Multi step mash ph

[aarong]

I'm using a local malt houses 2 row and wheat. I'm running into some new issues for me. One is that it is floor malted and under modified. So I chose to do a protein rest. I'm not sure how to adjust the ph when doing multi step. I have a cooler so I do infuse water for my steps.

My question is do I not worry about the ph for the protein rest and just adjust as usual for the ph of the main mash to hit my target ph?



Thanks!

 

[ajdelange]

When doing step or decoction mashing one simply sets the pH in the desired range at dough in irrespective of whether that is dough in in the cold, at a beta glucan rest, a protein rest or a saccaharification rest. The pH will change from step to step (usually increasing but sometimes decreasing) but the change is usually small.

 

[trentm]

I too like a protein rest as I use Belgian Pilsner malt that is modified at the lower end of the well modified malt scale with 20% or so unmodified wheat and oats. But in addition I like that you get a chance to verify the pH before the Saccharification rest. As A.J. advised, I just shoot for 5.4 mash pH but usually end up at just below 5.3 at 130F and it rises to ~5.4 as the temp is increased. This is great because I have read that the optimum pH range for the protein rest is 4.2-5.3. http://howtobrew.com/book/section-3/how-the-mash-works/the-protein-rest-and-modification

 

[aarong]

Excellent thank you both for the advice!