How to add salts to mash?

How do you guys add your salts to the mashing?
Let's say you need to add CaCl2, MgS04 and some lactic acid( Very soft water).
1)Would you add these independently to a small amount of DI water, then add/stir the water to to the mashing independently, or just throw the salts as they come to the mashing and stir?
2)Let's say you are adding some lactic acid to bring the mashing PH down a bit to the recommended range. Do you mash for 5min without the lactic acid, take a PH test to confirm you really need it, then add the acid, stir, wait another 5 min and take a new PH test to confirm you goit to the PH you want?
3)If you add lactic acid and test and your PH got too low, would you add some chalk to bring it back up a bit?

Thanks!

I would also like to know this, I will need to add acidulated malt to my next brew. Do i just keep a bunch crushed on hand and throw in what I need after the first 10 min of the mash?

i just dump in salts before strike water..but whats your water profile and ur ph? I've been told that grains are highly modified and shouldent worry about it that much...but...now im having seconds thoughts

Ca=10
Mg=1
Na=4
Cl=5
SO4=3
HCO3=28
PH=7.6

If you know what you need to add, add it all to the water before you add the grain. This way it will be well mixed before the grain is added.


If you’re not sure how much acid you’ll need, test mash pH after about 5 min and go from there.


There is lot's of beta amylase activity early in the mash which may benefit from a more optimal mash pH right from the start.



Kai

smakudwn said:

I would also like to know this, I will need to add acidulated malt to my next brew. Do i just keep a bunch crushed on hand and throw in what I need after the first 10 min of the mash?

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Just crush it as you need it. I often use a small coffee grinder which will handle 6 ounces (about as much as I would ever use in a 5 gallon batch). It shreds the husks all to hell but for 2% of the grist I don't really care enough to set the mill back up. If I know I will need some, I add a conservative amount of acid malt with the normal grist and then maybe add a touch more later so really it is like .5% of the grist, maybe, that I am coffee mill grinding.

I'm with Kai on this issue. Add the minerals and acid to the water prior to doughing in the grain.

I'm adding acid malt with the regular malt and also run it through the mill with the rest of the grist.

Kai

Kaiser said:

I'm adding acid malt with the regular malt and also run it through the mill with the rest of the grist.

Kai

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My question on this is, if you don't know the mash ph yet, how do you know how much to add? Do you go by the spreadsheet and then also add more if needed to the mash? If you overshoot then what?

smakudwn said:

My question on this is, if you don't know the mash ph yet, how do you know how much to add? Do you go by the spreadsheet and then also add more if needed to the mash? If you overshoot then what?

Click to expand...

I use the EZ water calculator. It's accurate enough for me to do the calculations before brewing. I add the salts as i'm doughing in, and the sauermalz(if needed) to the grain bill prior to milling. I haven't had to make a post mash adjustment yet.

I haven't had a mash below 5.2 or above 5.45 since doing this.
_

Thats what I needed to hear. Thanks!

smakudwn said:

My question on this is, if you don't know the mash ph yet, how do you know how much to add? Do you go by the spreadsheet and then also add more if needed to the mash? If you overshoot then what?

Click to expand...

If you brew with that grist and water the first time you have 2 options:
* estimate mash pH and necessary water adjustments using a spreadsheet
* dough-in, test mash pH and go from there. There are rough guidelines on how much salt/acid to add to change mash pH at the bottom of my mash pH article: http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Mash_pH_control#Salt_and_acid_additions_to_the_mash

If you brewed with that grist before and know the mash pH it settled on, you can use that as a start to change your water/mash treatment or do what you did before. In this case you may add all the salts and acid that you may have added later to the water or mash at dough-in.

Kai

Kaiser said:

If you brew with that grist and water the first time you have 2 options:
* estimate mash pH and necessary water adjustments using a spreadsheet
* dough-in, test mash pH and go from there. There are rough guidelines on how much salt/acid to add to change mash pH at the bottom of my mash pH article: http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Mash_pH_control#Salt_and_acid_additions_to_the_mash

If you brewed with that grist before and know the mash pH it settled on, you can use that as a start to change your water/mash treatment or do what you did before. In this case you may add all the salts and acid that you may have added later to the water or mash at dough-in.

Kai

Click to expand...

Thank you. I will be doing my first water treatment on my next brew day, witch should be in 2 weeks.