Mash Ph in full volume

[FlabbyRoach]

Just getting interested in water adjustments
usually starting with 8-1/4 gallon strike water
1/2 Camden tablet for chlorine
bought a good Ph pen and took my last strike water which was 7.3 Ph
did not take the mash Ph unfortunately
i know I need my city water profile to start
but how would you control the recommended 5.4 Ph thru mash?

 

[doug293cz]

Starting water pH is pretty much meaningless for mashing, but is important for sparging (best if acid adjusted to a pH of 5.8, or less to minimize alkalinity.) It is the alkalinity of the mash water and the nature of the grains (darker grains tend to drive lower mash pH) that determine mash pH. You don't actually control the pH thru the duration of the mash, but rather adjust the composition of the starting water, based on the grain bill, so that after a few minutes of mashing pH will settle into the desired range.

To do this you have to know at least the alkalinity of the starting water, but you should actually know the levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, sulfate, and chloride (not chlorine). You can then use mash pH prediction software to adjust your starting water profile to have the desired levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride to enhance the flavors you are targeting, and determine how much acid (or acidulated malt) or base to also add to reach your pH target. Most of the pH prediction software is pretty reliable, but if you really want to know, you have to sample the wort in the mash after 20 - 30 minutes. If the actual pH doesn't match the predictions adequately, then you need to make adjustments for you future batches. Chasing pH of an ongoing mash doesn't work very well.

Brew on

 

[dmtaylor]

Common for many brewers, but not all, depending on your particular water quality:

A bit of acid for light colored beers -- this could be phosphoric, lactic, or heck I even use a "glug" of vinegar (yes, I am serious).

A bit of baking soda or pickling lime for dark colored beers -- about 1/4 teaspoon might be enough.

Maybe nothing needed at all for moderate amber/orange colored beers.

YMMV.

 

[FlabbyRoach]

i really didnt want to sparge

 

[doug293cz]

i really didnt want to sparge

There is no need to sparge if you don't want to, and I didn't mean to suggest that you should. I just included info about sparge water for completeness.

Brew on

 

[jambop]

I think you need to know what you are starting out with first before you can make meaningful changes. If you can get a figure for Ca, Mg, Na, SO4 , CL and HCO3 you should be able to plug those into any water calculator to get an additions list. I have been using the Brewers friend and Grainfather calculators and they both come up with numbers which are about the same so you could try them out when you know what your water analysis is.