Dark beers and PH

[Camelot Legends]

I don’t know my brewing water profile but I do know my pale ales and pilsner’s mash ph always falls into the 5.3-5.5 range but my dark beers always falls below 5.2. I am planning to brew a stout with black barley and would like to add something to the water to keep the ph up. I see there are mixed reviews on the ph stabilizer product and I don’t know what’s in that so I’d prefer to go another route. I read somewhere that calcium carbonate will buffer the ph? I was thinking of trying this. Not sure.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Calcium carbonate does not dissolve well. Better to use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

Do not use the 5.2 stabilizer product.

Water chemistry tools can help with the quantity - Brun Water, Mash Made Easy, Etc.

 

[Camelot Legends]

Thanks

 

[burtom]

Don't add the dark grains until after the mash. They have been converted to sugars when kilned/malted. During vorlauf or the last 15 minutes of the mash add the dark grains and they will still provide sugars, color and flavor.

 

[Camelot Legends]

Awesome, thanks for the tip. I’ll give that a try.