Raising ph?

[CrystallineEntity]

Is there an easy rule of thumb for raising ph? I use the 1% sauermalz for each 0.1 pH reduction needed, and that works well.

Thanks.

 

[ajdelange]

The sauermalz rule of thumb really seems to work well. I guess you could come up with an equivalent for raising pH by calculating the buffering capacity that matches 0.1 pH per percent grist. For a 13° beer one might use 36 kg of malt of which 1% would be 360 grams. Assuming sauermalz carries 2% by weight lactic acid would give 7.2 grams of lactic acid. Lactic acid has a molecular weight of 90 and is a strong enough acid that it would be completely dissociated so 7.2 grams would give you 7200/90 = 80 mEq of acid. Thus to raise the pH of the same mash 0.1 pH you would need 80 mEq per 36 kg or 2.2 mEq/kg. This is 22 mEq/kg-pH which is about what I have measured for typical base malts. So for each kg of malt you would need 2.2 mEq of strong base. Slaked lime qualifies and with its equivalent weight of 37mg/mEq you would need 22*37 = 814 mg/pH-kg or, for 0.1 pH 81.4 mg/kg (0.008%). If you put it on grain at 2% concentration you's need 50 times the weight or about .4% which is a check as the equivalent weight of lime is a bit less than half that of lactic acid.So there's a rule of thumb for you. Don't know that it would be as stable as the sauermalz rule.

 

[Kaiser]

I think you are looking for this:

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mash_pH_control#Salt_and_acid_additions_to_the_mash

Kai

 

[CrystallineEntity]

Thanks fellows.