want to brew an IPA with this water?
- Thread starter hnycrk
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With that low mineralization, that is a nice water to start with for brewing almost any beer. However for an IPA, it might end up a little blander than you may expect if you don't add more mineralization.
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estricklin
Well-Known Member
Of coarse my advice, and other will disagree, would be to nail down the recipe before you go making huge water adjustments. Obviously I think you should adjust for pH but don't worry about the rest until you get a good solid recipe nailed down that YOU like.
Thanks everyone for the replies. Do I really need to do something about the ph? I figured with such low Alkalinity that the grains would Drop the ph on there own without any acid. I have a ph meter and have never noted a mash ph over 5.4. Should I add acid to my sparge water?
If you are making pale beers and never see mash pH above 5.4 then suspect your pH meter. Do a calibration check as described at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/ph-meter-calibration-302256/ (and do the stability check too). It is possible to have a 'pale' beer come in this low without acid but in most cases some acid will be needed.
With the calcium and magnesium content that might be included in IPA brewing, its possible that the mash pH would be in the 5.4 range. For other pale styles with less mineralization, an external acid is probably needed.
I thought the 5.2 to 5.4 range is where optimal mash ph is? Do I need to add acid because my starting ph is to high.? I calibrate my meter before every use with ph 4.01 and 7 calibration solution? I've been getting this twang in my beers and I can't to seem why. In fact I've only made one good IPA. I figured that it was water that is my problem, so I ordered a test from ward. The beer taste great up until I bottle, then in the bottle they start to develop this off flavor that's just hard to describe. I have only brewed ipa and with the above water profile I usually add 4 grams of gypsum and 4 grams of calcium chloride in the mash and the same to the Kettle. That's the only addition I make. Please help me figure out this problem.
5.4 is a good mash pH. It is just unlikely (though as noted, possible) that you will get a pH that low in a light beer without acid. It's a simple enough thing to check on your pH meter to insure that the pH you read is the pH you actually have. If you confirm that the meter is performing correctly and you are getting pH 5.4 then no, you do not need to add acid. If that is indeed the case then, based on the fact that the beer goes south in the bottle, I would check effectiveness of bottle cleaning and sanitation, making sure sanitizer is rinsed off etc. Strong off flavors of rotten fruit or butter suggest infection. Weaker versions of these flavors suggest that the beer should be left on the yeast longer before packaging.
