Acidulated Malt vs Other Additions

[smyrnaquince]

My wheat beers do not taste right. I finally realized that my water pH is too high. Using my water department report (yes, I know, not as good as a water test) I plugged my recipes into the EZ Water Calculator.

As expected, the lighter the beer, the higher my pH. Based on a few beers I've brewed:

Brown Ale 5.55
Stout 5.64
Hefeweizen (with acidulated malt) 5.66
APA 5.74
Hefeweizen 6.02

(I have no explanation why the Brown Ale would come out with a lower pH than the stout.)

I want to brew a Witbier and EZ Water shows my pH coming up at 5.99.

Should I use Acidulated Malt or chemicals (e.g., gypsum, epsom, calcium chloride, lactic acid)?

Is there a general rule when to use or not use Acidulated Malt, i.e., are there styles it is good for or bad for? I assume you would just substitute it for some of the base malt.

Right now, using EZ Water, doing a 6-gallon BIAB mash for 2.5 gallons of beer, my plan is to add:
4 g Gypsum (CaSO4)
2 g Epsom Salts (MgSO4)
4 ml Lactic Acid

This combination predicts a pH of 5.4 and puts my water profile into Palmer's ranges and gets me in the ballpark of Hoegaarden's water profile.

 

[bob352]

Do you have a pH meter? If not, really should get one.

Use acidulated malt, lactic acid, or phosphoric acid for lowering pH.
Use minerals and salts for flavor.
I have used both lactic acid and phosphoric acid.
I like the lactic acid. Seems more predictable.

I use 2ml of 88% lactic acid for a 5 gallon batch.
But I have soft water. 4ml for a 2.5 gal batch sounds
like a lot. Might have a flavor impact.

If you don't want to get a pH meter, then consider using RO water
from the local grocery store. Much easier to build up water from RO
than your local water supply.
Even if you don't want to use RO long-term, trying a few batches with
it would tell you something about your local water supply.

Bob

 

[tally350z]

In the EZ water calculator (assuming all the inputs are correct) you should be able to input the amount of acidulated malt and see where your Ph of the mash should come in at. Again if you have all of your inputs correct, and there the correct inputs. I use the EZ calculator and I have hard water, so for alot of the light beers; ie IPAs, pale ales etc, I use acidulated malt. Usually anywhere between 2-4% of the total grist. I think anymore than that and you can get unwanted flavors out of the acid. Then for my sparge water I use the 88% lactic acid, anywhere between .5-1tsp for 5 gallon batches.
Like Bob said if you want to start getting more involved in your brews, than I would get a quality PH meter so you know what your working with. You can also test the mash ph and make adjustments.

 

[smyrnaquince]

So the acidulated malt can be used for any style if I need to bring down the pH? Just substitute it for the same amount of base grain (e.g., 2-row or pilsner)?

 

[mabrungard]

Lactic acid addition is a little more predictable than using acid malt and less expensive, but there may be more interesting flavor from the acid malt use. In most cases, you wouldn't want to taste anything from the acid or acid malt in the first place. So the 'interesting flavor' aspect is a moot point in my opinion.

If the amount of lactic acid added can be noticed in the beer, then moving to phosphoric acid will produce less flavor impact.

Acidification is the way to go for neutralizing alkaline waters for brewing.

Enjoy!

 

[billl]

"So the acidulated malt can be used for any style if I need to bring down the pH? Just substitute it for the same amount of base grain (e.g., 2-row or pilsner)?"

Yes, you can use it in any style to lower PH. At a couple ounces, you won't taste it at all.

However, it is much less extractable than base grain, so I generally don't make any base grain adjustments at all. 4oz is going to move your gravity by less than 1 point.

 

[smyrnaquince]

Bill--Thanks. Add acidulated malt, don't subsitute.

MABrungard--Unfortunately, EZ Water doesn't include phosphoric acid in its calculations. Bru'n Water doesn't either. It would be easier for me to use such a tool rather than find the formulas I need. (Or, can you point me to the math I need?)

Thanks!

 

[smyrnaquince]

Phosphoric acid is a moot point. I just checked--my LHBS doesn't carry it.

 

[bob352]

Phosphoric acid is a moot point. I just checked--my LHBS doesn't carry it.

Hard to find food grade phosphoric acid.
I got mine from http://www.dudadiesel.com
Just an fyi. I think acidulated malt and/or lactic acid are better choices.

Bob

 

[mabrungard]

Bill--Thanks. Add acidulated malt, don't subsitute.

MABrungard--Unfortunately, EZ Water doesn't include phosphoric acid in its calculations. Bru'n Water doesn't either. It would be easier for me to use such a tool rather than find the formulas I need. (Or, can you point me to the math I need?)

Thanks!

Hmm? You must not have looked too carefully at Bru'n Water. Phosphoric and a lot of other acids are available for selection.

 

[logdrum]

Hard to find food grade phosphoric acid.
I got mine from http://www.dudadiesel.com
Just an fyi. I think acidulated malt and/or lactic acid are better choices.Bob

Why is that?

 

[bob352]

Why is that?

I have found phosphoric acid to be a little tricky to use.
Sometimes I get wide pH swings with small amounts.
In other words: non-linear response

pH response to lactic acid seems more predictable.
I have not tried acidulated malt. But from other comments on hbt
it sounds like it is well behaved.

Bob

 

[smyrnaquince]

Hmm? You must not have looked too carefully at Bru'n Water. Phosphoric and a lot of other acids are available for selection.

My apologies. I did not notice that in the Water Additions: Acid section, the lactic acid entry is a pull-down. Very nice!

I must admit that I find Bru'n Water a bit intimidating. I'll need to wade into it again.

 

[mabrungard]

I have found phosphoric acid to be a little tricky to use.
Sometimes I get wide pH swings with small amounts.
In other words: non-linear response

pH response to lactic acid seems more predictable.
I have not tried acidulated malt. But from other comments on hbt
it sounds like it is well behaved.

Bob

This should not be the case, excepting that Bob may have used a high concentration phosphoric acid. To provide a comparison, 88% lactic acid has about the same neutralizing power (mEq of protons) as 60% phosphoric acid. Since Bob might have been using 75% or 85% phosphoric, I'm not surprised that he feels that dosing with it is too sensitive. I doubt he would observe that response if he had been using 10% phosphoric.

But to reiterate, lactic acid is NOT any more predictable than any other acid of similar neutralizing power. Calculating the acid dosing beforehand is one way. However understanding that as alkalinity is consumed in a solution that the pH response changes with each drop (falls off a cliff !), can enable a brewer to properly dose the mash or sparging water too.