Full volume no spathe mash ph

[slickfish]

Hi. I am going to try a full volume no sparge mash on my next kolsch. I usually end up using 2 to 3% acid malt with light beers to hit a 5.4 ph. This is typically 4 oz in a 6 gallon batch. When I enter the large amount of strike water into bru n water it says I need 1 pound 6 oz of acid malt to hit a 5.4 ph. Can this be right? Or should I stay with the standard amount and see where ph goes? I have pretty soft water. Thanks ps I meant sparge not spathe. Damn auto correct.


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[BrewKnurd]

I don't know if the specific number is right, but it makes sense that it would be significantly higher than the amount you'd need to add for a normal mash. You're adding more alkalinity with the additional water, while not adding any additional buffering capacity from additional malt.

 

[ajdelange]

It entirely depends on whether the water or the grain is the principal contributor to proton deficit WRT mash pH. What's the alkalinity of the water?

 

[slickfish]

Ca 7
Mg 1
Na 33
So4 12
Chloride 18
Bicarbonate 52.5
Total hardness 22
Alkalinity 43
Ra 38

This is from ward labs. Well water. Thanks for all the help.


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[ajdelange]

With water this low in alkalinity it will be the proton deficit of the base malt that is dominant. Whether you add 2/3 of the water at strike or all of it at strike will make little difference in the mash pH. The extra proton deficit of the extra water may move your sauermalz requirement from 4 Oz to 5 Oz but certainly not to 22 Oz. The water proton deficit is most certainly not increased by a factor of 5!

 

[slickfish]

Thanks AJ. That was my suspicion as well but it is nice to hear it from you. Thanks for all of the great assistance that you provide to everyone on the forum.


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