Residual Alkalinity - Too low?

[ds0oc1]

Residual Alkalinity, how low is too low?

When I try and get into the ~5.4 pH range with pale beers my residual alkalinity is driven way down. I've read most of the guide lines but having trouble figuring out if RA as low as 300 is problematic?







Thanks!

 

[ajdelange]

The problem lies in trying to use RA for prediction of mash pH. It was never intended that it be used for this purpose. If you have a beer with a lot of base malt you will have to add acid somewhere to overcome the alkalinity of that malt. If you subtract that acid from the alkalinity of the liquor you may well have an appreciably negative RA. Several of the spreadsheets do this. But they ignore the malt alkalinity in the RA calculation so it is meaningless. Best to forget RA and focus on mash pH.

 

[ds0oc1]

Thanks ajdelange - I'll carry on with what I have then.