Slaked Lime vs Baking Soda

[Gustatorian]

Needing to up my pH on a Stout that I'm brewing and I've never used either in my practice before.

Does anybody have a preference? Do they both dissolve readily easy into the mash water? Is it ok to use them both together?

THANKS!

 

[mabrungard]

Because lime can degrade into chalk over time, you can't truly count on its purity and strength. There is a technique known as limewater by which you create a saturated lime solution, does alleviate the question of purity and strength. However, baking soda does not suffer from that problem and it retains its purity and strength. Considering that you only add an alkali to the mash and not sparging water, the potentially elevated sodium dose is usually not that bad. In fact, a bit of sodium is actually a nice flavor addition in darker styles. As you may deduce, baking soda is actually a more consistent and reliable alkali for brewing use.

 

[Queequeg]

I have used calcium hydroxide on a few occasions with no problems. It is pretty hazardous so I try to avoid if possible