Author: Henry Chen Publish Time: 2025-07-21 Origin: Jinan Cassman Machinery Co., Ltd.
Hi everyone—Henry Chen here, CEO of Jinan Cassman Machinery. I’ve spent 20 years building beer equipment and working with over 500 breweries worldwide, from small brewpubs in downtown Chicago to craft operations in Southeast Asia. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned? The best hops, malt, and yeast in the world won’t save a beer if your water is bad.
Water isn’t just “the wet stuff” in brewing—it’s an ingredient. In fact, it makes up 90% of your beer. So if your water has weird minerals, the wrong pH, or hidden contaminants? You’ll taste it. No question.
Today, I want to break down the three biggest water quality factors that make or break your beer—and how to check them. No fancy lab degrees needed, just straight talk from someone who’s seen breweries nail (and mess up) this step.
pH measures how acidic or alkaline your water is—and for brewing, sweet spot is 5.2 to 5.6. That’s not arbitrary—this range helps your enzymes break down malt starches into sugar (critical for fermentation!) and keeps hop bitterness balanced.
Here’s what happens if you miss the mark:
Water that’s too alkaline (pH above 5.6)? Your beer will taste harsh, bitter, or even “soapy.” I once worked with a brewery in Europe that couldn’t figure out why their pale ale tasted metallic—turns out their tap water had a pH of 7.1. Fixing that (we’ll get to adjustments later) turned their beer from “meh” to a local bestseller.
Water that’s too acidic (pH below 5.2)? Your beer will be tart, thin, or even sour (unless you’re intentionally brewing a sour—then that’s a feature, not a bug).
How to check it: Grab a digital pH meter (they’re cheap—$20-$50 online) or test strips. Fill a glass with your brewing water, let it sit at room temp for 10 minutes, then dip the meter or strip. That’s it. No lab required.
Minerals like calcium, magnesium, and sulfate aren’t enemies—they’re flavor boosters. But balance is everything. The problem? Every water source is different: tap water in Denver has way more minerals than tap water in New York, and well water might have totally different levels than city water.
Here’s what you need to know:
Too many minerals: Think metallic, salty, or “hard” beer. I had a client in Australia who used well water with sky-high calcium—their stout tasted like they’d dumped a handful of salt in it. Not good.
Too few minerals: Your beer will be flat, boring, and lacking depth. It’s like making coffee with distilled water—no body, no flavor.
The key minerals to watch for (and what they do):
Calcium: Helps enzymes work, clarifies beer, and balances hop bitterness. Aim for 50-150 ppm (parts per million).
Magnesium: Boosts yeast health (happy yeast = better fermentation!). Keep it under 50 ppm—too much tastes bitter.
Sulfate: Enhances hop character (great for IPAs!). Too much (over 200 ppm) makes beer taste dry or astringent.
Chloride: Adds sweetness and body (perfect for stouts or lagers). Keep it under 100 ppm—too much tastes like pool water.
How to check it: Most cities publish annual water quality reports—look up yours online (search “[your city] water quality report 2024”). For well water or if you want precise numbers, get a water test kit (we recommend kits from companies like Ward Labs—they’re $30-$50 and send you a detailed breakdown).
You can have perfect pH and minerals, but if your water has bacteria, chemicals, or weird stuff? Your beer is done for. Contaminants cause off-flavors (think “wet cardboard,” “skunky,” or “medicinal”) and can even make beer unsafe to drink.
The big ones to watch for:
Bacteria (like E. coli or wild yeast): These sneak in from old pipes, well water, or even dirty test equipment. They’ll ferment your beer incorrectly, leading to sourness or fizz that’s way too bubbly.
Chlorine/Chloramines: Cities add these to kill bacteria—but they ruin beer. Even tiny amounts (0.1 ppm) make beer taste like “band-aids” or “chlorine.”
Heavy Metals (lead, copper): Rare, but dangerous. Old pipes can leach lead, which is toxic—and copper (from bad plumbing) makes beer taste metallic.
How to check it:
For chlorine: Use chlorine test strips (cheap, $10-$15). If you find it, let water sit out overnight (chlorine evaporates) or use a carbon filter.
For bacteria: Home test kits work, but for peace of mind, send a sample to a local lab (your city’s health department can recommend one).
For heavy metals: Most city water reports include this, but well water owners should test every 1-2 years.
I’ve seen new brewers panic over tiny mineral differences, but here’s the truth: you don’t need “perfect” water. You need water that works for your style.
Brewing an IPA? You want a bit more sulfate to highlight hops. Making a stout? More chloride for sweetness. And if your water isn’t ideal? We can help—our brewing systems include water treatment options (like reverse osmosis or mineral dosing pumps) to tweak your water to perfection.
At Cassman, we don’t just sell tanks—we help you build a brewery that makes great beer, start to finish. That means walking you through water tests, recommending adjustments, and even designing systems that work with your local water source.
If you’re stuck on water quality (or any part of brewing!), drop us a line. We’ve helped 500+ breweries fix their water issues—and we can help you too.
Cheers to better beer (starting with better water),
Henry Chen
CEO, Jinan Cassman Machinery Co., Ltd.
Visit our site to learn more about our brewing systems and water treatment solutions.
