Acidifying BIAB mash....??

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sam DT on September 2, 2015 at 8:50pm

Yep a thinner mash will give a higher pH. How high depends on your water, where are you based? If you can find a water report plugging into a calculator like ez-water will help you figure out your additions. There's a couple of threads on water additions on the forum if you have a look.
I'm based in Christchurch and use 200 grams acid malt every batch plus 4-6 grams of gypsum, Epsom and cacl. From what I've read many people warn against 5.2 although having never used it I can't really comment.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kyle Richards on September 2, 2015 at 10:33pm

Cheers Sam, I am based in Taupo, super soft water (Ca:6.8, Mg:2.8. Na:15, Cl:9.8, Sulphate:8, Alkalinity 39, pH around 7.2). The weird thing is, once I started using water chemistry spreadsheets, adjusting water profiles and pH I have ended up with crappy beer! 

I think I will start using acid malt and dial back my salt additions. Kind of dont trust my cheapo pH meter either!

What is the starting pH of your water in Chch? 200g of acid malt reduced pH by how much generally?  

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sam DT on September 3, 2015 at 10:13am

Here's a link to a previous discussion - you can download one of my sheets which I uploaded.

I would note that I've changed my standard additions to 6gm each of Gypsum and Epsom and 4g of CaCl in order to push the hops forward a little more.

I mainly brew hop dominant beers as well which this kind of salt addition favours - you'd probably want to dial back the Sulphates and perhaps lift the pH slightly if you're into more malty beers.

Have a play with the sheet - I think from memory 1% acid malt drops your pH by about .1 on the pH scale.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Matt Smith on September 3, 2015 at 10:32am

Is it possible that since switching to acid your PH is dropping too low? A total alkalinity of 39 isn't a whole lot to overcome. I would suspect with those numbers that your malt alone + a little Gypsum or Calcium Chloride would drop that PH pretty close to ballpark. Just a thought, perhaps that astringency your experiencing is actually tartness from being a little too acidic. If I was you I'd calibrate your PH meter, do a mash sans acid with a little gypsum, take a sample half way through the mash, chill it down to room temp then see if you are in the range, if not dose with acid and try again after another 10 mins.

• ▶ Reply