5.2 comments

[denny]

Martin Brungard posted this on his Facebook account.  I hope he doesn’t mind me reposting it here, but I wanted to have it archived where we could all find it.

"Here is a comment from noted brewing water expert, AJ DeLange about the conversation he had with the chemist from Five Star Chemicals regarding their 5.2 Stabilizer product.

"Tipped a few last night with the chemist who designed this product and was able to confirm that it is indeed a mix of phosphates (mono and di basic) that accounts for the presence of the malt phosphate. This is something I have long suspected and am pleased to have finally confirmed.

Good manners prevented me from pressing him on its efficacy and suitability relative to the statement on the label but his comments on it were basically that most brewers shouldn’t use it/need it and that it was put together for a particular brewery that had variable source water and no desire to make any effort to track that variability."

Please spread the word that the 5.2 product is not needed or desirable for brewing."

[beersk]

I stopped using it years ago. It was giving my beers a funky salty taste so I quit using it. Thanks for posting.

[jonhughey_att.net (HoosierBrew)]

Great info.  Thanks.

[klickitat_jim]

I bought some back when I bought ph strips, just in case. I tried using it once just because I bought it. Its around here somewhere if anyone wants it.

[majorvices]

Used it once years ago and did not like the results on the flavor of the beer.

[duboman]

It was recommended to me at the LHBS a few yeast back, never did buy it…thanks for sharing the post, clears up a lot!

[AmandaK]

Thanks Denny! I’ll be bookmarking this.

[morticaixavier]

@duboman

It was recommended to me at the LHBS a few yeast back, never did buy it…thanks for sharing the post, clears up a lot!

you know you’re obsessed with homebrewing when you start measuring time in ‘yeasts’  ;D

[duboman]

@morticaixavier

@duboman

It was recommended to me at the LHBS a few yeast back, never did buy it…thanks for sharing the post, clears up a lot!

you know you’re obsessed with homebrewing when you start measuring time in ‘yeasts’  ;D

Ha ha! Yes, do not confuse yeast time with real time!

[hobsondrake_yahoo.com (HobsonDrake)]

@denny

it was put together for a particular brewery that had variable source water and no desire to make any effort to track that variability."

So if it was good for a brewery that didn’t track it’s water source, then where is it bad for a home brewer that doesn’t have a water report or wishes to go into the chemistry of water, to use it?
To me, that quote says that unless you know what your water is, or plan to build off of RO water, you should use it for some brews.

[scarper11 (Pinski)]

I would be more concerned by the comments from folks that have used it and not been happy with the flavor results.

[denny]

@denny

it was put together for a particular brewery that had variable source water and no desire to make any effort to track that variability."

So if it was good for a brewery that didn’t track it’s water source, then where is it bad for a home brewer that doesn’t have a water report or wishes to go into the chemistry of water, to use it?
To me, that quote says that unless you know what your water is, or plan to build off of RO water, you should use it for some brews.

I used it for maybe 5-6 brews trying to make it work.  Not only did it not adjust the pH to 5.2, even if it had I would have stopped using it becasue of the off flavor ot gave the beer.

[morticaixavier]

@denny

it was put together for a particular brewery that had variable source water and no desire to make any effort to track that variability."

So if it was good for a brewery that didn’t track it’s water source, then where is it bad for a home brewer that doesn’t have a water report or wishes to go into the chemistry of water, to use it?
To me, that quote says that unless you know what your water is, or plan to build off of RO water, you should use it for some brews.

it might be good for one brewery with a water source that varies within a known range. That does not mean it will work for any water source regardless of the raneg of variability

[klickitat_jim]

I found that it’s good for holding down recipe notes when a wind kicks up.
Also, if you have no idea what’s in your water, adding 5.2 just adds more of an unknown since they don’t say what’s in it.