A Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine reader recently asked us the following question:
I’ve been reading up on water profiles, but the topic is complex. Should I try to match my water to a particular city for a style of beer or use another method?
Water chemistry is, indeed, a complex subject. Many years ago, the recommendation was for brewers to try to “match” a particular city’s water to brew a style of beer. So, if you were brewing a Pilsner, you would try to match the water profile from Pilsen; if you were brewing an Irish stout, you would match the water profile from Dublin.
While this can still be an effective method for targeting a narrow style, many commercial brewers have moved away from this “water-matching” approach because our understanding of the underlying water chemistry has improved. Also, some of the traditional water profiles may not match the water actually used at the breweries in question. I encourage brewers to focus on a few basic water concepts, outlined below, rather than blindly “matching” a water profile.