O.H.S.O. and other Arizona breweries are making beer with recycled Scottsdale water - Axios PhoenixLog InLog InAxios Phoenix is an Axios company.

O H S O and other AZ breweries are making beer with recycled water

O.H.S.O. brewmaster Bret Waters shows off one of his water tanks. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios Arizona's craft beer scene is , which most of us agree is a great thing. Yes, but: You need water to make beer, and that's not something we have a lot of in the Valley. What's happening: Enter Scottsdale. The city's water department recaptures the water that goes down our pipes, purifies it and gives it to breweries to recycle it into yummy brews. City officials says Scottsdale is one of only three in the country that have a permit to reuse water in this way. They say the other cities are in California and Texas but didn't specify them. What you're thinking: We know. There is an immediate "yuck" reaction when you think about drinking the water you use to bathe, wash dishes and, well, flush the toilet. Scottsdale's water experts promise us everything icky is removed, and they say it's actually more pure than bottled water by the time it arrives at the breweries. What they're saying: "We're trying to get more people used to the idea of recycled water because, with the drought and the Colorado River shortage, this is a new alternative water source that we will be using in the future," Scottsdale Water's Valerie Schneider tells us. She says the city hopes using it in beer helps to normalize the recycled product because, "Beer's delicious. Everybody wants to drink beer." Amen. Try it yourself: Nine local breweries are using Scottsdale's recycled water to whip up a few kegs for the city's at Canal Convergence. Check it out on Nov. 4 and 5, from 6 to 10pm. Zoom in: O.H.S.O brewmaster Bret Waters (great last name for this story) let us stop by yesterday as he prepared to brew his recycled water beer. Waters says the H2O is so pure that he has to add calcium sulfate and phosphoric acid to make it interact with the hops and malt properly. "I don't think people realize what goes into creating water to make beer. You don't just turn the tap on and make beer," he says.He describes the beer he's creating for the showcase as a "hoppy pale ale," though he's using a pilsner malt and a Kolsch-style yeast strain, which should make it nice and smooth. 1 sustainability thing: Waters says O.H.S.O's commitment to preservation goes beyond using Scottsdale's recycled water. He said O.H.S.O. rebuilt its brewery about two years ago to create a closed-loop system that allows him to reuse water during the brewing process.It cut usage by 75%. What's next: State law doesn't yet allow for widespread distribution of recycled water for drinking purposes, but Schneider says Scottsdale is hopeful that will change in the near future. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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