caskconditioned

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All this water chemistry is giving me a headache. Can someone help - should I be using 5.2 Buffer in my mash?

My water report says the following:

pH 7.3 - 8.3
Calcium 11-41
Magnesium 1.5-5.7
Sodium 8.4-18
Chloride 4.4-20
Alkalinity (as CaCO3) 25-74
Hardness (as CaCO3) 33-160

No idea where to find biCarbonate (HCO3). Thanks!

eriktlupus

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yes because your ph is real high it'll help your mash stoy down in 5-5.5 range

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grains in pounds(G) X 36(average points per gallon of grains) / batch size in gallons(g) = maximum efficiency(ME)
OG / ME = brewhouse efficiency

Grinder12000

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for dark beers it is not REALLY needed but for lighter ones you will have better tasting beer. If you have it and are making a dark beer - go ahead.

One thing - the directions on 5.2 are rather vague and obtuse. I used ABOUT 3/4 tablespoon and it worked great.

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beerthirty

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It might help. Your mash should drop in ph during conversion. A neat little trick the enzymes do. Using 5.2 definitely wont hurt. Use it only during mash, not sparge water.

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caskconditioned

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That was going to be my next question - how much? I do 10 g batches so should I add 1 1/2 tablespoons to the mash? Or do I compute the amount based on the volume of my mash water?

eriktlupus

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it calls for 1 tablespoon per 5g of brewwater...

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primary1 :UTOPIA BABY(still searching for it)
secondary:middling bastard ipa
kegged:simcoe blonde, crystal pale ale, yellow jacket golden ale, lemon shandy blonde
DRINKIN DAWG BREWERY
LET'S GO RED WINGS


join michigan mashers here

extraction calculator
grains in pounds(G) X 36(average points per gallon of grains) / batch size in gallons(g) = maximum efficiency(ME)
OG / ME = brewhouse efficiency

944play

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Austin water is pH ~9.8 (!!!) and I've had better efficiency WITHOUT 5.2. Go figure.

I probably should be correcting lighter batches with an acid or sauer malt, but every mash I've tested comes up right around pH 5.4.

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web250

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It's a buffer, so putting in too little wouldn't give you the desired result, but putting in a little extra will not hurt.

That's the whole point of a buffer, regardless of what you put into the mixture, you will have a steady pH. So as long as you dont dump the whole bottle in, you'll be fine.

/Chem major

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caskconditioned

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Thanks everyone. I will use 2 tablespoons directly into the mash - for 10 gallon batch.

The part I'm struggling with is why you compute the amount on the kettle volume when the volume in the mash is what needs to be adjusted. But not being a chemistry guy I will trust your advice and the directions

ChickenSoop

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Check this out for pH balancing chart. Just print out this page (and click on each chart to expand them) and follow the example on the chart.

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Residual Alkalinity and Mash pH

All you need to know is:
Ca (ppm)
Mg (ppm)
Alkalinity = CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)


My local water is similar to yours with that high pH, and I was amazed that it only need a minor tweak, depending on the beer type.