Water in beer - why Pilsen and Burton taste different
We talk about malt, hops and yeast in beer, and forget the ingredient there is the most of. Beer is over 90% water. And it is not a neutral background but an active co-author of the flavour. You see it best in two towns that gave their names to whole styles: Pilsen and Burton.
Water is not just H2O
Water from different sources carries different minerals, mainly calcium, magnesium, sulfate and bicarbonate salts. They decide whether the water is soft or hard and how it behaves during brewing. The same minerals shape how the hops and malt come through in the finished beer. I describe the whole process in how beer is made.
Pilsen - soft water, the birth of the pilsner
Pilsen in the Czech Republic has exceptionally soft water, almost free of minerals. Such water does not amplify bitterness or stiffen the flavour, so it allows a delicate, clean beer with a soft, malty base. That is exactly why the pilsner was born there - a golden, elegant lager that could not be brewed the same way on hard water.
Burton - hard water, bold pale ales
Burton upon Trent in England has the opposite water: very hard, rich in sulfates. Sulfates sharpen and dry out hop bitterness, making it more decisive. Thanks to this, Burton gave birth to hoppy pale ales with a dry, crisp finish. The effect was so distinctive that breweries in other towns began imitating this water profile, which to this day is called Burtonisation.
What it means in the glass
- Soft water favours delicate, malty and clean styles - pilsners, pale lagers.
- Hard, sulfate water sharpens the hops - pale ales, IPAs with clear bitterness.
- Bicarbonate-rich water favours dark styles, because it balances the acidity of roasted malt - porters, stouts.
Today breweries can freely adjust their water, so they are no longer prisoners of their source. But the history of beer styles grew precisely out of what flowed from the local well.
Listen to your beer
Next time, with a pilsner and a bold IPA, notice how differently the bitterness comes through - that is partly the work of the water. In GustoNote you note the style and profile of every beer, and after a few dozen entries you will see which way your taste leans. I cover the role of malt in malt in beer.