We think of beer as a combination of malt and hops, brewed together to create a delicious beverage. But above all, beer is mostly water (about 90-95% water to be exact). This means that the quality, mineral content, and consistency of your brewery’s water source have a direct and significant impact on every aspect of your brew, from flavor to aroma, clarity, and stability, as well as batch yield.
The Hard and Soft of Water and Beer
For craft brewers, water isn’t part of the background. Good ol’ H2O is fundamental to the brewing process. For many brewers, that’s why a commercial water softener is a critical piece of equipment.
The benefits of a hard water softener for breweries are significant. It can help regulate the mineral content (and all that this entails) for your perfectly balanced brew. It can also help protect your equipment and ensure consistency in everything that bears your name.
Is a water treatment system necessary for every brewery? It depends on your specific needs, but many brewers find it helps them control and produce the best water for a stellar final product.
Here’s why softened water may just be the missing ingredient in your perfect brew.
Understanding Hard and Soft Water in Brewing
Why is the “hardness” of water such an important consideration in brewing beer? Hard water contains higher levels of dissolved minerals. Calcium and magnesium are the minerals usually found, although other minerals may also be present.
Hard water is common in groundwater and is found in most municipal water sources (a.k.a. in regular tap water). But the water composition varies by region, season, and even the type of plumbing infrastructure. For beer brewing, high-quality water is essential for making great beer.
This is often why so many beer commercials emphasize their water sourcing, frequently claiming it’s “straight from the Rockies” or “natural springs.” Water matters to beer; in fact, it’s a core component of a beer’s unique profile.
Soft water is produced when hard minerals are removed, typically through a commercial water softener. Water softening systems use a process called ion exchange, which replaces calcium and magnesium with sodium or potassium ions. The result is water that’s clearer, more stable, and less taxing on your equipment and beer.
From the mash pH to hop extraction, the mineral content of brewing water impacts every stage of the craft brewing process. If you don’t control your water profile and maintain consistency, your beer will vary from one batch to the next, even if all other factors in the fermentation process remain the same.
How Hard and Soft Water Affects Beer Styles
Different beer styles evolved based on their regional water profile. This is the reason why mastering water treatment is so essential for brewers who want to produce a variety of beer styles and types, or those who wish to scale production without altering the flavor. For commercial applications, mineral-rich water has a significant impact on the final product.
Here’s how different types of water help create different styles of beer:
Pilsners: Soft water with low alkalinity gives a pilsner that perfect delicate, and crisp flavor balance. With low-calcium and magnesium content, you get a clean, malt finish.
Pale Ales: Pale ales are brewed with moderately hard water by comparison. The water has higher sulfate levels to help balance hoppy bitterness. As a result, you get a brighter, more assertive flavor.
IPAs (India Pale Ales): IPAs call for hard water with high sulfate levels to impact the bold, bitter, hop-forward character of the brew. Many require a higher pH (a point that is debated amongst many an IPA brewer). The sulfates in this brew give it that classic IPA bite.
Stouts & Porters: For a smooth mouthfeel and chocolate/coffee notes, stouts and porters call for softer water to highlight the roasted malt. The water in these beers is moderately soft with low sulfate and higher chloride content.
Kölsch: These light-bodied, top-fermented ales are cold-conditioned like lagers, resulting in a clean and fruity beer with a crisp, wine-like finish. Similar to Champaign in France, only breweries in the Cologne region of Germany can label their beer as “Kölsch.” Low pH and moderately soft water help maintain the delicate balance of malt and hops.
Lagers: Lagers require water with moderate hardness and balanced minerals. The water must have low alkalinity. The mineral control helps produce the subtle maltiness that most lagers are known for.
Why Do We Need Water Softeners for Breweries?
So, as you can see, soft water isn’t a requirement for every type of beer, but controlling the hardness or softness of water is critical to getting the right balance and expected flavor. A commercial water softener lets you start each batch with the same mineral makeup, so you can control the balance as you see fit.
There are many benefits to having a commercial water softener at your brewery:
1. Batch Consistency
While a home brewer, or even a small-scale operation, can deal with some inconsistency in batches, larger operations know that their beer is their brand, and consistency is everything in keeping customers.
A commercial water softener offers you precise control over the mineral content of your brewing water. It’s essential for areas with municipal and seasonal water supply fluctuations.
Water softeners for breweries provide a consistent and predictable baseline for water quality. It’s easier to build a desired mash profile and adjust the mash pH as you go, to replicate your recipes at scale.
If you’re a brewer that produces large batches or distributes regionally, consistent water quality is non-negotiable for your brand integrity. A commercial water softener for breweries helps eliminate one of the biggest wildcards of the brewing process. Brewing isn’t guesswork.
2. Equipment Protection
While flavor may arguably be the most critical consideration for soft water, there are other reasons to avoid hot water, too. It’s brutal on brewing systems and equipment. Minerals like calcium can lower the pH levels in untreated water, which will wreak havoc on your machines.
Higher mineral levels lead to scale buildup in boilers, water heaters, and fermenters. The scale and buildup can reduce the efficiency of heat transfer and drive up energy costs—something especially concerning in an industry that runs on tight margins.
Hard water can also clog your lines, corrode pipes, and reduce the steady flow of beer moving along the process. It shortens the life of your most essential components, like heating elements and pumps.
Soft water, on the other hand, doesn’t pose the same hazards to your operation. You’ll lower maintenance costs, prevent damage to your machinery, and better maintain your production schedule with soft water.
3. Better Cleaning & Sanitation
Sanitation is a must for beer brewing. And, did you know – hard water makes cleaning more difficult? Hard water actually reacts with soaps and sanitizers to create scum—a buildup of foam that makes it much more challenging to achieve sterile conditions in your process.
Cleanliness is especially crucial in keg and tank washing, glassware rinsing, and for cleaning and sanitizing lines. It can have a very negative impact on flavor, and “dirty lines” can ruin your beer and your reputation.
Soft water helps you get a clean, scum-free rinse with less detergent. Soft water enables you to maintain those vital cleaning standards, so your brewery can offer a safe and consistent product.
Presentation is important too. Commercial water filters can have a significant impact on client and customer perception. No one likes to sample or drink from a foggy, dirty-looking glass.
Do Water Softeners Affect Beer Flavor?
Of course, any time you’re talking about factors that influence flavor and consistency, brewers will naturally have some concerns. Fortunately, you can rest assured that just because you have a commercial water softener, it doesn’t mean you’re locked into soft water brewing.
Many successful breweries prefer to use a water softener in combination with other tools. A reverse osmosis filter can help you start with an essentially blank slate. Remineralization steps allow you to add calcium, magnesium, chloride, and sulfate in a perfectly controlled balance to achieve a specific style.
That means you can still target authentic water profiles while protecting your equipment and maintaining control over the outcome. With the proper treatment, softening water actually gives you MORE flexibility. It’s the best choice for meeting the unique needs of breweries.
It’s important to know and understand your source water. Water hardness varies by city and even by zip code. Testing the incoming water helps you determine if a softener is necessary to offset high concentrations of certain minerals that can affect the flavor.
State and local rules and regulations may also apply to your brewery. Check your local laws for commercial water quality standards and information on wastewater discharge. Most local municipality offices will allow you to view the most recent water report and historical details about the water supplied to your business.
If you decide that a commercial water softener for breweries is the right answer for your business, be sure to choose the best system for your setup. A commercial-grade water softener from a trusted vendor, such as Reliable Water Services, will come with proper sizing, maintenance guidelines, and ongoing support.
Don’t overlook the most abundant ingredient in your beer. Managing your water profile is the secret to consistent quality for IPAs, lagers, porters, and other brews.
At Reliable Water Services, we understand commercial brewery needs, especially in our primary service areas of Indiana and Wisconsin (both states known for their brew). If you’re just getting started or are ready to take the next steps toward protecting your brewery equipment, reach out today. We’ll help you discover how commercial water softeners for breweries can perfect your recipes and keep your brew flowing for your most loyal fans.