I'm planning a Knappstein Lager clone and am thinking with such a light beer it would be a good idea to get the water profile right. My local water provider has said they can't give me with a water analysis so I am considering using my still to purify the water, then adding the required salts to achieve a Pilsen Czech profile. The only worry I have is that the pH is going to end up extremely low (apparently about 5.4) due to the carbonic acid that forms from the reaction of H2O and CO2.
Can I increase the pH without altering the water profile? Or is it really not a good idea to use distilled water?
Can I increase the pH without altering the water profile? Or is it really not a good idea to use distilled water?