Ascorbic Acid to lower mash pH?

[arcticus]

Hi everyone,

it's brew day today and exploring alternatives to my usual lemon juice method of lowering my mash pH, however I don't have a pH meter handy.

I do have ascorbic acid from ABC cork (Canada) which is supposed to be used in wine; however, can I use this in my mash and if so, how much would you recommend to get my pH down to 5.5 ish range.

A

 

[FastAndy]

You can really use any acid. Lactic acid may be more commonly used than Ascorbic. We would need your grain bill and water profile to really get the amount dialed in. Without a pH meter, it's going to be tough to see if the amount is correct. The calculations are based on current pH, grain amount etc.

 

[arcticus]

OK thanks for the feedback.

I have the info but just not readily available. I'll try and post water chem and grain bill soon. grains are in now and smelling delicious

 

[FastAndy]

Sounds like a good start then.

 

[arcticus]

I am a few more years in and starting to use lactic acid to drop the mash pH and am having good success while using Beersmith3. thanks FA for the support

 

[ajdelange]

For mash pH of 5.4 use 1.74 grams and for pH 5.5 use 1.68 grams of ascorbic acid for each mL of lactic you have been using or for each mL recommended by a calculator (if you trust the calculator.) But note that while ascorbic acid is an acid equally capable of donating protons as does any acid its anions are reductones and ascorbic acid is often added to beer and wort for that reason. The reason I mention this is that the ascorbic acid ions will become oxidized and these can, under certain conditions where metal ions are present, oxidize beer. For this reason some sodium metabisulfite is often used in conjuction with ascorbic acid.

 

[ajdelange]

You can really use any acid.

I think we all know what you mean but that's a pretty dangerous statement. I'd edit it to make it clear that you are not suggesting prussic acid, butyric acid, magic acid, hydrofluoric acid etc...