Alternative types of acids for brew water adjustments

[FlyGuy]

I am kind of thinking out loud here, but here's my issue: I no longer have a source for phosphoric acid (preferred choice of acid for adjusting mash/sparge water pH), and I refuse to pay what my LHBS wants for lactic acid. So I was wondering if one could use more common items in their place. What do you guys think about using the following:

1. Fresh lemon juice (citric acid). All natural, fairly concentrated, probably has little residual taste.

2. Coca-cola -- which has a lot of food-grade phosphoric acid in it, plus a bit of sugar and flavouring that probably would be OK in the darker ales I tend to brew.

3. Star San solution -- again, another source of food-grade phosphoric acid, but is supposedly tasteless (although there would be a small amount of detergent in it).

Honestly, I don't really worry about adjusting my pH much, but I do occasionally. (And yes, I know about Five Star 5.2 pH stabilizer -- it is just hard/expensive to order here in Alberta and I really don't need it when I find it so easy to adjust my own pH on the rare occasion that I need to. )

 

[boo boo]

I'm sure that Latic don't cost that much given that you don't use very much in a brew. How about using citric acid? Gypsum or calcium chloride?
You could always add some roast malt to adjust the pH.

I used the 5.2 Ph adjuster... found it wasn't good for my water.
Used calcium chloride... not bad
Used gypsum.. not bad.
Used latic acid... great.

My last two brews for some reason didn't need any adjustment. Got
5.3 and 5.2 respective.

 

[FlyGuy]

Yeah, my LHBS wants $8 for this tiny little sachet of lactic acid. I am sure I paid like $1.50 for a big thing of phosphoric. Maybe I will try citric acid.

I was trying to get away from salts, but I have lots of that too I guess.

I might still try Coke....

 

[Lil' Sparky]

Austinhomebrew.com charges $4 for a 5 oz bottle (which lasts a long time). Surely you can pick up lactic acid (or phosphoric acid) from some other source. Does your LHBS carry the 5.2 pH buffer. That stuff takes all the guess work out of it. I wouldn't use any of the 3 you suggested. There's no way to really calculate the effect in pH, and I bet they would have more effect on taste than you think.

 

[Beer Weevel]

I have used common distilled vinegar for several years, and it works great I remembered from college chemistry class that it was a simple acid, and it is table grade, and works great. I have won many first place ribbons and several best of shows, and nobody knows the the differance!!!!!!!!

 

[AdIn]

How about using acid malt or just simply start your mash from acid rest @100F?

 

[Professor Frink]

I would try citric acid, it's pretty cheap in powder form and it'll drop your pH way down. That's what I used to make Candi Sugar, and you only need a pinch to make it pretty acidic. It also won't give you any off flavors.

 

[boo boo]

Yeah, my LHBS wants $8 for this tiny little sachet of lactic acid. I am sure I paid like $1.50 for a big thing of phosphoric. Maybe I will try citric acid.

I was trying to get away from salts, but I have lots of that too I guess.

I might still try Coke....

Yeah I know what you mean. I have been trying to avoid using salts.
I bought a bottle of latic from PW a while back. Perhaps they still have some and the site is still up.

Like I said, my last 2 didn't need any salts.