Adjusting Mash PH
-
Wez
Adjusting Mash PH
When i do my first AG tomorrow i want to make sure i get the mash PH as close to 5.2 as possible. According to my local water authoprity my tap water should be a PH of 7.(something) so i'm guessing i need to reduce it. I am armed with the following: Brupaks DLS (powder) Brupaks CRS liquid and vineferm Lactic Acid liquid, which do i add to reduce PH and how much?
-
Wez
-
UserDeleted
I would avoid using Latic Acid, as it can come though into the beer, unless you like sour beers of course 
The CRS is used to reduce the alkalinity of the brewing liqour (Or reduce your pH, making it more acid in simple terms). In order to know how much to add you need to know the alkalinity of the brewing water. There used to be a Spreadsheet on the Smartgroups UK homebrew forum, but that has disappeard which is a shame as it was a good resource.
Depending on how much alkalinity your water has (Hard water generally has high alkalinity), and the amount of dark grain you may not have to add any acid at all as dark grain is naturally acidic.
As this is your first all grain I would suggest that you RDWHAHB, and forget about your mash pH, there are much more important things that will go wrong before the pH becomes a factor
To be honest unless you have the means to measure your mash pH random acid additions will do more harm than good.
The CRS is used to reduce the alkalinity of the brewing liqour (Or reduce your pH, making it more acid in simple terms). In order to know how much to add you need to know the alkalinity of the brewing water. There used to be a Spreadsheet on the Smartgroups UK homebrew forum, but that has disappeard which is a shame as it was a good resource.
Depending on how much alkalinity your water has (Hard water generally has high alkalinity), and the amount of dark grain you may not have to add any acid at all as dark grain is naturally acidic.
As this is your first all grain I would suggest that you RDWHAHB, and forget about your mash pH, there are much more important things that will go wrong before the pH becomes a factor
To be honest unless you have the means to measure your mash pH random acid additions will do more harm than good.
-
Andy
- Virtually comatose but still standing
- Posts: 8716
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:00 pm
- Location: Ash, Surrey
- Contact:
UserDeleted wrote: There used to be a Spreadsheet on the Smartgroups UK homebrew forum, but that has disappeard which is a shame as it was a good resource.
On my website
http://www.knownentity.com/misc/brewing ... atment.xls
Dan!
-
shiny beast
I agree with Daab on this one. Providing you get your liqor P.H down to 6 or 7, you're heading in the right direction. The grist will then knock it down towards the 5.2 mark. You can get P.H indicator strips from H.B shops/pet shops(aquarium section). Water chemistry for brewing tends to get over complicated in my opinion. Most people manage to brew good beer by making do with what comes out the tap. It's only when you start having problems with mash efficiency, or flavour that you need to look at your water.
-
mysterio
