Mash PH question.

[Washington_Brewologist]

I'm getting ready to brew a really hoppy pale ale today and have a few questions about my mash PH. In beersmith, after all of my mineral additions, it says that my est. Mash PH will be 5.53. I know that the recommended range is 5.2-5.6. Will my mash PH be increasing over the duration of the mash? I'm a bit worried because my LHBS is closed for the day so I have no way of getting any acidulated malt or lactic acid and I'm planning on brewing in a few hours. If this PH is too high, is there anything I can do to my grain bill to adjust this?

Recipe:

 

[mabrungard]

That pH is a bit higher than I'd prefer for an APA or IPA. I'm not sure if the pH prediction in BS is reliable, but you should be able to lower mashing pH by reducing the amount of baking soda dosed into the mash.

 

[Washington_Brewologist]

That pH is a bit higher than I'd prefer for an APA or IPA. I'm not sure if the pH prediction in BS is reliable, but you should be able to lower mashing pH by reducing the amount of baking soda dosed into the mash.

What should be my target PH?

 

[doug293cz]

I'd cut the gypsum by at least a third, and totally ditch the Epsom salt and baking soda. There is almost never a good reason to use baking soda in anything but a really dark beer (with very acidic grains.) With the additions as listed I would think you would have a very minerally tasting beer.

Brew on

 

[Washington_Brewologist]

I'd cut the gypsum by at least a third, and totally ditch the Epsom salt and baking soda. There is almost never a good reason to use baking soda in anything but a really dark beer (with very acidic grains.) With the additions as listed I would think you would have a very minerally tasting beer.

Brew on

Yeah, the water here where I live is incredibly soft. Lager water. I've checked and double checked these additions on beersmith, brunwater, ez water and my LHBS. I felt wierd at first adding this most **** too. We'll see. By the way, I went to the homebrew shop and picked up some lactic acid and got my mash ph down to 5.4 without too much trouble.

 

[enkamania]

Beersmith does good with the mineral additions. Lactic acid, he advises too high.

 

[mabrungard]

I'd cut the gypsum by at least a third, and totally ditch the Epsom salt and baking soda. There is almost never a good reason to use baking soda in anything but a really dark beer (with very acidic grains.) With the additions as listed I would think you would have a very minerally tasting beer.

To each his own. I and many other good brewers brew APAs and IPAs with more sulfate than shown above and I do find them pleasing. Due to the high calcium content, the wort pH can be driven lower than an APA or IPA brewer might prefer for good hop component extraction and therefore, baking soda or lime is HIGHLY recommended to keep that wort pH in the 5.4 to 5.5 range when you start with RO or distilled water. If your tap water already has significant alkalinity, then there should be no reason to add those alkalinity-increasing salts.

The ion levels proposed in that recipe are not minerally tasting in my experiece. However, I invite brewers to brew a Dortmund Export using the Dortmund water profile listed in Bru'n Water to taste what minerally actually is. High sulfate WITH HIGH CHLORIDE are what make brewing water minerally, in my experience. I won't go that high again.