Acid Spilsner

[hawktrio]

I badly miscalculated my phosphoric acid 85% addition in my first crack at a Czech Pilsner. Using 40 litres of initial water (50/50 RO and filtered tap water mix) for a 19 litre batch I added 15mls phosphoric acid to the total water. Everything else has gone ok and the beer fermented down to 1.014. It smells and tastes pretty good. I added no other salts or acid malts. Grain bill was 96% pilsner malt, 2% melanoidin and 2% carapils. My question is is it safe to drink? I assume carbonating will surely exacerbate an acid bite. Any advice woupd be greatly appreciated. After recalculating I should've added about 5mls.

 

[brewfun]

I don't think there is anything to be concerned about from that amount of Phosphoric Acid. Coca Cola has about 12 ml per gallon, and holds a pH of 2.8 (lower than lemon or lime juice). Given that you've stated it tastes pretty good, I'm certain the beer's pH is nowhere near that.

 

[ajdelange]

You might want to check the pH. I am assuming you do not have a meter but even some strips would be better than nothing. Or you could just take the approach that you put in 10 mL too much and neutralize that. 85% phosphoric acid is ~14.6 N at normal beer pH (4.7) and so you need to absorb 146 mEq of acid. You could do that with 12.3 grams of sodium bicarbonate but that of course means introducing 146 mEq (3.4 grams) of sodium which you may not want to do. Pickling lime is another potential candidate. It would take about 5.4 gram of that (equivalent weight is 37) and add 2.9 grams Ca. If you use baking soda you will wind up with sodium biphosphate in ytou beer and if you use lime, calcium biphopshate so if you elect to do either start with a test on a small volume.

Now obviously the mash, wort and fermentation pH's were way low and there may have been problems caused by this. Even fixed, this may not turn out to be your best ever Pils.