I need to know how much, if any, Lactic Acid to add to my water profile.
I am trying to assimilate a number of changes to my still evolving brewing routine. I will be using RO water from an under-sink unit for the first time, and I have tried to plug my goals into Bru'n Water to tell me what additions to use. While I am sure I am making some mistakes, I am comfortable with what I am doing with Gypsum, Calcium Chloride and Calcium Carbonate. I do not have a way to add Magnesium, so I guess I will just have to get over that.
But I get confused when I get to Lactic Acid. I did not calculate my brand-new pH meter because the Amazon reviews said it was pretty well calibrated out of the box. It tells me my RO pH is 8.1, and that my tap water is the same.
My goal pH is in the 5.3 to 5.5 range. I do not understand how Bru'n Water calculates, or even if it calculates, what my grain does to my mash pH. I am confused because it does not seem to have a menu from which to choose the grains. 2-row is pre-entered so I used that for one entry. I also used a Munich line, but it does not ask if it is 10L or 20L. And I find no way at all to tell it I am using CaraPils or corn sugar. So, I typed those words in on two lines and added my quantities of each.
Also, it seems to want to deal with the acidification issue at the sparging stage, and I don't sparge per se. I have a small continuous recirculating system.
Anyhow, it seems to say my mash is going to take the pH from 8.1 to 5.5 all by itself. Does this make sense?
My grain bill:
5.3125 lbs pale 2-row
0.5625 lbs Munich 20L
0.125 lbs CaraPils
0.25 lbs dextrose (corn sugar)
I suspect it thinks the last two items are something else, and it is making at least some of the adjustments based on what it thinks the specified weights of that something else would do to mash pH.
Just what do I need to do next here? Do I add any Lactic acid or not?
I am trying to assimilate a number of changes to my still evolving brewing routine. I will be using RO water from an under-sink unit for the first time, and I have tried to plug my goals into Bru'n Water to tell me what additions to use. While I am sure I am making some mistakes, I am comfortable with what I am doing with Gypsum, Calcium Chloride and Calcium Carbonate. I do not have a way to add Magnesium, so I guess I will just have to get over that.
But I get confused when I get to Lactic Acid. I did not calculate my brand-new pH meter because the Amazon reviews said it was pretty well calibrated out of the box. It tells me my RO pH is 8.1, and that my tap water is the same.
My goal pH is in the 5.3 to 5.5 range. I do not understand how Bru'n Water calculates, or even if it calculates, what my grain does to my mash pH. I am confused because it does not seem to have a menu from which to choose the grains. 2-row is pre-entered so I used that for one entry. I also used a Munich line, but it does not ask if it is 10L or 20L. And I find no way at all to tell it I am using CaraPils or corn sugar. So, I typed those words in on two lines and added my quantities of each.
Also, it seems to want to deal with the acidification issue at the sparging stage, and I don't sparge per se. I have a small continuous recirculating system.
Anyhow, it seems to say my mash is going to take the pH from 8.1 to 5.5 all by itself. Does this make sense?
My grain bill:
5.3125 lbs pale 2-row
0.5625 lbs Munich 20L
0.125 lbs CaraPils
0.25 lbs dextrose (corn sugar)
I suspect it thinks the last two items are something else, and it is making at least some of the adjustments based on what it thinks the specified weights of that something else would do to mash pH.
Just what do I need to do next here? Do I add any Lactic acid or not?