BIAB and Water PH

[Gregory T]

I have a PH question on BIAB. I brew mostly blonde beers and PH seems to be a challenge with BIAB. I use brewers friend. A recipe with


9 lb German - Extra Pale Premium Pilsner Malt

1 lb German - Vienna

0.5 lb Belgian - Biscuit

0.25 lb German - Melanoidin

1 lb Belgian Candi Syrup - Simplicity

0.5 lb German - Pale Wheat



I use RO water and add salts


Water targets


Ca Mg Na CL So4

32. 9. 5. 36. 23


Salts


3g calcium chloride

1g gypsum

1g Epsom salt



Acid


8ml phosphoric acid 10%


Calculates a PH of 5.5


I want the PH at 5.3 or less


This would require 50ml of phosphoric acid or a lot of calcium and push the CL up to the 200’s


I don’t want to add tartness


I find that all my Blondes come out as dirty blondes (no oxidation). I suspect it is because the PH is in the higher range. I am brewing another this weekend and want to try a lower PH and see what is does


Any hints suggestions or similar issues?


PS. I have brewed this 3 times and the PH calculations are fairly accurate.

 

[Dgallo]

I have a PH question on BIAB. I brew mostly blonde beers and PH seems to be a challenge with BIAB. I use brewers friend. A recipe with


9 lb German - Extra Pale Premium Pilsner Malt

1 lb German - Vienna

0.5 lb Belgian - Biscuit

0.25 lb German - Melanoidin

1 lb Belgian Candi Syrup - Simplicity

0.5 lb German - Pale Wheat



I use RO water and add salts


Water targets


Ca Mg Na CL So4

32. 9. 5. 36. 23


Salts


3g calcium chloride

1g gypsum

1g Epsom salt



Acid


8ml phosphoric acid 10%


Calculates a PH of 5.5


I want the PH at 5.3 or less


This would require 50ml of phosphoric acid or a lot of calcium and push the CL up to the 200’s


I don’t want to add tartness


I find that all my Blondes come out as dirty blondes (no oxidation). I suspect it is because the PH is in the higher range. I am brewing another this weekend and want to try a lower PH and see what is does


Any hints suggestions or similar issues?


PS. I have brewed this 3 times and the PH calculations are fairly accurate.

I adjust ph with Lactic acid 88% it will bring your ph down with far less at that concentration

 

[Foosier]

It seems like you are balking at using 50ML of Phosphoric because it seems like a lot.. I would not worry about using that much. Dgallo is right that an acid at a higher concentration would require less, but phosphoric is tasteless. I use around 50 ish ML of phosphoric when I am brewing too. It works, doesn't impact the taste, that is just what it takes. Rely on your calculator to tell you what you need to use. Don't worry about the volume.

 

[balrog]

I use 85% phosphoric, BIAB, make lighter styles, typically only need .5-1 ml
Bought it off Amazon I think

[EDIT: my Ward Labs report for my soft tap water is 3 Ca 0 Mg 6 Na 1 SO 7 Cl 8 Total Hardness 37 TDS, so basically RO water]

 

[Dgallo]

[EDIT: my Ward Labs report for my soft tap water is 3 Ca 0 Mg 6 Na 1 SO 7 Cl 8 Total Hardness 37 TDS, so basically RO water]

Great base water

 

[balrog]

Great base water

I know, right? Wife wants to retire and move, and I'm like, um can't, good water here, enjoy the new place and come visit sometimes...

 

[Gregory T]

It seems like you are balking at using 50ML of Phosphoric because it seems like a lot.. I would not worry about using that much. Dgallo is right that an acid at a higher concentration would require less, but phosphoric is tasteless. I use around 50 ish ML of phosphoric when I am brewing too. It works, doesn't impact the taste, that is just what it takes. Rely on your calculator to tell you what you need to use. Don't worry about the volume.

Yes, 50ml of phosphoric acid seems like a lot. Of course at 85% instead of 10% it would only take 3 ml. It is a 9 gallon mash. I think I’ll try that and see what happens

If that doesn’t work then I can conclude PH isn’t the problem

I worry about lactic acid causing sourness. Probably unfounded, but I do worry about it

 

[hottpeper13]

You need to bump your calcium up to at least 50 ppm, I keep mine between 70 and 100 ppm for all my beers.

 

[Yooper]

You need to bump your calcium up to at least 50 ppm, I keep mine between 70 and 100 ppm for all my beers.

No you don't. Not for lagers or even for other beers. It's true that yeast flocculation is better at higher calcium levels, but you definitely don't need it.

 

[Yooper]

This would require 50ml of phosphoric acid or a lot of calcium and push the CL up to the 200’s

Don't use salts for pH adjustment- those additions are for flavor. You can use a bit more calcium chloride if you want (take out the epsom salts) but don't go over 50-70 ppm. Use the acid (phosphoric acid is perfect!) to adjust the pH. It's fine- you can use 50 ml of it if you need to in order to get the pH to 5.3.

 

[Gregory T]

Well I planned to update this with my experience this weekend however I got some really strange PH readings

I posted a thread about it here

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/weird-water-ph-experience.669748/