Acidulated Malt
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whitegoose
Well-Known Member
I haven't used it but I've been researching it over the past few days. The general rule of thumb seems to be to use acidulated malt for 1% of your grain bill to reduce the mash pH by 0.1... 2% of your grain bill to reduce by 0.2 and so on - but too much and you will notice the taste - and same applied for any acid (citric, lactic - which is what you get in acidulated malt, phosphoric, etc). I think I'm going to generally try to reduce my mash pH using a combination of salts (eg gypsum) and acidulated malt.
As for it's importance... it is important for the enzymes that do all the work in your mash, and correct pH will help ensure you get good efficiency. There may be more to it but that's what I understand to be the main importance.
As for it's importance... it is important for the enzymes that do all the work in your mash, and correct pH will help ensure you get good efficiency. There may be more to it but that's what I understand to be the main importance.
seamad
beer dog
I use acid malt and ca salts for ph. My water is rain and carbon filtered and almost pure, yours will be different, so your mash ph will be different too.Typically between 0-3% of grain bill. First up get a good ph meter or some strips and see what your mash ph is, aiming for @5.2 room temp which is @5.5 at mash temp. For lighter beers try 1-2% and see what your ph is, for darker beers i use no acid malt.
Keep notes of your mash grain bill and salt additions and mash ph and after a while youll find you wont need to use the ph meter anymore as you will be able to predict what combos will give you required ph.
cheers
sean
Keep notes of your mash grain bill and salt additions and mash ph and after a while youll find you wont need to use the ph meter anymore as you will be able to predict what combos will give you required ph.
cheers
sean
I add 100 grams of Acidulated Malt to all my light brews (23 litres), also add Calcium and Magnesium salts to my soft tap water.
Don't use Acidulated Malt in my Irish Reds or darker brews.
Don't use Acidulated Malt in my Irish Reds or darker brews.
Tony
Quality over Quantity
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The above posts are spot on!
As far as i know.... it was invented by the Germans to allow them a way to lower mash pH and still conform with their purity laws (water, malt, hops & yeast only)
I use it in very pale beers like pilsners....... usually when i have a 100% pilsner malt bill. I generally add 1% along with some calcium salts like Calcium sulphate or calcium chloride, but i have good water here. If your water is higher pH, you may need more.
I find above 3%, it starts to affect flavour, making the beer a bit tangy.
If using darker kilned malts, these will reduce the pH of the beer also, so there doesnt tent to be a need for it. The darker the beer is, generally the lower the mash pH will get. That's why we use Calcium Carbonate (chalk or CaC03) in stouts. It raises the pH and acts against the dark malts to balance the pH.
I cant remember the exact figures, but i think your aiming for a mash pH of between 5.2 and 5.7, with optimal being 5.4. Happy to be corrected if those numbers are not exactly correct.
Mash pH is very important. It affects enzyme activity, tannin extraction from grain husks, flavor, haze formation, you name it.
Years ago when i lived in Tamworth NSW, i could not brew a pale beer without it looking like it has a shot of milk in it. As soon as i went over about 18 EBC, they cleared up.
I did some reading and asked questions like you have on this topic, and did 2 things.
1. purchased a good pH meter.
2. contacted my local council and got a detailed water report of what comes from my tap.
My tap water was almost 8 pH and was very hard.
I began experimenting with acidulated malt, and it helped but i had to use so much i could taste it to get a clear pilsner.
Upon moving to the hunter valley, my pale beers were instantly bright clear with minimal acid malt (1%) and after testing the tap water found the pH to be a perfect 7.0
hope this helps a bit.
Cheers
As far as i know.... it was invented by the Germans to allow them a way to lower mash pH and still conform with their purity laws (water, malt, hops & yeast only)
I use it in very pale beers like pilsners....... usually when i have a 100% pilsner malt bill. I generally add 1% along with some calcium salts like Calcium sulphate or calcium chloride, but i have good water here. If your water is higher pH, you may need more.
I find above 3%, it starts to affect flavour, making the beer a bit tangy.
If using darker kilned malts, these will reduce the pH of the beer also, so there doesnt tent to be a need for it. The darker the beer is, generally the lower the mash pH will get. That's why we use Calcium Carbonate (chalk or CaC03) in stouts. It raises the pH and acts against the dark malts to balance the pH.
I cant remember the exact figures, but i think your aiming for a mash pH of between 5.2 and 5.7, with optimal being 5.4. Happy to be corrected if those numbers are not exactly correct.
Mash pH is very important. It affects enzyme activity, tannin extraction from grain husks, flavor, haze formation, you name it.
Years ago when i lived in Tamworth NSW, i could not brew a pale beer without it looking like it has a shot of milk in it. As soon as i went over about 18 EBC, they cleared up.
I did some reading and asked questions like you have on this topic, and did 2 things.
1. purchased a good pH meter.
2. contacted my local council and got a detailed water report of what comes from my tap.
My tap water was almost 8 pH and was very hard.
I began experimenting with acidulated malt, and it helped but i had to use so much i could taste it to get a clear pilsner.
Upon moving to the hunter valley, my pale beers were instantly bright clear with minimal acid malt (1%) and after testing the tap water found the pH to be a perfect 7.0
hope this helps a bit.
Cheers
