Blog Tracker
26-01-2017, 07:11
Visit the Shut up about Barclay Perkins site (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2017/01/brewing-waters.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbLGq0Hm-Ao/WIdJxBopO6I/AAAAAAAAbU8/CGlAq4w9x50FZhtF5zG44EKsViesC7hkACLcB/s400/Younger_Holyrood_Ale.JPG (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbLGq0Hm-Ao/WIdJxBopO6I/AAAAAAAAbU8/CGlAq4w9x50FZhtF5zG44EKsViesC7hkACLcB/s1600/Younger_Holyrood_Ale.JPG)
I'm working away furiously at my new Scottish book. And I rec ently noted a huge gap in my knowledge of Scottish beer: the makeup of brewing water.
I'm pretty sure that I have searched for analyses of Edinburgh water in the past, but without much luck. I vaguely thought that it was similar to Burton water, but wasn't sure, not having any real numbers. Ed Wray helped me out with a scan from Lloyd Hind. Which prompted me to look in my own copy of the book. Where I found the handy table below.
It sems my assumption was well far off the mark. Edinburgh water is quite different to Burton's. More sodium, but less magnesium, calcium and way less sulphates and carbonates. Though you'll note that there are far fewer minerals in the third Burton sample. As I delight in pointing out - probably to everyone else's great annoyance - there's no such thing as Burton water, as every well produces water with a different set of minerals.
That said, the sulphate content of Edinburgh water is high compared to most others, Burton excepted, of course. Was it enough to help Pale Ale brewing? I don't really know, to be honest. I'm not that up on water chemistry, if I'm honest If you are, feel free to share your expertise.
Classification of Hard Brewing Waters (parts per 100,000)
Carbo- nate ratio
Total solids
Na
Mg
Ca
NO3
CI
S04
C03
Geological formation
GROUP A.
1, Burton-on-Trent
13
219.2
4.6
8.2
51.2
4.3
6.7
130.1
141
Keuper marl
2. Burton-on-Trent
25
122.6
3
6.2
26.8
3.1
3.6
65.8
141
Gravel beds
3. Burton-on-Trent
39
81.1
4.3
5.8
15.6
5
7.3
29.3
13.8
" "
4. Bedfordshire
49
78.8
6
0.9
19
4.8
3.1
30
15
Lias
GROUP B.
5. Co. Durham
54
76.5
7.4
3.5
14.4
1.2
11.4
21.1
16.5
Magnesian Limestone
6. Dortmund
60
101.2
6.9
2.3
26
—
10.7
28.3
27
7. Gloucestershire
60
67.8
4.5
4
13.6
0.3
3.6
23.5
18.3
Magnesian Limestone
8. Bedfordshire
66
55.5
4.6
0.8
13.9
0.6
3
17.6
15
Oolites
GROUP C.
9. Lancashire
68
61.5
3.9
4.5
12.1
0.3
6.7
14
20
New Red Sandstone
10. Lincolnshire
69
45.8
3.4
0.4
12.2
4
3
9.6
12.2
Lower Oolite
11. Edinburgh
70
80
9.2
3.6
14
3.1
6
23.1
21
Old Red Sandstone
12. Yorkshire
77
41.2
2.3
1.7
10.5
1.8
3
6.6
15.3
New Red Sandstone
13. Lancashire
78
24.7
1.6
1.4
5.5
1.7
2.4
2.9
9.2
" "
14. Berkshire
80
30.3
0.5
0.9
10
0.5
3.6
0.6
14.2
Chalk
GROUP D.
15. Gloucestershire
85
27.7
0.9
0.6
8.8
1
1.6
2.4
12.4
Lias
16. London M.W.B.
85
32
2.4
0.4
9
0.3
1.8
5.8
12.3
17. Nottinghamshire
85
24.6
1.2
3.2
3.6
0.2
1.6
3.4
11.4
New Red Sandstone
18. Surrey
86
29.7
1.6
0.2
9.3
2.6
2.3
1.4
12.3
Chalk
19. Hertfordshire
92
44.6
3.8
7
11.8
3.2
3.5
4.5
17.1
"
GROUP E.
20. Munich, Dublin
97
27.5
0.1
1.9
8.1
0.3
0.1
0.5
16.5
21. Lancashire
100
23.9
2.7
1.4
4.4
0.9
1.7
2.7
10.1
New Red Sandstone
22. Lancashire
100
38.4
1.9
3.4
8.4
-
1.7
1.8
21.2
" "
Source:
Brewing: Science and Practice 1: by Herbert Lloyd Hind, 1940, page 458.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2017/01/brewing-waters.html)
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbLGq0Hm-Ao/WIdJxBopO6I/AAAAAAAAbU8/CGlAq4w9x50FZhtF5zG44EKsViesC7hkACLcB/s400/Younger_Holyrood_Ale.JPG (https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JbLGq0Hm-Ao/WIdJxBopO6I/AAAAAAAAbU8/CGlAq4w9x50FZhtF5zG44EKsViesC7hkACLcB/s1600/Younger_Holyrood_Ale.JPG)
I'm working away furiously at my new Scottish book. And I rec ently noted a huge gap in my knowledge of Scottish beer: the makeup of brewing water.
I'm pretty sure that I have searched for analyses of Edinburgh water in the past, but without much luck. I vaguely thought that it was similar to Burton water, but wasn't sure, not having any real numbers. Ed Wray helped me out with a scan from Lloyd Hind. Which prompted me to look in my own copy of the book. Where I found the handy table below.
It sems my assumption was well far off the mark. Edinburgh water is quite different to Burton's. More sodium, but less magnesium, calcium and way less sulphates and carbonates. Though you'll note that there are far fewer minerals in the third Burton sample. As I delight in pointing out - probably to everyone else's great annoyance - there's no such thing as Burton water, as every well produces water with a different set of minerals.
That said, the sulphate content of Edinburgh water is high compared to most others, Burton excepted, of course. Was it enough to help Pale Ale brewing? I don't really know, to be honest. I'm not that up on water chemistry, if I'm honest If you are, feel free to share your expertise.
Classification of Hard Brewing Waters (parts per 100,000)
Carbo- nate ratio
Total solids
Na
Mg
Ca
NO3
CI
S04
C03
Geological formation
GROUP A.
1, Burton-on-Trent
13
219.2
4.6
8.2
51.2
4.3
6.7
130.1
141
Keuper marl
2. Burton-on-Trent
25
122.6
3
6.2
26.8
3.1
3.6
65.8
141
Gravel beds
3. Burton-on-Trent
39
81.1
4.3
5.8
15.6
5
7.3
29.3
13.8
" "
4. Bedfordshire
49
78.8
6
0.9
19
4.8
3.1
30
15
Lias
GROUP B.
5. Co. Durham
54
76.5
7.4
3.5
14.4
1.2
11.4
21.1
16.5
Magnesian Limestone
6. Dortmund
60
101.2
6.9
2.3
26
—
10.7
28.3
27
7. Gloucestershire
60
67.8
4.5
4
13.6
0.3
3.6
23.5
18.3
Magnesian Limestone
8. Bedfordshire
66
55.5
4.6
0.8
13.9
0.6
3
17.6
15
Oolites
GROUP C.
9. Lancashire
68
61.5
3.9
4.5
12.1
0.3
6.7
14
20
New Red Sandstone
10. Lincolnshire
69
45.8
3.4
0.4
12.2
4
3
9.6
12.2
Lower Oolite
11. Edinburgh
70
80
9.2
3.6
14
3.1
6
23.1
21
Old Red Sandstone
12. Yorkshire
77
41.2
2.3
1.7
10.5
1.8
3
6.6
15.3
New Red Sandstone
13. Lancashire
78
24.7
1.6
1.4
5.5
1.7
2.4
2.9
9.2
" "
14. Berkshire
80
30.3
0.5
0.9
10
0.5
3.6
0.6
14.2
Chalk
GROUP D.
15. Gloucestershire
85
27.7
0.9
0.6
8.8
1
1.6
2.4
12.4
Lias
16. London M.W.B.
85
32
2.4
0.4
9
0.3
1.8
5.8
12.3
17. Nottinghamshire
85
24.6
1.2
3.2
3.6
0.2
1.6
3.4
11.4
New Red Sandstone
18. Surrey
86
29.7
1.6
0.2
9.3
2.6
2.3
1.4
12.3
Chalk
19. Hertfordshire
92
44.6
3.8
7
11.8
3.2
3.5
4.5
17.1
"
GROUP E.
20. Munich, Dublin
97
27.5
0.1
1.9
8.1
0.3
0.1
0.5
16.5
21. Lancashire
100
23.9
2.7
1.4
4.4
0.9
1.7
2.7
10.1
New Red Sandstone
22. Lancashire
100
38.4
1.9
3.4
8.4
-
1.7
1.8
21.2
" "
Source:
Brewing: Science and Practice 1: by Herbert Lloyd Hind, 1940, page 458.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2017/01/brewing-waters.html)