How much lactic acid is too much?

[ImNoExpert]

To acidify around 10 gallons of my sparge water to below a PH of 6, it takes about 18ml of 88% Lactic acid.

Is this too much? I don't notice an overly lactic taste in the end result, but I could be missing it.

 

[ImNoExpert]

Anyone else have experience with a bunch of lactic? I'm nervous that I should d be cutting my water with DI more.

 

[Yooper]

My very nonscientific experience is that if you can't taste it, then it's fine.

I need to add 5 mls to 5 gallons of sparge water to bring that pH to under 6. I tasted the water, and it tasted like water, so I just haven't changed that.

If you're below the taste threshold, then it's fine. If you're not, then it's not fine. So, taste the water after the addition (or scale it down, and do it today with a quart and the proper amount of lactic acid) and see if you or your spouse can taste anything at all.

 

[jcav]

That's good advice Yooper. If it's below the taste threshold you should be fine. Once I was a little overzealous and added to much lactic acid to my sparge water and dropped the ph a little low and I was worried. I tasted it and I couldn't tell at all. So I continued brewing and the beer came out just fine. If I would have tasted it though I would have probably taken out some of the water and added back more R/O water until there was no trace of any acid to taste. Again not real scientific but it works in a pinch....

John

 

[Chanoc]

Flavor is the goal.
I second what Yooper says.
There´s an Exbeeriment in the Brulosophy site on comparing Phosphoric Acid Vs. Lactic.
IIRC treshold levels for lactate are between 300-400 PPM.
HTH

 

[Cardog]

From what I have read in the past a general rule of thumb is not more than 1.5ml per gal. However, anything over 2.0ml per gal should be avoided. So it sounds like you are right at that threshold of being OK @ 1.8ml per gallon.

As everybody said, if it taste good so be it....RDWHAHB. If you still are fretting about it then start with RO or distilled water and then you won't have to add any acids.

 

[UndeadFred]

The official threshold, IIRC is 400 PPM, so you could do the math to figure it out. The 1.5 ml per gallon seems about right. The comment above about Brulosophy and Phosphoric versus Lactic is a good read. You can also cut your water with distilled or RO too if need be.