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Adam Glaser, Fort Collins Brewery's lead brewer, is obsessed with water quality. Each day, he samples the precious liquid three times, relying on a variety of tests to make sure that the core component of his craft beer is up to par.
As the fire season approaches, Glaser and other brewers across the region, are girding for another summer of dealing with fire-tinged water.
Last year, as everyone watched the Cache la Poudre turn black with ash, City of Fort Collins water quality staffers were meeting with brewers and sending daily emails to keep everyone informed as the crisis unfolded.
Brewers can shut down operations quickly in an emergency. Last summer, it never came to that. They're hoping it won't come to that this summer, but if it did, they're ready to have special water trucked in, so the brewing can continue.
Glaser and the other brewers are well acquainted with the way their water should taste. They will be among the first to know if this year's spring run-off - carrying residual debris and ash from last year's High Park Fire - has compromised supplies.
One...