I am planning on brewing a Berliner this weekend and want to correct my water chemistry.
From a previous post my existing water is:
Ca 45 ppm, Mg 3.3 ppm, Na 20 ppm, Cl 41 ppm, SO4 11 ppm, vicar 104 ppm, total alkalinity 126 ppm, pH 7.8.
Based on How to brew back cover I am looking for a mash pH of 5.6 therefore Bru’n Water indicates I need about 0.7 mL/gal of lactic acid to adjust the sparge pH and 0.35 mL/g to acidify a mash with 4.2 lbs of pilsner and 3 lbs wheat.
So I guess my question is did I follow the W/S correctly? Or do others have better suggestions?
Thanks and really great W/S Martin.
If you’re going for a Berliner, I’d be aiming for a lower pH than 5.6. I’d suggest that you could go as low as 5.2 for that style. That does mean more lactic, but that is an appropriate component of that style’s flavor.
Be sure to download the new Bru’n Water version. v. 1.6 is posted now.
So if I increase the lactic to 0.7 and 0.78 mL/g that lowers my mash and sparge pH, respectively, to 5.2.
Is this correct?
However, I may not lower the pH this much since I am using the WLP platinum Berliner yeast and want to see how the yeast will sour give the time.
The good thing about acidification of the mash and sparge is that you’re reducing the alkalinity that is going to have to be neutralized by the yeast and bacterial acids in order to drop the pH. If you want the beer to be tart, then add acid.
You can always add acid to the finished beer after the ferment, so you may be better off by not overdoing it in the mash. Then you can taste the finished beer and decide if you want it tarter.