Everything you need to know about... water
In the latest in our series Michael Jackson investigates the role of water and how important a quality sourse is to the overall taste of beer
Water has a significant influence on the flavour and body of beer, though not as great as the contribution made by malted barley and other grains; by hops; and by the brewer himself.
If barley took up more water from the soil, it would contain juice, as grapes do. That would make it – like the grape – easy to use in the production of drinks. It would also render it – again like the grape – soft, fragile, and more susceptible to damage and deterioration. Being drier and thicker-skinned makes barley tougher and more resilient. Barley flourishes in a wider range of soils and climates, and especially in cooler places than the grape. That is why the Central Northwestern countries of Europe typically produce beer, while the warmer Southeast favours wine.
Barley is tough in more senses than one. Not only can it stand up to the weather, it is also tough to chew; too hard to eat, for example, in its raw state.
It can be softened by being turned into malt. This means that it is steeped in water until it begins to sprout, then dried. After being malted, the grain is biscuity, and soluble. In the brewhouse, the malt is mixed with water.
This is the principal use of water as an ingredient in beer. And this is where the character of the water most influences the flavour of the brew.
In the simplest method, the mixture of malted grain and water sits in a vessel like a gigantic coffee filter. The liquid that filters through is the “juice" of the barley or other grains (eg. wheat, oats, .....
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By Michael Jackson
Section : Beer Production
Page number : 28
