PH

[MARMITE]

I am having a problem getting my PH high enough on my dark beers. My alkalinity in my tap water is 116 calcium 60 and chloride 30. Have made 2 identical stouts recently (Bandit's Fireside stout)
Brew 1 Water treatment-1tsp cal chloride to mash. PH at start of boil 4.9.
Brew 2 -Prepared 7 gallons of tap water+1gallon of Morrisons still water which contains 280ppm of bicarbonate and a PH of 7.8. The Ph at the start of the boil was 4.7 ( I checked this with PH papers and PH meter). I had hoped that the Bicarb would increase the PH but it seems to have done the opposite - is my thinking correct and what else can I do to increase the PH a bit?

[maxashton]

sodium bicarbonate is pretty alkali, i thought. it should have raised the pH somewhat.

Anyway, i think the common additive for raising pH is precipitated chalk. Got some?

[Aleman]

Stop measuring the pH at the start of the boil. It is a complete total useless f*cking waste of time!

The important pH reading is one about 10 minutes into the mash where it should settle around pH5.3, but as low as pH 5.1 and as high as pH 5.5-5.7 is ok.

If you get your alkalinity correct (remember that for dark beers you can get away with a higher residual alkalinity after treatment) then the mash pH will fall in the right ball park.

[CaskAle13c]

(remember that for dark beers you can get away with a higher residual alkalinity after treatment) then the mash pH will fall in the right ball park.[/quote]

So, can I just get away with higher alkalinity on dark beers, or is it required. All the material I read says that the higher acidity of the dark malts will offset the alkalinity and develop the proper Ph. I have terrible water here in Texas and therefore start with all RO water (which I am assuming has close to 0 alkalinity). Since I make mostly bitters, I have been building up the calcium only and not adjusting the alkalinity at all. I am now planning a porter and I am unsure of the need to raise the alkalinity or not. It seems I have read somewhere that there was seldom a need to raise alkalinity, only lower it. But I could never tell if that applied if there was already no alkalinity at all.

Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated.

cheers
troy

[ashbyp]

If you are using water with no alkalinity, you'll probbably overshoot the mash ph (which should be around 5.3) and end up with a ph which is too low (regardless of beer style, although you'll overshoot more with dark beers because of the acidity added by the dark grains).

You should probably add some alkalinity back by adding sodium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate.

[mattmacleod]

Measure your pH at the beginning of the mash. If it's too low add a touch of Calcium Carbonate, stir well into the mash and test again. Don't forget to keep a record of how much you've added.

I'd also suggest - if you can - weighing out your water salts rather than using teaspoons. A teaspoon is not a teaspoon is not a teaspoon etc..

[Whorst]

Buy bottled spring water. For Bitters I add a small amount of Burton Water salts and kosher salt. For dark beers use 50/50 spring water with drinking water with no mineral additions. I gave up on tap water a long time ago. It's shit, but other than that, it's ok.

[pantsmachine]

It's shit, but other than that, it's ok.