For the treatment of brewing water, in addition to activated carbon treatment, there are typically several methods available, including traditional mechanical filtering, precision filtration, sand filter pole filtering, borax filtering, and more.
Mechanical Filtration
In mechanical filtration, one or multiple filter media are utilized under specific pressure to pass the initial fluid through and remove pollutants, thus achieving the desired filtration. Common filter media include quartz sand, anthracite, granular permeable ceramics, manganese sand, etc. Mechanical filters are primarily used to reduce turbidity, block and eliminate suspended solids, organic matter, colloidal particles, bacteria, chlorine odor, and some heavy metal ions in the water. They are one of the fundamental water treatment methods for purifying water supply.
Precision Filtration
Precision filtration involves filtering raw water through a precision filter, also known as a safety filter. Typically, stainless steel housings are used for precision filters, and filter elements such as PP melt blown, steel wire, pleated titanium filters, activated carbon, and other tubular filter components are selected based on different filter media and design requirements.
Sand Filter Pole Filtering
Sand filter pole filtering is a method of purifying water using sand filter pole filters, also known as sand core filters. Under external pressure, water enters the pole barrel through the opening of the sand filter pole, and the ions in the water are trapped on the surface of the sand filter pole. Over time, scaling may occur on the outer wall of the sand core, reducing the water filtration capacity.
The sand filter is a combination of a sealed container made of lCrl8Ni9Ti or SUS304 steel plate and a ceramic sand filter. After the sand filter pole has been used for a period of time, 75% alcohol should be poured into the sand filter pole, the water outlet blocked, and the pole shaken. After a few minutes, the alcohol should be drained, and then the part in contact with the filtered water should be wiped with alcohol. Scaling on the outer wall of the sand core will gradually decrease the water filtration capacity.
What is the Role of Reverse Osmosis Treatment in Craft Beer?
In the production of craft beer, the quality of beer and the selection of raw materials and water are important considerations. Reverse osmosis treatment can effectively remove salt, organic matter, microorganisms, viruses, and other impurities from water.
When using reverse osmosis equipment to prepare low-salt water, the yield of raw water can only reach 75%, which is crucial for brewing water preparation. If the moisture content reaches 90%, there will be a slightly higher salt permeability (about 10%), depending on the salt content of the raw water. However, when the salt content of the raw water is less than 1000mg/L (expressed as NaCl), the equipment’s performance is not affected.
The passage of anions and cations through the reverse osmosis membrane depends on their chemical bond and ionic radius. In the presence of high levels of alkali metal ions such as sodium ions, the formation of sodium bicarbonate occurs to some extent (depending on the composition of the raw water), resulting in carbonate hardness exceeding the total hardness in pure water.
Reverse osmosis treatment technology is adopted to meet the water requirements in craft beer brewing. Its application and development in future brewing operations are highly recommended.
