'BEER'

In the next few editions, we will discuss the different elements involved in brewing your favourite pint, starting with the different ingredients. In this, the first article, Belgian beer expert Steve Mitchell writes about probably the most important component of any pint:

"Its the water", boasts many a brewer. "Its the beer" may be a more common sense claim without detracting from the important role of water.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries local water supplies were often of poor quality, or contaminated, and not easy to find. Water carried cholera & typhoid and was positively dangerous to drink, but beer production involved boiling the wort, which killed bacteria and produced a liquid which was safe. Some quite small towns such as Burton upon Trent and Tadcaster, with excellent natural water availability found fame and became the home to many breweries such as Bass, Marston's, Ind Coope, John Smith, Samuel Smith, etc. Moreover it was the type of water, strictly known as 'liquor' in the trade, available which made it so good for brewing.

The hard gypsum and Epsom salt rich waters of Burton upon Trent are ideal for their pale ales, but are poor for stouts and porters. Even today, a local source of good water is a great asset to the breweries. Many "claim" to have their own springs or wells, but many of them cannot be relied upon due to pollution of ground water, and can only be used for cleaning.

Modern technology has allowed, in most cases for the town water supply to be made adequate once the chlorine has been removed. Also, the production of different types of beer may call for natural salts or chemicals to be added or removed, e.g. water may be "Burtonised" to match the chemical structure of the natural water of Burton upon Trent.

It takes around seven to eight pints of water to produce one pint of beer, both in the brewing process and in the cleaning of vessels, etc., so an abundant supply is essential.

An adequate source of water will not guarantee a good beer, but at least its a start, and don't forget that the finest beer in the world is still mostly water!!