tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post3568267863876705821..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: Focus on Brewing pH - American Pale AleThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-6281785802462336582018-01-03T18:35:53.991-05:002018-01-03T18:35:53.991-05:00Cheers! I need to try some of their dry strains, h...Cheers! I need to try some of their dry strains, have been using S-04 recently on its own and in blends for hazy IPAs.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-26746888293765965362018-01-03T01:53:08.108-05:002018-01-03T01:53:08.108-05:00Without knowing it I brewed almost this exact same...Without knowing it I brewed almost this exact same recipe after making a Citra and Mosaic APA for a friends BBQ (I always use Columbus for bittering but don't count it in the hops). It came out freaking amazing, I am still using dry yeast, BRY97 for that one but was still amazing. Saw this recipe so I have just brewed it again this time like yours I have added some Simcoe to the mix. Tastings from the fermentor are good, I am loving the pine flavours that Simcoe are bringing to the table, this time I had to use Mangrove Jacks M44 yeast as my brew shop had no BRY97 left, I am pretty impressed with it so far. Anyways keep up the good work, love reading your blog!Isaac Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409996446571374733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-46913163780660639252017-01-18T21:10:54.291-05:002017-01-18T21:10:54.291-05:00I haven't remeasured the pH of the sparge wate...I haven't remeasured the pH of the sparge water after adjusting. Simply heating the water will change the pH, but the values typically presented are at room temperature. I tend to add acid right before using, but the acid isn't denatured or anything by sitting hot. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-5945365072017316442017-01-18T10:10:45.658-05:002017-01-18T10:10:45.658-05:00I have a question regarding PH of the sparge water...I have a question regarding PH of the sparge water and when to measure/treat. Obviously i could heat all my sparge water (which i do on my HERMS) and lower PH with Lactic Acid at sparge temp... But wouldnt the correct way be to treat the water at room temp (20C)? I dont know if im imagining this but PH in the water seem to slowly rise again if its sits for to long. is that possible??<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08212209279755268193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-30105098535371135952017-01-07T08:12:42.548-05:002017-01-07T08:12:42.548-05:00If you read the notes, the hop-back clogged and I ...If you read the notes, the hop-back clogged and I ended up dumping the hops back into the kettle at the end of the hop-stand anyway. I used to do more multi-stage whirlpool additions, but I never found that it added anything distinct. No perfect replacement for a hop-back, but I found it really wasn't adding enough character to justify the effort. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-42484423998775070162017-01-04T16:04:14.829-05:002017-01-04T16:04:14.829-05:00Hey Mike, with hopping like this without a hop bac...Hey Mike, with hopping like this without a hop back, where would you move these hops to? Brew day dry hop or just a huge flame out? I have had success with dry hopping on brew day.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05714082420060259956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-4984561279175735852016-07-28T22:12:46.157-04:002016-07-28T22:12:46.157-04:00I used "generic" hopshots. For bittering...I used "generic" hopshots. For bittering, I doubt the variety matters that much assuming the same alpha acid. I had some bad luck with hopshots, and have gone back to actual hops for bittering. I rarely push the IBUs, so it isn't as crucial as it was for beers like the Pliny the Younger clones.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-90605398590889021102016-07-28T10:59:16.602-04:002016-07-28T10:59:16.602-04:00Thanks! Also...what type of hopshot did you use fo...Thanks! Also...what type of hopshot did you use for this recipe? Was going to use Cascade because thats all my local homebrew store has. If thats no good would you just up the columbus 60min. addition to say, 1oz or so? Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10245051789513795008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-43855082775862566362016-07-25T18:12:22.512-04:002016-07-25T18:12:22.512-04:00I'm better now about recording specific maltst...I'm better now about recording specific maltster information. However, it really doesn't matter that much at 9% of the grain bill. Flaked wheat and torrefied aren't malts, but they would work fine as well! Any of them will add some extra protein for head retention and body. For wheat malt I usually default to Weyermann or Rahr.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-90515304175761758902016-07-25T14:21:22.625-04:002016-07-25T14:21:22.625-04:00I'm brewing this one up this weekend.
Quest...I'm brewing this one up this weekend. <br /><br />Question: What kind of Wheat malt was used for this recipe? <br /><br />White Wheat, Wheat (torrified), Flaked Wheat, Belgian Wheat Malt, German Wheat Malt?<br /><br />THanks!Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10245051789513795008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-48521291805933598322015-04-12T18:28:28.572-04:002015-04-12T18:28:28.572-04:00The pH of the water itself isn't particularly ...The pH of the water itself isn't particularly relevant (DC's target is 7.4), the minerals and their buffering capacity are much more important. That's because the pH scale is logarithmic, the difference between 7.4 and 7.7 is small compared to the difference between 6.0 and 6.3. <br /><br />I'd suggest downloading Bru'n Water or one of the other great water spreadsheets. Although, I'd advise against an aggressive water treatment regimen without a pH meter. Most sources are too variable to trust a calculator without checking.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-74314125875354600102015-04-09T22:43:15.085-04:002015-04-09T22:43:15.085-04:00I'm curious as to what your tap water PH is? I...I'm curious as to what your tap water PH is? I mostly brew pale beers and my tap water ph is about 7.7, with a total alkalinity of 65. Do you think 2tsp would be too much phosphoric acid for my sparge water?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05203950712283253868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-15768144940411033232015-02-01T10:00:37.191-05:002015-02-01T10:00:37.191-05:00Yep, best practice is to test, adjust, and retest....Yep, best practice is to test, adjust, and retest. For the sparge most breweries just add enough acid to lower the water itself to ~5.5-6 pH. Acidifying a batch sparge is less of a concern because you aren't running the buffering capacity of the malt down like a fly sparge. Anoher option would be to wait to add more acid to the boil to get the whole batch down to 5.0-5.2The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-91933713892187656712015-01-31T12:41:24.350-05:002015-01-31T12:41:24.350-05:00Hey Mike-
So I can just take an initial mash pH re...Hey Mike-<br />So I can just take an initial mash pH reading, add phosphoric acid straight to the mash to lower the pH and adjust as needed? If so would I want to repeat the same process with my batch sparge? Should I also be adjusting the water before both of these stages? I live in San Diego so the water is pretty hard. ThanksAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00392033726751199280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-85649441039352140322014-10-06T21:34:00.549-04:002014-10-06T21:34:00.549-04:00My old pH meter recently died, so I bought a Milwa...My old pH meter recently died, so I bought a <a href="http://amzn.to/1CQfVU3" rel="nofollow">Milwaukee MW102 PH</a>, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. My old Hanna Instruments was a bit cheaper, but with .1 precision compared to the new one at .01 I wanted something a bit more accurate. The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-67730409809765220092014-10-01T18:11:31.815-04:002014-10-01T18:11:31.815-04:00Hey Mike-
Thanks for the article. As others have ...Hey Mike-<br /><br />Thanks for the article. As others have mentioned, you have a knack for making this stuff accessible.<br /><br />How are you liking this particular ph meter? Are you still using it? Thinking of getting one but don't know which.<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />-JoseAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10690849626781917468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62382173483044411492014-09-21T08:56:53.600-04:002014-09-21T08:56:53.600-04:00I use the phosphoric acid that Northern Brewer sel...I use the phosphoric acid that Northern Brewer sells: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/phosphoric-acid-8-oz-10-solution.htmlThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-91884771797939011692014-09-18T13:38:46.188-04:002014-09-18T13:38:46.188-04:00Can you tell me what Phosphoric Acid you use? I g...Can you tell me what Phosphoric Acid you use? I guess it's an ad for the company... but all I'm finding are non-food grade acids and acids that claim to be food safe, but are not qualified by the FDA.<br /><br />This all worries me too much, but my beers are all way off with respect to pH, so I wanted to get more involved in water treatment.<br /><br />Thanks.Dr Finkel J. Eisenhowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08668711296347059964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-61814916769077982232014-03-24T20:57:12.255-04:002014-03-24T20:57:12.255-04:00It's a very different flavor than you'd ge...It's a very different flavor than you'd get from Brett, closer to what a clean English strain would produce I think. Hard to say without trying it, let me know how it goes!The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-75220046274735864432014-03-24T20:30:20.935-04:002014-03-24T20:30:20.935-04:00Based off of this, what do you think Conan would d...Based off of this, what do you think Conan would do in an Old Ale? Seems like you could get a lot of the fruitiness one expects from a lightly bretted Old Ale with minimal effort here.Doctorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10317857152962496438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-4962764995741834622014-03-10T21:22:59.152-04:002014-03-10T21:22:59.152-04:00It's the rate that usually works for my water....It's the rate that usually works for my water. I tend to only acidify the sparge for delicate pale beers with a fly sparge. Shouldn't be an issue if you did it for other beers, Gordon Strong reports in Brewing Better Beer, that Sierra Nevada acidifies all their water to 5.5. A beer at pH 4.5 is ten times more acidic than wort at 5.5, so a bit of acid pre-boil isn't that big a deal post-fermentation where most beers are low 4s.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-85620557681530299122014-03-10T17:32:47.545-04:002014-03-10T17:32:47.545-04:00Mike,
I just used a pH meter yesterday (my first ...Mike,<br /><br />I just used a pH meter yesterday (my first time) on an Imperial Stout yesterday and nailed my mash pH target w/o having to do any mineral additions, which I almost couldn't believe. However, I did not acidify the sparge water.<br /><br />1) Is that something you do w/ all beers or just pale beers?<br />2) You added 2 tsps. phosphoric. Did you land on that amount through trial & error?<br />3) Would acidifying sparge water have a negative impact on a dark beer wherein the mash is full of acidic crystal/roasted grains?<br /><br />Great post!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00382235180208268503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-4550168847900694972013-11-26T19:05:00.867-05:002013-11-26T19:05:00.867-05:00When I run cleaner/sanitizer through the system be...When I run cleaner/sanitizer through the system before brewing I never get that type of color pick-up.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-56153470899562109202013-11-26T18:31:30.029-05:002013-11-26T18:31:30.029-05:00Just a guess, but that greenish water is because o...Just a guess, but that greenish water is because of copper oxide. In computer cooling, you'll occasionally see such a thing from radiators, usually because a person didn't bleed out the fluid lines.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01559392239854907561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-7940135219903198962013-11-23T12:45:09.010-05:002013-11-23T12:45:09.010-05:00I actually just got new bottles of buffer solution...I actually just got new bottles of buffer solution in the mail yesterday. You aren't supposed to re-use the buffers, so you go through it pretty quickly if you calibrate everytime you brew. I just use it until it runs out.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.com