Raising pH with bicarb and color darkening?

[bracconiere]

So i'm noticing an issue with my brews. Whenever i get a batch that's say 5.1 or 4.9 ph. i add potassium bicarb to it to bring it up. But then the color gets dark...? seems to lighten back up after the boil/ferment..

curious as to why? co2 in solution?

and if you think it is co2 would i be better off using a hydroxide?

(and yes i have a bottle of food grade potassium hydroxide, and could just try it next batch and see for myself...But i thought i'd ask anyway)

 

[thehaze]

I've only used baking soda to raise the pH and only for really dark beers with a good amount of roasted malt, like porters and stouts.

What kind of beers do you brew and what's your starting water profile?

I have no experience with potassium bicarb, so I cannot tell you of any colour reactions it might have.

 

[bracconiere]

I've only used baking soda to raise the pH and only for really dark beers with a good amount of roasted malt, like porters and stouts.

What kind of beers do you brew and what's your starting water profile?

I have no experience with potassium bicarb, so I cannot tell you of any colour reactions it might have.

i used to use baking soda, but back then before my oven mod. i didn't notice a color change because all my malt was kilned at 200f+ and every beer was dark.

But i just started using potassium because i figure hell, why bump up sodium, when i can get more potassium in my diet? Anyway now that i can make a pale malt, i've been noticing when the ph is fine 5.3-5.4, and i don't add bicarb. it's light, and when i do it darkens almost instantly....

I've been drinking 100% munich base malt beer for almost 3 years, and i want a light beer now!

As far as my water profile, i use tap, passed thru a eco-one hose filter....my tap is hard and irony...

being that hydroxide is easy to go over board with, what other bases are used for raising ph in brewing? i have dolomite, but it only seems to raise ph if the water is boiling.