Adjusting Mash ph by malt changes?

[SalmoSalar]

Just brewed a Brown Porter according to JZ's recipe: (p. 155 Brewing Classic Styles)
10 # Maris Otter
1# Brown Malt
1# Crystal 40 (I used Caramunuch ll)
.625# Chocolate malt

My actual mash ph was 5.3. The estimate from EZ Water Calculator was 5.54 as indicated below. I know adding a couple of grams of sodium bicarb to the mash and sparge would bring up the ph a point or so to the desired 5.4 -5.6 range. I don't really want to add that.

I'm adding the CaSO4 and CaCl2 to get my mg/l of ca into at least 50mg/l, so I don't think I can add less of these. What I'm thinking of is changing the grist. So which of the dark malts should I reduce? and or should I not worry about adding a little baking soda to raise the ph?

Water profile and salt additions:

Starting Water (ppm):
Ca: 2
Mg: 2
Na: 14
Cl: 13
SO4: 10
CaCO3: 11

Mash / Sparge Vol (gal): 4.75 / 5.03
RO or distilled %: 0% / 0%

Total Grain (lb): 12.6

Adjustments (grams) Mash / Boil Kettle:
CaSO4: 2 / 2.117894737
CaCl2: 2 / 2.117894737
MgSO4: 0 / 0
NaHCO3: 0 / 0
CaCO3: 0 / 0
Lactic Acid (ml): 0
Sauermalz (oz): 0

Mash Water / Total water (ppm):
Ca: 58 / 58
Mg: 2 / 2
Na: 14 / 14
Cl: 67 / 67
SO4: 72 / 72
Cl to SO4 Ratio: 0.93 / 0.93

Alkalinity (CaCO3): 11
RA: -31
Estimated pH: 5.54
(room temp)

 

[Daddymem]

This article might interest you. I have well water and it is pretty void of minerals so I had trouble doing adjustment...and for some beers I needed it bad. Anyways, you might find it applicable to you.

http://www.melbournebrewers.org/ind...ter-treatment&catid=48:ingredients&Itemid=103

 

[samc]

5.3 is great, don't mess with anything.

 

[mabrungard]

A 5.3 room temperature mash pH measurement is not too bad. I consider the ideal range more like 5.3 to 5.5. I guess you might need to aim slightly higher if you find that program consistently overestimates the mash pH. I see that you used Maris Otter, so I don't assume that this undershooting of the mash pH came from using an acidified base malt like Rahr.

 

[SalmoSalar]

Tweaking the roasted grain quantity to 1/2 # each and adding a pound of Maris Otter would add another point to the ph (estimate)
I'm wondering if tweaking the recipe is preferred to adding a couple of grams baking soda to the mash and sparge water as a means of adjusting the mash ph.

I'm just hesitant to add the additional salts, since I've not added them (sodium bicarb) to previous beers.

 

[ajdelange]

I'm wondering if tweaking the recipe is preferred to adding a couple of grams baking soda to the mash and sparge water as a means of adjusting the mash ph.

I don't know and neither does anyone else. Obviously pulling back on the dark grains will change the flavor profile. This may or may not be a good thing and the only way to find out is to brew the beer multiple times trying various strategies. You can expect to be able to brew a decent beer the first time but to brew a superb beer can require years of experimentation.

I'd take careful tasting notes on the brew you have just done. Then I'd do it again with a bit of alkali added to increase mash pH by a 0.1. See if that beer is better or worse. Then try without the salts but less dark/roast malt. etc. etc.