I brewed a Pilsner Urquell clone yesterday. I was doing an experiment to quantify the effects of starter vs. non-starter by splitting my batch into 2 fermentors. Anyway, I've been starting to measure and try to adjust for mash pH. So BeerSmith2 was telling me to add 5 ounces of my 10% Phosphoric acid to bring the predicted pH down from 5.67 to my target of 5.2. My mash way undershot with the following values in my 90 minute mash:
- 18 min into mash: pH=4.41
- 30 min into mash: pH = 4.59
- 90 min into mash: pH = 4.86
I thought that was a lot of acid, but I haven't targeted a pH that low before since tracking my pH, and adjustment predictions from before were accurate so I just dumped it in (actually only had 4.9 oz).
When I pulled the lid off the kettle once the strike water had hit its target temperature, I caught a sweet odor and I thought to myself, "Why did I add so much dumb acid?". Tasting the wort samples, they all tasted fine. My wort sample after boil, when getting my OG measurement tasted good, but I did notice a slightly tart bite to it like an orange juice type of acidity.
My question is, would a low pH like this present itself as a particularly tart finished beer? Anyone have any experience with this?
Recipe for 7 gallon batch:
13.5 lbs German Pilsner
0.5 lbs Cara hell
0.15 lbs Dark Munich
2 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 90 minutes
1.35 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 15 min
1.35 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 5 min
Wyeast #2278 Czech Pilsner Lager
0.71 oz Saaz (6.5%) dry hop
Brew parameters:
- Mash for 90 min @ 151F
- Mashout for 10 min @ 168F
- Boil for 90 min
8.3 Gallons of this Base Water in the mash:
- Ca 24 ppm
- Mg 2.4 ppm
- Na 24.4 ppm
- SO4 0 ppm
- Cl 30.0 ppm
- HCO3 96.0 ppm
Mash water additions:
- 4.1 g Gypsum
- 7.1 g Epsom Salt
- 1.7 g CaCl
- 18 min into mash: pH=4.41
- 30 min into mash: pH = 4.59
- 90 min into mash: pH = 4.86
I thought that was a lot of acid, but I haven't targeted a pH that low before since tracking my pH, and adjustment predictions from before were accurate so I just dumped it in (actually only had 4.9 oz).
When I pulled the lid off the kettle once the strike water had hit its target temperature, I caught a sweet odor and I thought to myself, "Why did I add so much dumb acid?". Tasting the wort samples, they all tasted fine. My wort sample after boil, when getting my OG measurement tasted good, but I did notice a slightly tart bite to it like an orange juice type of acidity.
My question is, would a low pH like this present itself as a particularly tart finished beer? Anyone have any experience with this?
Recipe for 7 gallon batch:
13.5 lbs German Pilsner
0.5 lbs Cara hell
0.15 lbs Dark Munich
2 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 90 minutes
1.35 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 15 min
1.35 oz. Saaz (6.5%) @ 5 min
Wyeast #2278 Czech Pilsner Lager
0.71 oz Saaz (6.5%) dry hop
Brew parameters:
- Mash for 90 min @ 151F
- Mashout for 10 min @ 168F
- Boil for 90 min
8.3 Gallons of this Base Water in the mash:
- Ca 24 ppm
- Mg 2.4 ppm
- Na 24.4 ppm
- SO4 0 ppm
- Cl 30.0 ppm
- HCO3 96.0 ppm
Mash water additions:
- 4.1 g Gypsum
- 7.1 g Epsom Salt
- 1.7 g CaCl
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