Water Treatment Systems for the Brater Brewery

Beer is an aqueous solution of extractive substances from malt that have not been transformed during fermentation, ethyl alcohol, and flavor and aroma compounds. Water is the main component of beer (accounting for at least 90% of any beer style), which makes it a determining factor in shaping the flavor characteristics of the final product.

Brewers often do not pay sufficient attention to the composition of the water used for brewing. However, the Bavarians — who remain trendsetters in brewing to this day — have long recognized that water quality plays a crucial role both in brewing technology and in the taste of the final product. The influence of water on beer flavor explains the historical regional characteristics of different beer styles, as the distinctive properties of certain types of beer are directly linked to the ionic composition of the water.

The water used for beverage production must first and foremost comply with drinking water standards. However, considering its impact on physicochemical and biochemical processes in brewing, additional requirements apply depending on the beer style and the manufacturer. These additional requirements for water used directly in beer production relate to parameters such as pH value, hardness, and the ratio between calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ion concentrations, which is not regulated for drinking water.

The manufacturer LLC “VZ GROUP”, trademark “Brater”, produces bottom-fermented beer (Lager). At the request of Czech brewing specialists and in compliance with water quality standards, the production facility was located in the suburb of Lviv, Kozhychi village, Yavoriv district, primarily due to the availability of a water supply with high-quality water (free from chlorine and other undesirable compounds).

The water source, discovered during the Austro-Hungarian period in 1898, is located in Volia-Dobrostanska village, Yavoriv district. Water quality has been tested and confirmed by an accredited laboratory. LLC “VZ GROUP” built the production facility from scratch, uses high-quality Czech equipment, and employs qualified technologists, which allows achieving an ideal flavor profile for its product.

The manufacturer approached the engineering company ZIKO with the objective of softening the water used in the production of light beer with a characteristic foam — Brater. During beer brewing, water must contain a specific amount of hardness salts, but only calcium-based salts, as magnesium salts cause beer bitterness and result in a darker wort color.

Traditionally, to determine the appropriate water treatment technology, specialists analyzed the quality of the source water through laboratory testing, based on which the following solution was proposed:

1. Mandatory removal of mechanical impurities is implemented prior to the water softening system.
2. After mechanical filtration, the water softening system comes into operation. It is easy to operate, consists of simple but reliable components, requires no additional attention, and ensures soft water. The system consists of four functional elements:

• filter media — sodium-form ion-exchange resin;
• control valve with a high safety margin;
• pressure vessel for media loading;
• brine tank that stores a reserve of tablet salt and water, the system of which prevents overfilling of the tank and air ingress into the system.

Specialists of the company ZIKO design water treatment and water preparation systems for use in brewing. At the same time, excellent results are guaranteed — the water will comply with all internal requirements and regulatory standards. We also focus not only on ensuring a reliable technological process, but also on reducing costs associated with water treatment, water preparation, and equipment maintenance.

Our specialists will be happy to answer any questions related to water treatment and water preparation. Simply call us or send an inquiry by email.