Lactic acid to strike water

[Rob2010SS]

Hey peeps. I know this is a bit vague so if you need more info, just ask.

Using Bru'n water to calculate my water profile for a kettle sour I'm planning, I want to get my mash pH to the 5.2-5.3 range. The only reasonable ways of doing so is lactic acid or the acid malt. I know the acid malt delivers lactic acid but I'd rather use the 88% lactic acid. Bru'n water calculates me needing 1.5mL of lactic acid to get the pH to 5.26. Is this acceptable or do most people use acid malt? Is there a downside to using the lactic acid to drop pH from 5.4 to 5.26?

Thanks.

 

[MockY]

My water is rather alkaline (around 65 ppm) so I often have to resort to either acid malt and/or lactic acid in lighter beers to get down to an acceptable mash pH. I've used 1.5 - 2 ml in the past and is totally fine. Though we speak of 5 gallon batches.

 

[thehaze]

I have used up to 10 ml Lactic Acid ( I had the 80% variety ) in a 5.5 gallons batch and the beer came out reasonably good. I would however recommend a pH meter to get rid of the doubt and guess work. I purchased a pH meter as a Christmas present for myself and it was such a change while brewing the last 5 batches.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I have a sneaking suspicion that modern day acidulated malt is merely base malt that has been sprayed with a known quantity and strength of lactic acid. So the choice is yours, and (provided that you add the correct amounts) the outcome should not be different for either choice.

 

[BridgewaterBrewer]

A few ml of lactic acid is fine. I use it often.

 

[myndflyte]

Brewing a Weissbier this weekend and I have planned to use 4oz of acid malt plus 1 ml (total) of lactic acid to get my pH to 5.3. So you'll be good.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Sweet thanks for the info guys. Appreciate it. @thehaze i do have a pH meter so ill be good there in regards to checking it

 

[myndflyte]

I saw someone say, might have been here, but can't remember, that don't get too worried about fussing with your mash pH trying to dial it in exactly. He said that he takes a pH reading 30 min into the mash and uses that to adjust what he'd do different in the future. Unless you're way off, just being in the 5.2 - 5.6 range is going to be a lot better than something like 6.

 

[mabrungard]

If your goal is to sour the beer, then adding lactic acid is fine. No detrimental effect.

 

[Rob2010SS]

If your goal is to sour the beer, then adding lactic acid is fine. No detrimental effect.

Yes, in the end, I'm shooting for a pH of 3.2 to 3.3, so it'll be sour.