Mash PH help!

Hey guys,

I am recently starting to address brew water. I'm going to adjust/dilute with distilled water to compensate for the amount of sodium I have in the local water here in Florida. My question comes in the estimated mash PH. I used bru'n water and calculated a mash Ph of 4.8 . This concerns me a bit as ideally I would like 5.2-5.3. Any suggestions on how to bring this Ph back into range?

I'm going to try and brew this weekend and any help is very much appreciated!

Kyle

Kyled93 said:

Hey guys,

I am recently starting to address brew water. I'm going to adjust/dilute with distilled water to compensate for the amount of sodium I have in the local water here in Florida. My question comes in the estimated mash PH. I used bru'n water and calculated a mash Ph of 4.8 . This concerns me a bit as ideally I would like 5.2-5.3. Any suggestions on how to bring this Ph back into range?

I'm going to try and brew this weekend and any help is very much appreciated!

Kyle

Click to expand...

Use a water calculator to help you with dilution using RO water. The RO water will help solve the pH problem.

That must be a crazy amount of crystal and roast in that grist to predict a mash pH of 4.8. I assume this must use a very high amount of RO water. Are you sure that all the grain information is entered correctly and the grain type properly set? 4.8 is lower than I've ever seen predicted.

Unfortunately, I know that Ft. Lauderdale water has modest hardness and alkalinity since they lime soften their water. I provided engineering services to several of those plants in years past. So even with a higher percentage of tap water, the alkalinity might not rise high enough to counter the pH drop. Adding pickling lime might be the best alternative.

The grain grist is as follows:

17 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs 8.0 oz. Flaked oats
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel Malt - 60L (Cargill) (60.0 SRM)
16.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
4.8 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
16.0 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
2.0 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.0 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min
2.0 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min
1.0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056)
2.00 Items Vanilla Beans (Secondary)


The dilution I calculated was approximately 60% of distilled water to my Tap water.

Here is what I have for Tap water all in (PPM):

Bicarbonate: 48.08
Sulfate: 11.7
Chloride: 68.3
Sodium: 36.5
Magnesium: unknown and not provided even after calling ( assuming zero)
Calcium: 23.1

PH: 8.44

Total Alkalinity: 49.7


Even with using the distilled, I still get 4.8 for the Mash PH. With using 100% tap I get a PH of 4.5 PH. I just don't know what I can do to adjust the PH up..... What repercussion do I have if I brew at this PH?