Projected mash pH too low - need fix

[DonRikkles]

Hi folks,

I just started using Bru'n water and plugged my water profile in. I'm brewing a RIS on Friday that I'll use for my Christmas beer this year. It has 3.5 lbs (out of 22) of roasted malt. Bru'n water predicts that the mash pH will be 4.6. I know that's way too low, but the collective advice here is to avoid adding chalk or baking soda to the strike water.

Do you think that estimate is correct? If so, would you add the chalk or baking soda to the mash?

Thanks.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

Are you brewing with distilled / RO water or your tap water? If you have hard water and know your profile you could add some in to raise the pH.

But to directly answer your question, I suggest baking soda. Chalk is a ***** to dissolve adequately

 

[saltymirv]

Chalk doesn't dissolve well so that's not recommended, but baking soda does. The issue with baking soda is it adds sodium and can make the beer taste salty, like a gose. I personally have made a gose with 250 ppm of sodium, and it didn't really pop out at me as tasting salty. So I would say that up to 200ppm should be safe. You should be able to get your mash pH in check using baking soda without going over on the sodium levels

 

[Singletrack]

Mash without the roasted grains, then add them after the mash. They do not need to be mashed, just steeped. This may help you avoid astringency too. I do it that way all the time.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I find it hard to imagine any drinkable beer recipe mashing in at a pH of 4.6.

https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/

 

[DonRikkles]

@Singletrack - how do you steep grains? In the sparge? I've never done that before.

 

[Singletrack]

@Singletrack - how do you steep grains? In the sparge? I've never done that before.

After the mash, dump them in your mash tun. They steep during the runoff/sparge. Just that easy.

 

[Gavin C]

Hi folks,

I just started using Bru'n water and plugged my water profile in. I'm brewing a RIS on Friday that I'll use for my Christmas beer this year. It has 3.5 lbs (out of 22) of roasted malt. Bru'n water predicts that the mash pH will be 4.6. I know that's way too low, but the collective advice here is to avoid adding chalk or baking soda to the strike water.

Do you think that estimate is correct? If so, would you add the chalk or baking soda to the mash?

Thanks.

Your data is bad. You're inputting bad info in Bru'n Water. Check your water volumes and grist specs. You will not get the pH that low without some deliberate efforts at doing so. Make sure your water volume is correct ed for the large grain bill that will require more to mash it.

Simplest way to raise mash pH if you're a tad low is mash thinner. Next up is addition of some form of alkali. DO NOT USE CHALK.

But I'd reiterate. Your data is bad. pH may be low but it's not that low if mashing with a realistic volume of water.

 

[mabrungard]

Since this is a big beer, I'm guessing that this batch is being mashed at a fairly thick water/grist ratio due to tun size limitations. That condition does skew the pH potential more acidic. A workaround is to supply some of your batch's fermentables with a dose of liquid or dry malt extract in the kettle. That would allow your mash to operate at a more typical water/grist ratio.

Since baking soda is only added to the mashing water, its sodium contribution will be diluted when sparging water is added. I've not seen a case where a baking soda addition for boosting mash pH has been sufficient to create any salty impressions in the beer. 80 to 100 ppm sodium in the mash might be created, but it'll be knocked down in the kettle. Even so, sodium content in that range can be desirable in a dark beer. Don't worry about baking soda!

 

[DonRikkles]

@GavinC - that was my first thought too. I re-input all of the data and my water profile and I got the same results.

@mabrungard - Beersmith has me mashing with my typical 1.25qu/lb. I have a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler. Given the 22 lb of grain and almost 7 gal of water, I'm not sure if I have room for more.

Adding 1.4 grams per gallon will get me in an acceptable pH range. That's 9.6 grams total. Will that amount of baking soda give me off flavors? I was hesitant to put baking soda at the amount suggest by Bru'n water - not because I think the program is wrong, but because I had heard that large amounts of baking soda could cause foul tasting beer.

Is 9.6 grams total too much?

 

[mabrungard]

@mabrungard - Beersmith has me mashing with my typical 1.25qu/lb. I have a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler. Given the 22 lb of grain and almost 7 gal of water, I'm not sure if I have room for more.

but because I had heard that large amounts of baking soda could cause foul tasting beer.

That tun may not be large enough. That's why I suggest you reduce the amount of base malt by several pounds and increase the water quantity and then replace X lbs of LME or DME to make up for that loss of gravity.

If you mix up a big slug of baking soda in a glass of water and taste it, it does indeed taste nasty. Fortunately, you will likely be adding a minute amount of baking soda in gallons of water. The result is NOT the same. I'm saddened that there are people that continue to perpetuate that lie. As long as your baking soda dose doesn't increase the sodium content in the kettle wort above 70 ppm in a dark beer, it won't be adversely perceptible. In fact, it should add sweetness to the beer. Remember, people add a light amount of salt to their watermelon to make it taste sweeter. Gose brewers do the same with salt. Sodium is NOT a total villain in brewing (but don't overdo it!!!)