Whirlpool WTF...

Water pH means very little. Mash pH is very important.

Your water has very little buffering capacity. My water has a pH around 8, but has high bicarbonate levels, so it take a lot of acid or Ca to help the pH to drop in the mash. Read " How to Brew" or "water" by Palmer et. al.

 

Pro Tip:
Sponge cold water onto the outside of the kettle while the chiller is running.

Draws away heat like a hot knife through butter (whatever that means ).

 

+1 to ^^^. Plus you (the OP) may wish to look at this blog, which has several articles on water with regards to mash pH and sparge-water acidification.

 

Got dinged for chlorine in my last brew, been studying the heck out of the water section of how to brew. So much info there, its mind bottling...

 

Once you get that down, graduate to the water book.

 

Chlorine is easy...no real calculations required, because the desired level is 0. Just add use campden tablets to get rid of it.

 

like, seriously.
1/2 tab per 5 gallons and you're smelling like a baby's head.

 

The chlorine prompted me to look at my water report, which prompted me to buy how to brew for the water resources. I usually use a charcoal filter however I took a shortcut on that batch...