Is It Okay To Brew Beer With Hard Water?

Beer wort boiling on the stove: photo by ilovebutter.

Hard water can have a serious impact on the quality of homebrewed beer. Just as ‘hard water’ stains develop on your dishes and inside your dishwasher, the same stuff can from inside your beer. While minor cases typically won’t pose any problems, heavy concentrations of hard water can alter the beer’s flavor, aroma and even texture.

So, what exactly is hard water? The term is used to describe water with a heavy concentration of dissolved minerals. Although you can’t see them with the naked eye, tap water typically contains several different minerals, some of which are good while others are bad. Chlorine, for instance, is added to kill bacteria and pathogens, reducing the chance of water-borne illness by those who drink it.

Small amounts of dissolved minerals isn’t going to cause any major changes to your beer. On the contrary, it can actually prove helpful in balancing the flavors. However, high concentrations can ruin an otherwise perfect batch of beer. This is why it’s important to check your water for mineral concentrations before brewing a large batch of beer.

The only sure-fire way to determine the exact concentrations of minerals in your tap water is by viewing a water report. These reports list concentrations of the following minerals using parts-per-million (PPM).

Note: you may have to do some research to find your local municipal system’s water report. I recommend searching on Google, and if you are still unable to find it, contact your water company to request a report.

Common Minerals and Elements Found In Water:

• Carbonate and Bicarbonate (CO3 and HCO3)
• Calcium (Ca)
• Chloride (Cl)
• Magnesium (Mg)
• Sodium (Na)
• Sulfate (SO4)

Combating The Problem of Hard Water

You might be wondering how you can prevent hard water from ruining your homebrewed beer. You can’t exactly force the local water company to clean up their water, but you can opt to use distilled water in your brew instead. Distilled water has gone through the process of distillation, meaning all of the minerals and impurities are filtered out.

Bottled water: photo by Minny Chow.

Distilled water may cost a little extra for distilled water at the grocery store — as opposed to using tap water from your sink — but you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your beer is safe and protected against the negative effects of hard water.

How do you handle hard water when brewing beer? Let us know in the comments section below!