Step Mashing and pH Adjustment

[Teesquar]

Planning on doing a Saison in the near future and the recipe calls for 122/10, 146/60, 152/15 and 168 MO steps. I'll be using my Grainfather with the connect controller so I figure the stepping should go smoothly.

I normally just do a single step mash and add my lactic acid to the mash water right at the start, using either Bruin or MME to calc the amount of acid required. Will adding the acid at the start hold true for step mashing or do I need to do something different?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bitteritdown]

You should be ok adding it at the start. pH is a function of grist and minerals present in the water, unless you're doing something out of the ordinary, like changing the infusion volume from the protein rest to the beta/alpha rests.

 

[ajdelange]

You'll be OK with additions to the mash water if they are correct. Monitor the pH of your mash at each step, however, until you know what to expect. Thereafter you can just check pH 15 - 20 min after strike. The pH is going to change slowly from step to step depending on the mineral content of the water (if there is lots of calcium initially it should fall slightly, especially if decoctions are involved). Otherwise it may rise slightly. As the main reason for setting pH properly is that it improves flavor you want to be sure the pH is right at each step where flavor development occurs. The obvious question is as to what pH is right for what step and I, for one, certainly don't know that. What I do know is that in the mashing program I use a dough in pH of 5.4 - 5.5 at strike gives the best tasting beer. You need to find out what that range is for your program. It is very probably going to be the same.