Imperial Porter - need to raise PH

[mrstevenund]

I was getting ready to brew tomorrow, last step being water. I entered everything into Bru'n Water but can't get the PH up to where I want. Calculated Mash PH 5.2. For Black beers, should be closer to 5.4 for smoother Roast.

I'm using BIAB, 8.2 gallons distilled water. I took a look at doing an sparge, but the PH started tanking as soon as I lowered the water amount.

Side note: I'm using the just received Bru'n Water V5.4 which updated the PH calculations. I didn't have a chance to take a look at the V4.x to compare.

Pale Malt - Base Malt- 15 lbs - 2L
C120 - Crystal Malt - 2.5lbs - 120L
Black - Roast - 1lb - 500L
Chocolate - Roast - .5 - 250L

Goal: Black Balanced profile
Ca Mg Na Sulfur Chloride
50 10 33 57 44
Calculated: (using minerals below)
Ca Mg Na Sulfur Chloride
44 3 47 57 42

Gypsum: 2.62 g
Calcium Chloride: 2.05 g
Epsom Salt: 0.82 g
Baking Soda: 5.33 g
No acid.

 

[thehaze]

I've brewed a couple of beers where my mash pH was between 5.1 and 5.2 and turned out very good, but I too strive for a higher mash pH for darker beers.

It depends on your water and bicarbonate/alkalinity, but if you use a fairly hard water, you might not even be forced toi use any baking soda giving your recipe.

If you wish to raise pH, then you will have to add more baking sodan, which is return will raise Na, but anything under 100 ppm, should be OK, I think.

 

[SanPancho]

Take roast out of mash. Once conversion is complete, put it in for 10 min or so. Proceed as normal.

On grain bill page there is a box to check about holding back roasts from mash.

 

[ccous]

Pickling lime works great

 

[ccous]

Take roast out of mash. Once conversion is complete, put it in for 10 min or so. Proceed as normal.

On grain bill page there is a box to check about holding back roasts from mash.

As does this method. I also use this method if I’m looking for smoother, less pronounced roast.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

With that much baking soda you may find yourself to be mashing at right close to 5.60 pH (wherein admittedly 5.60 mash pH may actually be desired for the likes of robust Stouts and Porters). Will you be taking a room temperature pH sample at the 30 minute mark of your mash? Many of us would like to know your measured mash pH. You may find that you will be at roughly 5.40 mash pH without the addition of any baking soda.

 

[ajdelange]

I was getting ready to brew tomorrow, last step being water. I entered everything into Bru'n Water but can't get the PH up to where I want. Calculated Mash PH 5.2. For Black beers, should be closer to 5.4 for smoother Roast.

Evidently Brun water has a problem with thin mashes. As, when DI water is used, the mash thickness does not, in fact, have an effect on mash pH you could try telling the program that you are using less water and see if it gives an answer you like better.

Pale Malt - Base Malt- 15 lbs - 2L
C120 - Crystal Malt - 2.5lbs - 120L
Black - Roast - 1lb - 500L
Chocolate - Roast - .5 - 250L

You are only slightly over the 20% rule of thumb for the acidic malts so your mash pH without bicarbonate isn't going to be that low. I estimate 5.38 using malts which are probably similar to the ones you plan to use but not, of course, identical. Adding the 5.33 grams of baking soda would push your pH up to about 5.51.

As to the advice to withhold the dark malts: I'm not going to say don't do it but I will caution you to be aware that these malts are acidic and if their acidity is released to the wort as opposed to the mash it will still cause a decrease in wort pH. This may, in fact, be a desirable event but be aware of it.

 

[mrstevenund]

Evidently Brun water has a problem with thin mashes. As, when DI water is used, the mash thickness does not, in fact, have an effect on mash pH you could try telling the program that you are using less water and see if it gives an answer you like better.





You are only slightly over the 20% rule of thumb for the acidic malts so your mash pH without bicarbonate isn't going to be that low. I estimate 5.38 using malts which are probably similar to the ones you plan to use but not, of course, identical. Adding the 5.33 grams of baking soda would push your pH up to about 5.51.

As to the advice to withhold the dark malts: I'm not going to say don't do it but I will caution you to be aware that these malts are acidic and if their acidity is released to the wort as opposed to the mash it will still cause a decrease in wort pH. This may, in fact, be a desirable event but be aware of it.

I saw a post last night about thin mashes being problematic with bru'n water. I lowered the water used, and that actually lowered the PH further which I thought was odd. I'm using distilled as my base water as my city water is surface water and will change throughout the year.

I thought that was a lot of baking soda, which is why I wanted to get other people's reaction. I'll be taking PH measurements as I go tonight.

 

[ajdelange]

I lowered the water used, and that actually lowered the PH further which I thought was odd.

It is odd. That would be the case for water with finite alkalinity but distilled water has but tiny alkalinity.

I thought that was a lot of baking soda, which is why I wanted to get other people's reaction. I'll be taking PH measurements as I go tonight.

If you have time tonight you might want to try a test mash. That's going to give you better information than any calculator.