mash pH

[mdindy]

So I have been recently learning about mash pH and the importance or adjusting for all grain brewing. to my understanding you can raise pH with calcium carbonate additions and lower pH with gypsum additions.
I have 2 questions,
1. what is the optimal range for mash pH and 2. is it as important for partial mash brewing?

 

[porterpounder]

I find it easier to lower mash Ph with acid additions. Less chance of a mineral off-flavor if you have to lower it quite a bit. There are several posts on optimal mash pH for varying styles of beer throughout the forum archive.
I'd say it's also important for the mash portion of partial mashing, but the extract portion may do things to the body and flavor that are hard to predict even when monitoring the partial mash pH.

 

[tgmartin000]

Baking soda is better than chalk, which doesn't dissolve readily.

5.2-5.4.

All you need to know:
http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=How_pH_affects_brewing

 

[mdindy]

thanks for the tips!

 

[chickypad]

The water knowledge page on the Brun' water site is also a great resource, and you can download the program if you want.

 

[Gavin C]

There are also some great stickies in the brew science forum worth reading. I've learned a lot there.

There is a common pitfalls thread too in the all-grain forum I believe.

Using Chalk for anything is really a bad idea as I have learned first hand. It is also listed as a common error in the regular water pit-falls thread.

You can test it out yourself.

Add some chalk to water. The result is cloudy water. It takes days to dissolve without high pressure CO2. This will result in the mash pH being too low and the fermenting beer pH being too high. Bad idea.

I approach the water chemistry in two steps.

1. Targeting my desired mineral profile first.

• You need to know what's in the water to start with,
• Decide your target profile
• Use software to calculate salt additions to strike/sparge or both

2. Making calculated adjustments to mash pH second.

• Calculate predicted mash pH
• Chose desired mash pH
• Calculate addition of acid or alkali to get there
• Measure actual mash pH 20-30 minutes into the mash (A good meter is needed)
• Use the difference between predicted and actual mash pH to better target mash pH at the next brew.
• With more data the actual and targeted pH will get ever closer.

 

[lhommedieu]

I've been taught to adjust mash pH with the addition of sour malt. Knowledge of mash pH is useful for understanding how to convert starches to sugars using alpha- and beta- amylase enzymes at specific temperatures. A 5.2-5.4 pH is generally chosen as a mid-range between the two kinds of enzymes when brewing all-grain batches. Conversion can be achieved using infusion, step-mash, or decoction methods; the decoction method is more labor-intensive but correspondingly more precise with respect to the relationships between pH, enzymes, and temperature. Search for posts on the forum by VladOfTrub for a more expert and thorough explanation of mash pH than I can provide here.

 

[JonM]

So I have been recently learning about mash pH and the importance or adjusting for all grain brewing. to my understanding you can raise pH with calcium carbonate additions and lower pH with gypsum additions.
?

Unless you're using a ton of dark grains, it's almost never necessary to raise the pH. You lower the pH with acid - 88% lactic acid or aciduated malt are two of the preferred ways to add acid. (If you use the liquid acid, do yourself a favor and get a 1 ml pipette).

5.3-5.6 is the range. Lighter beers like Pilsners are better at the low end, rich dark beers are better at the high end.

And I'll be the one to bring it up: That 5.2 "stabilizer" stuff is junk - don't even give it a moment's consideration.

 

[mdindy]

good to know I was considering that as the 5.2 as well, thanks for all the advice.

 

[SpeedYellow]

It's almost never a good idea to use baking soda in your beer. Just never do that, unless you've measured with a reliable meter and pH is too low.

Mineral additions have only a small impact on pH, so treat this as a different issue. Use minerals for flavor, and add acid for mash pH (via acidulated malt, lactic acid, or phosphoric acid).

 

[eric19312]

I disagree with speedyellow. I mainly brew light colored IPAs and like a decent amount of gypsum. About 15 grams in 10 gal batch for my very soft water. This addition makes a clear impact on pH allowing me to really go easy on the acid additions. Usually about 1-2 tsp lactic for a beer with 90% base malt and 10% light Munich. Without the salts the acid additions would be more substantial.

 

[GotPushrods]

I disagree with speedyellow. I mainly brew light colored IPAs and like a decent amount of gypsum. About 15 grams in 10 gal batch for my very soft water. This addition makes a clear impact on pH allowing me to really go easy on the acid additions. Usually about 1-2 tsp lactic for a beer with 90% base malt and 10% light Munich. Without the salts the acid additions would be more substantial.

You agree completely. He says to use mineral additions to taste, which you do. You are adding calcium sulfate for the sulfate. He says not to use sodium bicarbonate since it adds alkalinity, which you aren't adding and don't need.

 

[SpeedYellow]

I disagree with speedyellow. I mainly brew light colored IPAs and like a decent amount of gypsum. About 15 grams in 10 gal batch for my very soft water. This addition makes a clear impact on pH allowing me to really go easy on the acid additions. Usually about 1-2 tsp lactic for a beer with 90% base malt and 10% light Munich. Without the salts the acid additions would be more substantial.

Yeah, we're actually in agreement. With your example, that much gypsum would only get you maybe a third of the way toward your pH goal, give or take. And you rightly use an acid as your main acidifying agent.

My main point was that minerals should be added only for taste, whereas the OP indicated that the intent of minerals is to affect pH. Yes they do that, but that's not why we use minerals.

 

[eric19312]

OK I got it we agree.