Acidulating Dilution Water (Post Ferment)

[Fat Bastard]

Someone want to tell me if I'm on the right track here?

I've been experimenting with over gravity brewing for a little while now, with better than expected results. I normally adjust the dilution water to the same profile as the mash/sparge water, but have been using Acidulated malt for pH correction, so haven't been able to muck around with the pH of the dilution water.

So, I should be adjusting my dilution water with a little Lactic Acid down into the 5.3-5.5 range, or at least to below 6pH? I managed to compare a commercial Saison (La Sirene) against my own diluted one and immediately found it to have a bit of acid bite compared to mine, although all things eing equal, mine was still pretty good.

Advice appreciated etc.

Cheers,

FB

 

[sstacey]

If you use lactic acid you might need to boil it after the addition, then cool and add to the beer. Lactic acid is normally made by fermenting bacteria and, while it would have been filtered and possibly processed, it may not be completely sterile. Not sure if this is absolutely necessary but it is what I would do to be sure.

What is the benefit (to flavour) of using the strong beer and dilution method? I realise it could have efficiency benefits for your system, but what effect on flavour? Doesn't it end up with a cleaner, more dilute flavour that would benefit a lager but not a bold beer like saison?

 

[Fat Bastard]

Long story short : http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/30855-overgravity-brewing/

Adding the water post ferment seems to allow a surprising amount of flavour to remain. Far more than you'd expect. I'm interested in the process to increase capacity without buying bigger fermenters or a new kettle. Yeah, I'm a cheapskate!

The water is boiled for 30 minutes to remove as much oxygen as possible, then cooled in purged kegs under pressure, so nothing should be alive in there after that!

 

[MHB]

I wouldn't by using Lactic acid in dilution. I have read about people trying to make "quick" Lambic and the like by adding Lactic Acid to finished beer. most of the comments were that it produced a very harsh sourness quite separate from the beer flavour.
Mind you they were probably using a lot more than you would be , just to adjust the pH so I might be barking up the wrong tree.

Commercially dilution is just done with sterile de-aired water (often condensed steam from the boiler return), in some cases they uses super carbonated water so that they get the dilution and carbonation in one go - best left for the really big computer controlled bottling lines.
Mark

 

[Fat Bastard]

Yeah, we're only talking about 3 or 4 ml in 25 litres here, just enough to get the pH down into the same range as the base beer. Not enough to make a "sour"!

Looks like we're getting into some pretty esoteric areas here, I might just try it and see what happens.

 

[rude]

I have been using an RO unit for my last 4 brews & adding salts

Have over shot og on them and diluted just with boiled tap water

Only talking max 6 L for a mild & it came out fine

 

[mabrungard]

The need to acidify that dilution water is dependent upon the alkalinity of the starting water. If the alkalinity is anything but low, you should be acidifying the water to avoid raising the pH of the kettle wort or finished beer.

The acidification calculator in Bru'n Water is useful since it reports the finished alkalinity of your acidified water and that value is really what you want to target. For best results, acidifying the starting water to bring its alkalinity to less than 25 ppm, as CaCO3, is a good target.

 

[Fat Bastard]

Cheers Martin!

Tasting the results for the first time (brought the water down from 7.16pH to 5.4pH with 1.1ml of 88% lactic in 25l...Couldn't taste it when I took a sample) and it's honestly the shit. I've done this particular recipe as a full volume brew many times and I've never had the hops popping quite like this. In fact, the hop aroma and taste are a bit much for the AAA style, I reckon i'll have to dial it back a tad for the next brew, although i'll wait to taste the second keg to see how a bit of age goes with it.

My "good" fermenter is tied up with a Saison/Brett blend for the next little while, so i reckon I'll re-brew this one immediately. I think I'm onto something here...

 

[mabrungard]

All brewing requires acid...some brews need more than others. How we get that acid into the wort varies. Adding crystal and dark malts, adding Ca and Mg salts, or adding some form of an actual acid is always needed in our brewing. When we are dealing with water with more alkalinity, it just means that we need to come up with more acid from somewhere.

I'm glad you've tasted a pleasing difference in your beer. That makes it worth it.