Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was once quoted as saying: "In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria." While there is certainly some truth to this quote, especially considering water quality in the 1700s, it should be noted that beer's long history is also fraught with microorganisms-both helpful and harmful in the eyes of the brewer.
The four main ingredients in most modern beer recipes are water, a starch such as barley (usually malted), hops and yeast. And each ingredient has a very specific role in the brewing process. Any home brewer knows that the quality of the water used in brewing beer can significantly impact the flavor of the finished product. For example, excessive amounts of fluoride in the tap water can alter the flavor (and then some) of beer, not to mention the presence of bacteria and other microorganisms naturally found in tap water which can turn beer sour, acidic or give it a foul odor. Read more and comment at http://www.esa.org/esablog/research/spontaneous-fermentation-the-role-of-microorganisms-in-beer/
