Mash pH in a Czech Dark Lager

But what about Czech brewers?

 

I personally target a mash pH of 5.3 for my beers.

Below is a list of the benefits of keeping the mash pH in the proper range courtesy of Kai Troester:

“A commonly accepted optimal range for mash pH is 5.2 - 5.7 with 5.5 being optimal for starch conversion activity but many authors report wort and beer quality benefits if the pH is lowered into the 5.2 - 5.4 range [Kunze, 2007][Narziss, 2005]. Kunze in particular lists the following benefits for a mash pH as low as 5.2. Since it is a good and fairly comprehensive list I cited it here. Some of these benefits listed will be explained in the following sections [Kunze, 2007]:

• The enzymatic activity in the mash is increased as all important enzymes get activated. (except for alpha amylase which starts to suffer at a pH below 5.6)
• More zinc, an essential yeast nutrient, goes into solution
• The extract yield (efficiency) is improved
• The protein coagulation and precipitation is improved (improved break formation)
• The redox potential is improved which results in a lower susceptibility to oxygen.
• The run-off speed is improved
• The color increase during the wort boil is reduced
• Better trub precipitation and faster pH drop lead to faster fermentation and greater attenuation of the beer.
• Lover viscosity improves filterability
• The taste of the beer is more rounded, fuller and softer. The beer is crisper, more fresh and shows more character.
• The hop bitterness is more pleasant and doesn't linger
• The foam is more stable and denser
• The color of the beer is lighter
• Mash oxidation is reduced since the main culprit, the lipoxigenase enzyme, doesn't work well at low mash pH conditions
• Haze stability is improved
• Beer digestion is stimulated. This is a positive effect of the lactic acid
• Susceptibility to microbial spoilage is reduced through
  • Lower beer pH: beer spoilage organism don't grow below a pH of 4.4
  • Higher attenuation

You can read more here: http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=How_pH_affects_brewing

Cheers!

 

I brew with carbon filtered tap water.

I use the water tool MpH and that tool has been very accurate for my homebrewing.

When I brew dark beer (Stout, Porter, etc.) I do nothing to treat the water. The dark malts acidify the mash sufficiently.

For light colored beers I use lactic acid to acidify the mash and sparge water. I will also add some gypsum for some of the beer styles. For example, I added some gypsum for my recent batch of Kolsch.

Water treatment is dependent on the specific water used and the grain bill of a particular batch,

Cheers!

 

Nope.

Edit: MpH has always predicted a proper mash value and my measurements have always confirmed that value.

 

The other option you have is to conduct a separate steep of the CaraMunich II and some dehusked Carafa. Steep at no more than 1 lb. of grain per gallon of water. Add the steeped liquid to the wort and boil away.

The beauty of homebrewing: brew the beer the way you like.

Edit: Conducting a separate steep will 'improve' the mashing performance but by adding the steeped liquid the wort in the boil will still have a lower pH; it only gets you 'half way' there.

 

I have a few questions/remarks regarding your post.

(1) Why use any RO water? That is, what is in your tap water that you are trying to avoid?

(2) I'm a bit confused by the "mash + sparge profile at 45 ppm" statement. Is this the sodium concentration? The bicarbonate concentration? If sodium, then you might be getting a bit above what is generally recommended, although I don't think you are anywhere close to getting a salty tasting beer. If bicarbonate, then this is no problem at all.

(3) I do like Jack's thoughts of using a separate steep for the dark crystal and roasted malts. Especially for a lager where I suspect you want to avoid any acrid flavors.

 

Is the water supply in Prague as soft as Pilsen? I would ditch the RO water and use what is in your tap.

 

Thats a pretty fancy Hydrometer! I may need to up grade! What was your pre boil reading?

 

Do you brew outside? I've got a lot of trees in my backyard, including three gargantuan oaks, and I'm constantly fighting shit falling in my kettle. Do you have to deal with this with your size batches? I've resorted to having to put up a popup canopy up on brewday.

 

Yep; thanks for the reply. Good luck with the rest of your process!