Water treatment for beer production / brewery at the PRAVDA Beer Theatre, city of Lviv
The PRAVDA Beer Theatre is a popular food service venue operated by the LOKAL network in Lviv, located in the very center of the city on Rynok Square. PRAVDA is not just a restaurant or a brewery plant. PRAVDA is a beer theatre, where visitors can watch food preparation and beer brewing in an open kitchen format and enjoy performances by the in-house brass band, the PRAVDA Orchestra. Guests can also take guided tours of the brewery and taste freshly brewed beer directly from the fermentation tank.
Moreover, the PRAVDA Beer Theatre is a local brewery offering customers beer produced on-site. Few people realize that brewing specific beer styles requires properly prepared water as a prerequisite.
Water requirements for beer brewing
Water is the primary component in beer brewing, and its quality has a significant impact on the taste of the final product. First and foremost, drinking water must comply with the general sanitary requirements approved by hygienic standards for potable water intended for human consumption. However, these standards are general in nature and do not fully meet the specific requirements for brewing water, which differ depending on beer production processes.
Key water parameters for brewing:
- Low nitrate content, as nitrates are already present in hops.
- Low chloride content.
- Presence of magnesium (Mg); higher magnesium levels increase beer bitterness.
- Low total salt content, otherwise the beer may taste salty.
- Minimal content of carbohydrate compounds.
Each beer style has its own brewing requirements and technologies. In some cases, adding specific mineral components to water is sufficient to significantly alter the beer’s flavor profile.
For example:
- Total hardness affects wort pH due to reactions of calcium and magnesium phosphate salts extracted from malt.
- Higher Mg²⁺ content enhances aroma, increases astringency, and adds a bitter aftertaste (Mg²⁺ acts as an enzyme activator).
- Low Ca²⁺ content makes beer more bitter and cloudy. The ideal calcium-to-magnesium ratio is 2:1.
- Sodium (Na) content, depending on concentration, can impart either acidic or salty flavors.
- Acidity level (pH) below 4.0 produces a sour taste and intensifies bitterness perception. The optimal pH range is 6.8–7.0.
- Iron (Fe) / manganese (Mn) negatively affect beer quality, causing astringent taste and foam turbidity.
- Trace elements such as Zn and Mn²⁺ are required for yeast growth, while Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ participate in redox enzymatic reactions.
- Sulfates (SO₄²⁻) affect proteins and lipids formed during fermentation of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, contributing to a bitter, dry, and harsh beer taste.
- Chlorides (Cl⁻) reduce and soften beer bitterness.
The PRAVDA Beer Theatre set the goal of providing visitors with purified drinking water and, as a result, refined and high-quality beer. The best flavor can only be achieved using properly treated water. Beer at PRAVDA is considered craft beer, as it is brewed in small batches, allowing control over every production stage and strict adherence to technology. PRAVDA is the only brewery in Ukraine using double fermentation technology. After brewing and maturation, the beer is bottled with a small addition of sugar and yeast, enabling natural carbonation through secondary fermentation inside sealed bottles. This process allows longer storage compared to other beers while preserving taste and quality. Part of the production is exported to Italy, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other European countries.
At PRAVDA, beer is brewed by leading brewers from Ukraine, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and the United States. Each beer style has its own brewing technology and ingredients, and therefore requires different water quality parameters and mineral composition. For this reason, PRAVDA approached the company ZIKO for a free water analysis and the selection of a water treatment system tailored specifically to their brewing profile, ensuring the ability to serve truly exceptional beer.
Specialists from the company ZIKO visited the brewery and developed a specialized engineering solution using modern water treatment systems, ensuring high quality and excellent flavor characteristics across all brewed beer varieties.
The engineering solution for the PRAVDA Beer Theatre includes:
- Mechanical filtration systems that remove suspended solids such as silt, sand, and rust from water.
- Comprehensive water treatment systems based on Ecomix filter media, which remove high concentrations of hardness salts, iron compounds, ammonium, manganese, and organic impurities.
- Pumping equipment for water supply, water treatment, and wastewater processing.
- Ultraviolet water treatment systems for the removal of organic contaminants.
- Water storage tanks to ensure continuous supply of treated water.
As a result, the PRAVDA Beer Theatre can guarantee excellent beer quality brewed using purified water.
ZIKO regularly provides maintenance services for this project and performs ongoing monitoring of equipment operation.
If you are interested in a similar project, please contact us using any convenient method listed in the “Contacts” section. Our managers will be happy to answer all your questions.
