Water is arguably the most critical and least understood of the foundation elements in brewing beer.

Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers, third in Brewers Publications’ Brewing Elements series, takes the mystery out of water’s role in the brewing process. From an overview on sources, quality and geography, the book leads brewers through how to read water reports, understanding flavor contributions, and the treatment and chemistry of brewing water.

Authors John Palmer and Colin Kaminski lead a discussion of adjusting water to styles of beer, residual alkalinity, malt acidity, mash pH, brewery process water and wastewater treatment is included.