Too much acid malt?

[kpr121]

So I got a little happy at the grain mill and ended up with a whole lb of acid malt in a session ipa... Did I screw it up royally?

Attached is recipe
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421540350.286850.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421540370.245347.jpg

 

[WouldBeBrewmaster]

It's still only 5% of the grist. My educated guess is that the worst case scenario a touch of sourness might make it to the final beer.

Did you happen to take a pH reading of the runoff?

 

[kpr121]

No I didn't... I've taken to adding acid malt to lower the ph in my pale malt beers from suggestions received here based on my water profile... Don't actually measure ph though and tend to keep it more art than science.

Normally I would add like 4-6 oz but I guess I got caught up in just adding a pound of the rest of the malts. Really hope this doesn't taste too sour!

 

[Yooper]

I'm on a little tiny screen, and can't figure the whole grainbill. Is it 3% or less than the total, if it is, the flavor impact will be negligible. If it's more, then the flavor will be impacted from a little to a lot, depending on how much was used, as a %.

 

[kpr121]

It's 5%, 1 lb in a 10g brew at 1.050

 

[Yooper]

It's 5%, 1 lb in a 10g brew at 1.050

Oh. Without a pH measurement, it'd be just a guess but I would wonder if the mash pH got below 5.2. If so, yes, it'd be tart. It might be tart, in a good way, though. Or it might be tart in a too-sour way. Only one way to know!

 

[Calder]

You will not notice it. You didn't need it in the first place.

Unless you have a specific reason to use it like adding a little sourness to a stout, or lowering the PH for Brett beers, don't use it.

 

[kpr121]

Okay thanks, I use it per suggestions I've received to lower my ph without adding additional salts... I'll have to reconsider that for future brews and maybe get back into looking at chemistry, I admit I've just been adding it blindly based on one water samples results.

For this one, Not much else I can do I suppose, it's like prego "it's all in there!" I'll update with what becomes of it. For now just a little lag in fermentation starting but that could have been due to low pitch temps (60-62). Ive since warmed it up to about 65.

 

[chickypad]

Yeah if adding it I would use a water program and follow pH. There's nothing wrong with using it for pH adjustment, I use it frequently in my pale beers, but I have low alkalinity water so I need very little.

 

[kpr121]

Well I dug a little back into Bru’n Water and inputted my water report and grist recipe. Without actually testing with a pH meter, seems like I should be okay from a pH standpoint. It’s a good thing I didn’t add any gypsum (or calc. chloride for that matter), as that would have dropped pH down below the recommended range (5.2 to 5.8).

However, another question after looking into the chemistry more: I wonder if the low calcium contributes to the lower mash efficiency and lag in fermentation I seem to be experiencing? Below is my water report and like I said, didn’t add any salts/minerals.

Would be interesting to try this exact same beer, but eliminate the acid malt and instead use a 1.0 gram/gal addition of Gypsum to get that calcium level up a bit. That would put me at an estimated mash pH of 5.3.

BTW, Calder you are right, I probably don’t need any pH adjustment for this beer. If untouched I’d be at estimated mash pH of 5.5.


pH 8.8
TDS 155
Conductivity 0.26
Cat/Anion 2.2/2.2
Total Hardness (CaCO3) 63
Total Alkalinity 31

Calcium (Ca) 17.0
Magnesium (Mg) 5.0
Sodium (Na) 20.0
Potassium (K) 2.0
Iron (Fe) n/t
Bicarbonate (HCO3) 26.0
Carbonate (CO3) 6.0
Sulfate (SO4) 30.0
Chloride (Cl) 31.0
Nitrate (NO3) 1.8
Nitrite (NO2) n/t
Fluoride (F) n/t

 

[kpr121]

This seems to be a great lunchtime read. They recommend a mash pH of 5.4 to 5.7, and it doesnt look like calcium has that great of an effect on efficiency.

http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/inde...ity_and_efficiency_in_single_infusion_mashing

 

[catdaddy66]

You will not notice it. You didn't need it in the first place.



Unless you have a specific reason to use it like adding a little sourness to a stout, or lowering the PH for Brett beers, don't use it.

Dang. I got a pound for Xmas...

 

[Yooper]

Dang. I got a pound for Xmas...

If you make light colored beers, you'll use it don't worry!

Most people need to use some sort of acid to get a proper mash pH in lighter colored beers- even with RO water. I use acid malt often, and in amounts of 2-4 ounces for each batch. pH is a HUGE and important part of the brewing process.

 

[kpr121]

Yea, you'll use it! Just dont throw it all in one batch like some kind of idiot

Better than a lb of coal for Christmas!

 

[kpr121]

So it's been a little over two weeks, I kegged this Saturday and it's just starting to a lil bit of carb. Being my first brew in over a year I can't keep my grubby paws from pulling a pint or two last night and tonight.

Consensus: I think I can tell the acid is there but it's not terribly overwhelming. More of a slight mouth quenching in the back end of the sip, if that makes sense. Honestly the ibus could have something to do with that too. Wife says she doesn't notice anything weird so that's good.

No matter, it tastes good to us and will be damn great once it's fully carbed and dry hopped!

 

[Calder]

No matter, it tastes good to us and will be damn great once it's fully carbed and dry hopped!

Are you sure there will be any left.

 

[kpr121]

Actually one of the kegs is going to a relay for life snowball softball event later this month to help raise some donation money so I gotta keep my paws off at least that keg lol. I brewed a 12 gallon batch of mild this weekend that should tide us over. Plus just scored a case of Great Lakes Xmas ale for 32 bucks on clearance at distributor!