Strange pH readings in mash

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Eric
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Re: Strange pH readings in mash

Post by Eric » Wed Jul 18, 2018 4:09 pm

simple one wrote:
Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:32 am
Hence often on a lot of brewing software, an all pale recipe will need to be of a negative alkalinity to drop the pH low enough to compensate for a rise in pH.
To some degree that is true. However, most brewing software originated in America where domestic water supplies can be unpleasant to drink and/or unsuitable for brewing. CRS is not available there and it is virtually impossible for individuals to obtain sulphuric and hydrochloric acids meaning they are restricted to phosphoric and lactic acids. Thus many American homebrewers use RO water and few mineral additions which produces an excessively high pH in a mash with paler malts and to counter this, they either add acidulated malt or acidify their mash liquor using lactic or phosphoric.

In my case I choose CRS, sulphuric or hydrochloric acid to reduce alkalinity depending upon the sulphate and chloride required for the style being brewed. With only the ususal 95ppm calcium in the domestic supply it is possible to achieve a highly satisfactory mash pH with an all pale malt grist with some alkalinity remaining. Were I to use phosphoric acid, some of the calcium would be deposited and I would effectively be mashing in the dark unless the treated liquor was retested and the calcium replaced by a salt addition and if lactic were used the beer wouldn't taste very nice.
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mabrungard
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Re: Strange pH readings in mash

Post by mabrungard » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:06 pm

As already mentioned, water pH is a poor predictor for mashing pH response. It is water alkalinity that drives mashing pH.

In a grist with little crystal or roast content, it will need to have a surplus of H+ protons in it to consume the buffering that is a natural part of the pale grist. In fact, if you were to measure the pH of just the water that has been acidified to account for a pale grist, its pH may be below 4. Plenty of Bru'n Water users have needlessly frightened themselves by measuring the pH of their prepared mashing liquor before adding the grain. Upon combination, they do see that the pH does come to their targeted value.

So in the case of the original post, targeting a pH of 5.6 wasn't anywhere near where your water pH needed to be.
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