HELP! Huge mistake with acid malt!

[schiersteinbrewing]

I had a brain fart and added 10% acid malt to my grains. I haven't crushed the grains yet, 5 lbs of the base grains are mixed with the specialty malts, the other 5 lbs are fine.

Grain Bill: Full Sail Amber Ale Clone
10 lb 2 row
1 lb 4 oz Acid Malt (mistake)
12 oz crystal 80
8 oz caraplis
5 oz Chocolate Malt

I use 100% RO water.

This is my tap water profile: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/recieved-my-water-profile-back-437875/

I have ph strips, buying a ph meter with Christmas money if i don't get one.

Should I just roll with it and use a little tap water and baking soda to adjust mash ph?

or dump the mixed grains? Only issue I have with that is I don't have enough crystal 80 but I do have enough crystal 60.

 

[dphornguy]

Hmm... I guess you have a few options (which could have mixed results:

1. Adjust proportionately the other grains until the acid malt is where you need it to be (i.e. make bigger mash batch). Grains are pretty cheap. Then you can just use the amount you want.

2. Adjust the pH. Not my area of expertise, but I just made a dry stout with some acidulated malt. Boy is that stuff sour when you nibble on it raw. I am not sure if you can really "balance" flavor. Maybe you could try and let us know the results (go Madam Curie for us).

3. Buy all new grains and throw these out. More expensive, but IMHO $14 is worth less than my hours of work for a good brew.

Just my thoughts, but I would either compensate or go back to the start. Just not worth your time to potentially have 5gallons of uber sour brew.

 

[schiersteinbrewing]

I ended up tossing the grains and going with what crystal 80 and crystal 60 I had.

Hope this turns out okay.

10.5 lbs 2row
1.5 lbs crystal 60
3 oz crystal 80
8 oz caraplis
5 oz Chocolate Malt
5 oz Acid Malt
1.5 oz Cascade 60min
.5 oz Mt Hood 15min
.5 oz Cascade 5min
California Ale White Labs #WLP001
.5 oz Mt Hood Dry Hop

The 10.5 lbs 2 row and 1.5 crystal 60 were already mixed. (Its all I had to work with.) This batch is one I hope my efficiency is horrible.

Beersmith says it should be 1.060 Pre Boil, 1.068 OG, and 7% ABV. Gonna be a potent Amberish Ale.