I have a water report and have pretty decent well water for brewing from everything I'm reading in Bru'n Water spreadsheet.
Bru'n water seems to indicate that for my light beers (Cream ales, Blondes and wheats) that I should be adding a very small amount of Lactic Acid to both the mash and the sparge water to keep the mash at 5.4 ph and the sparge below 6.0. It only amounts to 0.4ml Lactic for mash and 1.5ml Lactic for sparge for 5.5 gallon batches. Doesn't seem like that little would hurt the flavor?
I have brewed 7 batches of cream/blonde/wheat beers and never had a problem with tannin extraction. What would you do? Use a small amount of acid to put the pH in the ideal range or not? I know what you are gonna say, "Get a pH meter!"
I'd rather not, I'm making great beer. But if it could be better with a small acid addition I'll do it.
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Here is my water report in (ppm)
Ca: 20
Mg: 8
Na: 6
K: 2
Fe: 2
HC03: 74
CO3: 1
SO4-S: 1
Cl: 8
NO3-N: 7
NO2: 3
F: 1
pH: 6.6
Total Hardness: 85
Alkalinity (CaCO3): 62
RA Effective Hardness: 69
Residual Alkalinity (RA): 42
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I do add gypsum and canning salt to bring my concentrations into ideal ranges for the styles I brew.
Would you acidify for pale grist, low OG beers? Should I just sparge less and add top off water to the kettle instead?
Bru'n water seems to indicate that for my light beers (Cream ales, Blondes and wheats) that I should be adding a very small amount of Lactic Acid to both the mash and the sparge water to keep the mash at 5.4 ph and the sparge below 6.0. It only amounts to 0.4ml Lactic for mash and 1.5ml Lactic for sparge for 5.5 gallon batches. Doesn't seem like that little would hurt the flavor?
I have brewed 7 batches of cream/blonde/wheat beers and never had a problem with tannin extraction. What would you do? Use a small amount of acid to put the pH in the ideal range or not? I know what you are gonna say, "Get a pH meter!"
I'd rather not, I'm making great beer. But if it could be better with a small acid addition I'll do it.
-----------------------------------
Here is my water report in (ppm)
Ca: 20
Mg: 8
Na: 6
K: 2
Fe: 2
HC03: 74
CO3: 1
SO4-S: 1
Cl: 8
NO3-N: 7
NO2: 3
F: 1
pH: 6.6
Total Hardness: 85
Alkalinity (CaCO3): 62
RA Effective Hardness: 69
Residual Alkalinity (RA): 42
---------------------------------------------------
I do add gypsum and canning salt to bring my concentrations into ideal ranges for the styles I brew.
Would you acidify for pale grist, low OG beers? Should I just sparge less and add top off water to the kettle instead?