Did I add too much chalk?

[ezzieyguywuf]

I'm doing an AG porter recipe. Historically, I have been dissatisfied with my porters - they come out thin, and a bit acidic. Some research suggested that my issue may be mash pH, so I bought so pH strips and some chalk. I measured my mash pH using the strips and it was in the 4.9 range, so I started adding chalk 1 teaspoon at a time. Eventually I got to 5 teaspoons, and the pH strip still registered about 5.0, MAYBE 5.1, but it is hard to tell with the colors. I decided to err on the side of caution and stop adding stuff to my mash.

I eventually had to also add 1.5 gallons of boiling water to hit my mash temp. So, I went from 4.25 gallons of water to 5.75 for a 13.6lb grain bill.

My question is - did I add ridiculously too much chalk? If so, what are the negative side effects of having done so?

For future brew sessions I think I will purchase a digital pH meter, but for this batch in particular I would like to know if I am fubar or not.

 

[JonM]

Any chalk is too much. It won't dissolve properly. If you really do need to increase mash pH, then baking soda or pickling lime are the way to go.

And, just a FYI, those pH strips are notoriously inaccurate. Have you tried running your recipe through a mash calculator like Bru'n Water or Brewer's Friend? That might give a better estimate of what might be the issue with your porters.

 

[ezzieyguywuf]

I have not used any of those calculators, I can try them out. But, for my immediate problem - if the chalk doesn't dissolve well, then does it mean that I have effectively done nothing to my mash? I did see the strips get a bit darker, so it does appear that the chalk had an effect.

For next time, I will use baking soda, but I'll also have a digital pH-ometer

 

[JonM]

I'm not sure what the effect will be long term re the chalk. Maybe someone will chime in with a good answer.

And AJ DeLange has recommendations for pH meters. Specific models Hach and Milwaukee got good marks.

 

[normonster]

I don't have any ideas about the chalk but I'll tell you, I've become a real advocate for Brew'n Water lately. It's much easier to use than one would imagine. You should consider it, though if you don't have a water report and aren't using RO or Distilled the actual water profile part won't help. There is a page for mash pH specifically though.

If you really want to nail your porter you could use RO for one batch and add the appropriate chemicals to hit a good water profile and mash pH. If you think you might need extra water you can just treat a larger volume than you intend to use, keeping the balance on hand to add if needed (that is what I do with the sparge water side of things....always have extra treated to the same specifications). The program also has a TON of great explanation built into it.

Cheers!

 

[mabrungard]

I'm doing an AG porter recipe. Historically, I have been dissatisfied with my porters - they come out thin, and a bit acidic. Some research suggested that my issue may be mash pH, so I bought so pH strips and some chalk. I measured my mash pH using the strips and it was in the 4.9 range, so I started adding chalk 1 teaspoon at a time. Eventually I got to 5 teaspoons, and the pH strip still registered about 5.0, MAYBE 5.1, but it is hard to tell with the colors.

The good news is that you didn't screw up your beer by adding chalk. The bad news is that the chalk addition did very little to correct the low pH situation since there is only a small amount of acid that is strong enough to dissolve chalk. As you have found (and so did Kai Troester) that chalk addition only boosts wort pH by about 0.1 unit. You could have added the whole bag of chalk and never seen more pH movement. It went straight to the bottom of the kettle. To raise pH, baking soda or lime are needed.

Proper mashing water chemistry is necessary when brewing. This is true regardless of your starting water quality. There is no water that is perfect for all brewing. To brew all styles, you must learn to manipulate your water.

 

[ezzieyguywuf]

The good news is that you didn't screw up your beer by adding chalk. The bad news is that the chalk addition did very little to correct the low pH situation since there is only a small amount of acid that is strong enough to dissolve chalk. As you have found (and so did Kai Troester) that chalk addition only boosts wort pH by about 0.1 unit. You could have added the whole bag of chalk and never seen more pH movement. It went straight to the bottom of the kettle. To raise pH, baking soda or lime are needed.

Proper mashing water chemistry is necessary when brewing. This is true regardless of your starting water quality. There is no water that is perfect for all brewing. To brew all styles, you must learn to manipulate your water.

Boom, just what I was looking for. I'll get some baking soda for next time, and a digital pH-ometer, but for now I will breath easy that this batch won't be any worse than the rest.

In fact, I'm still hoping some of my other changes will help the issues I've had - less chocolate and black patent malt, and I added some malted oat to try and bring back some body.

cheers y'all

 

[Izzie1701]

I used chalk in my last stout and it turned out awesome. Key is as everyone is saying it doesn't dissolve in water alone. There is a link here on getting it to dissolve properly using CO2. I took what I took from it then looked at my soda stream, the bottle and the chalk. Made some soda water shook in the chalk and it dissolved a bit. Had a pretty good effect on my ph. I was making a Guinness clone and really wanted to try and mimic the water they use (not Dublin tap water it's from a spring near the brewery) and it needed chalk. Not sure how well it really worked but I'm rolling with it worked.

 

[acidrain]

Boom, just what I was looking for. I'll get some baking soda for next time, and a digital pH-ometer, but for now I will breath easy that this batch won't be any worse than the rest.

In fact, I'm still hoping some of my other changes will help the issues I've had - less chocolate and black patent malt, and I added some malted oat to try and bring back some body.

cheers y'all

You're missing the point. Without knowing your starting water profile, you will have no idea what the proper additions should be.

Either pay the $25 for a water report, or start with RO water and build it from there.

I suggest Ward labs.