still mystified by water profile-- little help?

[griffi]

Planning to brew a belgian wit tomorrow. 5 lbs wheat malt, 4 lbs pilsner, 1 lb oats. Simple batch sparge with my cooler mash tun. I'm going to use 100% RO water and try to get the right mash ph and calcium level with my brewing salts, gypsum, etc. Can somebody help with what my additions are going to look like? Let's assume I'm going to mash with 4 gallons and sparge with 4 gallons. Will I need to use acid? I only have citric acid available.

 

[Quaker]

If you have Excel capability, download Bru'n Water: https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/
I'd plug it in for you, but I'm mobile at the moment.

To keep it simple, I use 0.1g/L each of gypsum and calcium chloride per liter of total water in my malty or balanced beers. In hoppy beers I double the gypsum. So for your batch I would be adding 3 grams of each. I put them all directly to the grains when doughing in rather than trying dissolve them into the water alone. For pH adjustment, I use acidulated malt, so I can't help you with the acid addition without being able to plug it in to the software. You will need to give the concentration level of citric acid for someone to help.

 

[griffi]

Thanks, I plugged that in to Brunwater and it looks like my mash ph would be 5.5. If I add 2 g of citric acid it looks like it would go to 5.2 (since citric and lactic seem to have the same strength). Even though it's a wit and I'm using bitter orange and coriander, I want to make sure citric acid is not overpowering the tartness...

 

[Mexibilly]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/

 

[griffi]

brewersfriend seems to indicate 3g of citric acid gets me to 5.4 while bru'n water tels me 2g will get me to 5.2. Probably the way I'm inputting information...

 

[McKnuckle]

You want those estimated figures at 5.4-5.5. That is the predicted mash pH as measured at room temperature. In the mash it will drop to 5.2-5.3. So if the calculator is already in the 5.4-5.5 range, you're good - no more additions needed. I use the Brewer's Friend water calculator and have done over 40 batches using its estimates.

 

[griffi]

I've been brewing for 9 months and checking mash ph is something I'm thinking I might need to think about...