I use Five Star 5.2 pH Stabilizer in my mash water. Water here (Austin, TX) has high alkalinity and 9.4 pH. When I put it in the water along with brewing salts (typically gypsum) a cloudy precipitate forms and stays in suspension. Any idea what that is? Is this a potential problem?
1 Like
Fivestar’s website claims the stabilizer is a “proprietary blend of food-grade phosphate buffers”. Presumably the phosphate is reacting with one or more of the (alkaline?) solutes in your brewing water and the resulting compound(s) is(are) precipitating . . . but I’m an engineer not a chemist.
Where’s Martin Brungard when you need him?
2 Likes
You are correct. Aqueous phosphate ion can be highly reactive and upon reaction most phosphate compounds are highly flocculant, and will cause the white cloudiness perceived. If you see clouds after adding the stabilizer, this proves that it is doing something to your water. Typically this is beneficial but like many people on the interwebs will tell you… this stabilizer was originally made for one person’s water situation, so your mileage may vary depending on your own water’s characteristics as far as whether it will bring your mash pH to 5.2 or to something else entirely.
I’m not Martin Brungard, but I recently begin playing as a chemisty analyst at work. I have a degree in chemical engineering, but that was a loooooooooong time ago. Grains of salt are appropriate when listening to pretty much anything I have to say, truth be told. But sometimes I think maybe I kind of know what I’m talking about, sometimes.
Cheers.
3 Likes
Have you ever checked your pH after using 5.2? My experience was that it didn’t work and gave the beer a weird taste.
4 Likes
I’ve heard that from other sources, too.
1 Like
I’ve heard/read the same. Stopped using. Didn’t notice any difference.
1 Like
I think I would scratch the 5.2 stabilizer (I used to use it … it did not work for me) and I would instead use lactic acid to drop the pH into the 5.5 area and then let your grains drop it a bit more. You probably want to get a water analysis if you haven’t done that. It’s hard to make water adjustments without knowing exactly what’s in your water. My source water is around 7.9 pH. There are other variables including bicarbonate but for me, it takes about 2.75ml of 88% lactic acid to move the pH from 7.9 to 5.5 in five gallons of my source water. Since starting this sort of simplified method, my beers have gotten better and better. I honestly don’t think 5.2 stabilizer will do everything needed for all water conditions. Most veteran brewers I know do NOT use it … if that tells you anything.
1 Like
Some time back, Martin mentioned that 5.2 didn’t work well and didn’t recommend it. I have never used it and just rely on using R.O. water and adjusting the pH with phosphoric acid and/or baking soda.
I tried it, it didn’t work for me.
RO water with mineral adjustments, acid, or picklong lime are my tools to hit the desired pH.
A few years ago, before owning pH meter, I used 5.2 stabilizer. Did it work? IDK.
Now that I do own a pH meter, as other have written, I use lactic acid to adjust the pH.