Question: Why is water quality important in brewing?

Water quality impacts beer flavour, mouthfeel and stability. Key variables such as calcium content, residual alkalinity (RA), sulphate-to-chloride ratio, mash pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) determine mash efficiency, enzyme performance, yeast health and hop or malt balance. Poor control can lead to off-flavours, low efficiency and inconsistent beer quality. Water quality also directly affects process equipment through corrosion and scaling.