mash pH really that difficult?

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ekjohns

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I am wanting to try mt first all grain boil and the pH and mineral content is making my head spin! I usually always buy spring filtered water from Kroger which should hopefully not be super hard. I was looking into dropping money on the pH 5.2 stabilizer but is this over kill? Should i just buy some gypsum and calcium carb. and just added that to get the pH in my range? what is the easiest and cheapest way to control pH for someone who is justing getting into it?

pre-thanks
 
I just use bottled water and don't treat it at all. Get great beer. Get your first couple AGs out of the way before complicating it with water chemistry and what not if it's got your head spinning.
 
Most bottled Spring Water will be fine for most beers. There are a couple of special beers that really benefit from hard or soft water. If you want to make truly BJCP-style beers, then you might get interested in water chemistry, but for most, the extra hassle is not worth the effort.

It might behoof you to have a water report done so you know what kind of water you have. That would tell you what you could best brew, and what you might need to do to get a generally good water for whichever beer you want to make.
 
As I was told by the owner of the LHBS, unless your doing a really light beer like a pilsner or a cream ale, I really wouldnt worry about your PH that much. He said that the crystal malt in the mash usually evens out the pH on its own.
 
I just use pH 5.2 and don't worry about it. I've been brewing over seven years and I'm still on the first jar.
 
I just use pH 5.2 and don't worry about it. I've been brewing over seven years and I'm still on the first jar.

How much do you usually add to your mash? Also, does it call to add it during doughing in? or to the water prior to doughing in?
 
I agree with IrregularPulse just go ahead and brew with what you have, and play with the extra stuff later. Unless you're using an all pale grain bill, or you have crazy high pH to begin with, you should hit close enough to work well for your first few brews.
 
I just use pH 5.2 and don't worry about it. I've been brewing over seven years and I'm still on the first jar.

same. This is my 3rd summer brewing 'the right way' and I'm still on the same jar.

and to answer the question about 'how much'...I follow the label instructions. 1tbsp per 5 gallons of strike water used.

I do have fairly hard, higher bicarbonate tap water, so I feel pH 5.2 is a benefit in my brewery.
 
Don't use the 5.2 if you don't already know what your pH is. Just brew with the water you have and if it tastes fine, you're golden. Most water in the US has sufficient mineral content for brewing.
 
It's not water ph that matters, anyway. It's MASH ph. So, just adding gypsum may do harm than good, if you don't already know what you've got.

I suggest either adding the 5.2 stabilizer (if you don't know) or not using anything. If you're making anything but a blonde ale, or a light delicate lager, you probably won't notice any issues with ph. More issues arise from other water problems. Ph is really not an issue with most brewers. I have hard alkaline water, but the grains drop the ph down just fine.
 
so if i use bottled spring water and im not doing a blond or light lager i should be fine just going with it? what about a wheat beer?
 
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