. * When using chloride as the exchange ion, they remove nitrate, sulphate and several other ions. However, the efficiency is much lower with chloride exchange ions. There are three types of SBA resins: Type I, Type II, and acrylic, which differ in chemical makeup and behave differently. Type I is more effective in removing silica and total organic carbon. However, Type I SBA resin degrades to produce amine which has a strong fishy smell so this is unsuitable for beverage applications unless positioned upstream of a cation ion exchanger that can remove the amines. For brewing product water Type II and acrylic SBA resins are typically used
33
What negatively affects ion exchange resins and their performance?
High levels of free chlorine, high salinity, high or low temperatures, high turbidity (especially organic substances), excessively high or low pH.
34
What is membrane filtration?
Filtration using a semi-permeable membrane that allows certain ions, molecules, or particles to pass through, depending on pore size.
35
What does microfiltration remove?
Particles down to about 0.1 micrometres (μm), including yeast cells, small suspended solids, large colloids, and most bacteria.
36
What does ultrafiltration remove?
Most viruses, colloids, and large organic compounds such as proteins.
37
What does nanofiltration remove?
Most organics (including precursors to trihalomethanes) and 20-80% of dissolved salts.
38
What does reverse osmosis (RO) filter out?
Most dissolved ions and molecules, except for dissolved gases.
39
What is the function of activated carbon in water treatment?
Removes chlorine and most organic contaminants from water.
40
How does chlorine removal by metabisulphite work?
Reacts with water to form sulphur dioxide, which then reacts with chlorine to form chloride and sulphate.
41
How does chlorine removal by UV degradation work?
UV light at 180-200 nm breaks molecular bonds in chlorine, reducing it to its component ions (chloride and water).
42
What is chlorine dioxide and how is it used in water sterilization?
Chlorine dioxide is a neutral chlorine compound and a powerful oxidizing agent. It differs in structure and behavior from elemental chlorine. It is used in water sterilization as an alternative to chlorination.
43
How does ozone sterilize water?
Injected into water to reach 0.5 mg/L, oxidizing bacterial cell membranes.
44
How does UV light sterilize water?
UV light (200-280 nm) destroys the DNA of microbiological contaminants.
45
How does sterile filtration work?
Water passes through a membrane with pores between 0.2-0.45 μm, retaining microbiological contaminants.
46
What are examples of brewing product water uses?
Mashing-in, pushing mash/wort between brewhouse vessels, sparge water in lautering, wort kettle foundation, and dilution water.
47
What are the characteristics of brewing product water?
The correct alkalinity, hardness, and mineral composition for specific beer styles.
48
What is the difference between potable water and product water in brewing?
Potable water is safe for human consumption, while product water is adjusted for brewing quality. ## Footnote Potable water standards may not meet the optimal mineral composition for specific beer styles.
49
What are two positive effects of calcium on brewing?
1. Decreases mash pH 2. Stabilizes malt enzymes ## Footnote Calcium also improves 'hot break' formation.
50
What are two negative effects of calcium on brewing?
1. Gives beer a dry, harsh mineral-like character 2. Can affect flavor negatively ## Footnote These effects can impact overall beer quality.
51
How does the chloride to sulphate ratio in brewing water impact flavor?
A higher ratio (e.g., 2:1) promotes maltiness, while a lower ratio (e.g., 1:2) enhances bitterness. ## Footnote This ratio plays a crucial role in the perceived flavor profile of beer.
52
What impact can iron and manganese have on brewing?
They can catalyze oxidation reactions causing flavor instability and create metallic off-flavors. ## Footnote They may also inhibit yeast fermentation.
53
What is one method of alkalinity reduction in brewing water?
Decarbonation by heating converts bicarbonates to insoluble calcium carbonate. ## Footnote This process allows for the precipitation of bicarbonates from the solution.
54
What is the principle behind ion exchange for water treatment?
Exchanging undesirable ions in water with desirable ions on resin beads. ## Footnote This method improves water quality for brewing.
55
Name two types of ion exchange resin.
1. Weakly acidic cation 2. Strongly acidic cation ## Footnote These resins are used for different water treatment purposes.
56
How does reverse osmosis (RO) work?
RO forces water across a semi-permeable membrane from high to low solute concentration. ## Footnote This process removes nearly all dissolved solids.
57
What are the primary advantages of reverse osmosis in brewing?
1. Removes nearly all dissolved solids 2. Allows for precise water composition adjustments ## Footnote These advantages help in achieving desired brewing water profiles.
58
What are the primary disadvantages of reverse osmosis in brewing?
1. High reject rate 2. Membrane replacement costs 3. Need for disposal of concentrate ## Footnote These factors can complicate brewery operations.
59
What is the purpose of activated carbon filtration in brewing water treatment?
Removes chlorine and organic contaminants through physical adsorption. ## Footnote This prevents unwanted flavors and odors in the final beer.
60
Describe two methods used to remove chlorine from water.
1. Activated carbon adsorption 2. UV photolysis ## Footnote Both methods effectively eliminate chlorine from brewing water.
61
What is the key difference between sterile filtration and microfiltration?
Sterile filtration uses smaller pore sizes (0.2-0.45 μm) to remove all microorganisms, while microfiltration does not remove all microorganisms. ## Footnote This distinction is critical for ensuring beer safety.

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