while i'm asking stupid questions....

does anyone have any idea how to find out the water profiles of various cities/breweries around the world or is that stuff a well kept secret? I'm a geochemist/microbiologist you see and it wouldn't be hard for me to make a batch of water with the same profile as say the Urquell Brewery (which I know would have to be super soft, but the specifics matter!)....if I only knew that info! any help? anyone?

Ooops read it wrong.

Do a google search for the city where the brewery is. If they're using that water you'll have something to go on. They may be filtering and adding salts though.

here's a start for Prague: http://www.praha-mesto.cz/(y22vpv55hm13acyqkehzwano)/zdroj.aspx?typ=2&Id=63361&sh=1279200728

drvodka said:

does anyone have any idea how to find out the water profiles of various cities/breweries around the world or is that stuff a well kept secret? I'm a geochemist/microbiologist you see and it wouldn't be hard for me to make a batch of water with the same profile as say the Urquell Brewery (which I know would have to be super soft, but the specifics matter!)....if I only knew that info! any help? anyone?

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Municipal water supplies have to undergo mandatory testing (IIRC, at least yearly?) and the results are a matter of public record. You just need to ask either the local municipal government, or the water supplier, for a copy of those records.

That's what I did. They have to provide you with the test results if requested.

Luckily (?), they just sent it to me in the mail with my bill.

Beware that a lot of breweries have their own water supplies which may be different to that of the public supply in the area.

When I was on a tour of the Theakstons brewery earlier this week the brewer mentioned that they used to use their own well but had to swap to a public supply due to the risk of contaminants in their well.

What they do now is to boil off everything that the water company adds to the public supply and add mineral salts to the brewing water to take it back to the mineral content of the original well.

I guess they would only go to this amount of trouble if the mineral content of the public supply v's the artesian well supply was significantly different.

HTH

80/-

Bloody 'ell 80/-, I live in Bedale 7 miles from Masham. Did you visit Black Sheep aswell?

Roger.

RogerN said:

Bloody 'ell 80/-, I live in Bedale 7 miles from Masham. Did you visit Black Sheep aswell?

Roger.

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Lovely part of the country - even without the breweries it'd be a nice spot

Certainly did head to the Black Sheep! Their brewery seems to be undergoing a lot of expansion at the moment - I missed out on a tour but had a quick shufty round the back of the brewery.

I think we went through Bedale on the way to / from the A1 - we were staying at the Kings Head in Masham - a great pint of Theakstons - I preferred the Black Bull to the XB or bitter, but the Old Peculiar was by far and away the best - I rationed myself to just a couple of those a day though !

Love the fact that Theakstons still send out wooden casks to those who want them around North Yorks - lends an added air of craft to the whole thing !

80/-

I was married in Masham and our reception was held at the Kings head!
A good few pints of Theakies were quaffed that day.

Roger.