MattHollingsworth

Recipes 

I seem to remember adjusting my sparge water pH to 5.7 when I was brewing long ago. Can't find any reference stating to adjust the sparge pH. I seem to recall getting it from Dave Miller, but it's not in his book that I can find. But I judged with him once too, so maybe it was a conversation that we had. Whatever the case, I can't really find any reference books that say to do this.

Whaddaya guys think? If your mash pH is already good, is it necessary to adjust the sparge water pH to avoid leeching tannins from the husk material? Thoughts?

__________________
HOMEBREWING SINCE 1997

944play

Recipes 

I think it depends on the alkalinity more than the pH. If your sparge water is soft, the grain should have no problem buffering it, but I can't really think of a down side to adjusting besides the PITA factor.

When I brew a dark beer, the mash liquor needs nothing, but I add CaCl2 and gypsum to the sparge to keep the pH down.

__________________
OD: SMaSH Gambrinus Organic Pils/Spalt Select (2308), SMaSH CMC Pils/Spalt Select (2308)
Pri -
Keg: SMaSH Mystery Malt/Spalt Select (2308), SMaSH Munich/Northern Brewer (2308), SMaSH Briess Pils/Spalt Select (2308), Kronik (WL002)