From Home Brewing Wiki

Common Brewing Minerals
Name	Symbol
Calcium	Ca
Magnesium	Mg
Sodium	Na
Iron	Fe
Bicarbonate	HC03
Carbonate	CO3
Sulfate	SO4
Chloride	Cl

Although you may have learned that pure water is H2O, water for brewing must contain much more. Not only do dissolved minerals and ions affect the taste of ingredients in beer, they also provide necessary nutrients for growing yeast and buffering reactions relating to the pH of the water and the grains. Common dissolved minerals found in brewing water include:

Water from different sources around the world have different concentrations of these minerals that are naturally dissolved in it. The water found in Burton, England has a different profile from the water found in Pilsen, Czech Republic. These differences in water is what partially led to different styles of beer. Pilsner beer became possible due to the extremely soft water found in Pilsen, while the sulfate content in the water around Burton favored hoppy beers that became what we know as Pale Ale.

Contents 1 Water Sources 1.1 Tap Water 1.2 Bottled Spring Water 1.3 Distilled Water 1.4 Reverse Osmosis 2 Water Treatment 2.1 Chlorine 2.2 Chloramine 2.3 Salt and Mineral Additions 2.4 Water Substitutes

[edit] Water Sources

[edit] Tap Water

The rule of thumb is that if your water tastes okay to drink then it will be okay to brew with.

[edit] Bottled Spring Water

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[edit] Distilled Water

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[edit] Reverse Osmosis

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[edit] Water Treatment

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[edit] Chlorine

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[edit] Chloramine

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[edit] Salt and Mineral Additions

• Baking Soda
• Chalk
• Gypsum
• Table Salt - NaCl

[edit] Water Substitutes

Even though water is usually considered one of the basic ingredients of beer, some adventurous home brewers have tried replacing brewing water with other liquids. Almost any water-based liquid can theoretically be used in brewing, and can contribute flavor, fermentables, or both. Examples that have been tried, and reported as successful by their brewers, include everything from unconcentrated maple sap to Mountain Dew.