Water is the most important component in beer production. Water is at all stages of the drink’s production process, because, in addition to being an ingredient, it is used for cleaning and sterilizing machines. Water forms the basis on which the flavors, bitterness, body, foam and effervescence of the drink develop. It also makes up more than 90% of the beer’s composition.
When discussing water quality, it is considered important that water is free of organic, inorganic and pathogenic contaminants, as this type of contamination can promote product loss, product recalls at the retail level and loss of consumer confidence.
In the production of beer, the requirement of drinkability is obvious because beer is a product for human consumption, so it must be free of pathogenic microorganisms. However, there are also requirements for mineral content, as the type of water affects the taste of the final product. That is, whether or not minerals are present in the water determines their suitability for the type of beer to be brewed.
Hard waters are ideal for Pale Ale beers, while soft waters are suitable for Pilsner beers. At this point, it is important to remember that hardness is the measure of the calcium and magnesium content in water. This and other parameters, such as pH and content of other minerals, are defined by the origin of the water. However, beer producers can control them to achieve the desired water profile. For this reason, water is the first ingredient to be analyzed before starting the manufacturing process.
Generally, beer styles are produced according to the type of water available. However, the master brewer can also adjust the water profile to suit the type of beer you want to brew.
It’s a big challenge for brewers, everything that has to do with water treatment. A water distiller for brewing beer, allows obtaining water without pollutants and free of minerals, facilitating the adjustment of the water profile from a recipe, which will allow producing beer of excellent quality.
Water distiller
The distiller is a team that performs the purification of drinking water, through consecutive and controlled processes of vaporization and cooling, which allows separating the water molecules, other molecules or elements that are diluted.
The design of this device varies according to the volumes of water required in the establishment. Generally speaking, it consists of a steam generator or boiling tank, immersion resistors, cooling water outlet, condenser, filter and distilled water tank.
The boiling tank is the reservoir where the water that will be distilled is stored. It has the device that supplies the water to the tank, in addition to controls of level, flow and quality of the feed water.
Immersion resistors are devices that generate heat through electricity. They are covered by a ceramic coating and protected by a metal coating. The cooling water outlet is the component of the distiller, which moves the water used to condense the water vapor. The condenser is the device that allows the vapor to cool and return to the liquid phase.
The filter is located at the outlet of the condenser or collector and serves to remove flavors or particles, present in condensed water. The distilled water tank is where water is collected after distillation.
Advantages of a distiller
- It allows the production of pure water from drinking water routinely supplied by water services.
- Maintains a continuous flow of pure water, in volumes suitable for the process. This feature is directly linked to your computer’s capacity.
- Offers an automated process.
Kalstein distillers
At Kalstein we offer a wide variety of water distillers, from the YR series. You can choose the one that best suits your needs. Kalstein water distillation equipment works in an automated way, therefore, it is easy to use. They are designed with a glass bucket at the top, which allows the observation of the distillation process. They promote water and energy saving and have a protection system for electric loads and also a protection function in cases where the water supply is reduced or interrupted. For more information about Kalstein distillers, visit the link HERE