Trouble with pH

kgoodwi2 · 07-10-2011, 02:33 PM

I'm having trouble getting my mash within an acceptable pH range. A typical batch is usually around 5.6 to 5.8 even after adding salts. I've tried using 5.2 stabilizer, but that just seems to make my pH go even higher! We have very hard water here - but i am just running out of ideas. I'm pretty sure this is affecting my mash efficiency. Any suggestions?

Nateo · 07-10-2011, 02:50 PM

Phosphoric acid will lower your mash pH. Any kind of acid, really. Sauermalz will as well as lactic acid. Those three options are the most often used, but you could hydrochloric or sulfuric acid too.

Also, stop using 5.2. It really only makes your beer salty by adding a ton of sodium. And as you've seen, it works very poorly (some would argue it doesn't work at all).

BigEd · 07-10-2011, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgoodwi2

We have very hard water here - but i am just running out of ideas. Any suggestions?

You are going to have to provide more specific information to get a detailed and informed answer. Please list your water profile analysis, recipe grist bill and what salts and amounts you have been adding.

**samc** · 07-10-2011, 06:42 PM

How are you measuring your PH ?
Also you can dilute your hard water with some RO or distilled to help in addition to acids. But as BigEd said, you need to provide info to get answers.

kgoodwi2 · 07-10-2011, 09:27 PM

Thanks! I've never tried acids before. We're brewing again next weekend. Will give them a try...

BigEd · 07-10-2011, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgoodwi2

Thanks! I've never tried acids before. We're brewing again next weekend. Will give them a try...

A little tough brewing love here: Forcing your mash pH into the ~5.2 range with an acid addition may work for that specific number but the pH itself is not necessarily as important as how it is achieved. If your current pH problem and its' corresponding low efficiency is caused by an imbalance of brewing ions in the water being used for certain beers (which it likely is) the acid is not going to make those problems go away. Having those important brewing ions in the correct quantities for the general style of beer being brewed will, in the vast majority of cases, also provide that the pH of the mash falls into the proper range. It will also mean that your brewing water has enough of the important things like Calcium which has a huge impact on the workings of the mash and not a lot of the bad things that will contribute to screwing it up.

**ajdelange** · 07-10-2011, 11:09 PM

I can't quite agree with those sentiments. Getting the pH right is probably the most important thing you can do in brewing. I do agree that getting the pH in the correct range by the right means will give a better result than just dumping in acid, however. When you do that you remove the alkalinity but each equivalent of alkalinity removed is replaced by one equivalent of the anion of the acid you used. Thus if you have a high sulfate water with high alkalinity and defeat that alkalinity by the use of sulfuric acid you will get proper mash pH but the sulfate will be much higher than if the water had been decarbonated first and then acidified.

It can get pretty complex and before going further it would be good to know what the water we are dealing with is like.

**coryforsenate** · 07-11-2011, 02:40 AM

Dilute some of your water with distilled. The water you're using probably has a really high carbonate level for your pH to wind up being that high after adding grains.

**remilard** · 07-11-2011, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigEd

A little tough brewing love here: Forcing your mash pH into the ~5.2 range with an acid addition may work for that specific number but the pH itself is not necessarily as important as how it is achieved. If your current pH problem and its' corresponding low efficiency is caused by an imbalance of brewing ions in the water being used for certain beers (which it likely is) the acid is not going to make those problems go away. Having those important brewing ions in the correct quantities for the general style of beer being brewed will, in the vast majority of cases, also provide that the pH of the mash falls into the proper range. It will also mean that your brewing water has enough of the important things like Calcium which has a huge impact on the workings of the mash and not a lot of the bad things that will contribute to screwing it up.

I dunno, they make pretty good light colored beers in Munich.

Nateo · 07-11-2011, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by remilard

I dunno, they make pretty good light colored beers in Munich.

I thought they used lime softening in Germany to lower the hardness. Just because the "straight" water from a town is hard or alkaline doesn't mean the brewers used that water without modification.