Interesting results from low-pH brewing water

Brewing Processes
1

People talk about malt’s buffering capacity, usually meaning that it will lower pH from the normal water pH range (7-8) down to mash pH. I guess I should’ve known the buffering would work both ways.

I overshot my acid addition on my latest lime-softening batch of water, and my water’s pH got down to 4.0. I plugged all the numbers into Bru’n water, and it estimated a mash pH of 5.2 without any lime. I added one gram, which it estimated would result in a mash pH of 5.3. My actual measured mash pH was 5.4.

2

So that is right on at mash temps.

3

Just goes to show how water pH is not all that important.  Once the alkalinity is neutralized, it doesn’t take much acid at all to drop the pH of the water, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t have too much effect on your final result.