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Author Topic: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?  (Read 2081 times)

Offline johnnyb

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Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« on: July 19, 2015, 08:00:32 am »
Sorry not trying to spam the forum but I'm about to start my boil and need some quick guidance if anyone has experience with this.

I used lactic bacteria to sour my wort pre-boil and it took it down a lot faster than expected. It's currently at about pH 3.0 in 6 gallons. I want to get it back to about pH 3.6 so my yeast will work without trouble and because I don't want it super crazy sour.

I'm diluting it back up with a gallon of distilled water and 10 ounces of light pils DME (need a few more gravity points) but don't expect that to have much affect on the pH.

Can I just use pickling lime in the boil to bring the pH back up a little bit?
« Last Edit: July 19, 2015, 08:07:50 am by johnnyb »

Offline johnnyb

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2015, 10:00:24 am »
Well the dilution didn't do anything. The pH at the start of the boil was 3.09. So far I've added 2.5 grams of pickling salt which has brought the pH up to 3.26. I'm worried about adding too much calcium so I'm going to switch to baking soda.

This is totally winging it so I hope I don't screw it up but not sure what else to do.

I tasted the wort and it is nice a tart but probably too tart after all the sugars are fermented. Tastes awesome right now though.


Offline kramerog

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2015, 11:02:32 am »
I'm not sure why you are worried about too much calcium given that the downside of sodium chloride, salty beer, is generally worse.

Offline johnnyb

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2015, 11:42:53 am »
I'm not sure why you are worried about too much calcium given that the downside of sodium chloride, salty beer, is generally worse.

Sorry it's a gose so I could have just reduced the sea salt I was adding at strikeout.

As it turns out, I couldn't find any baking soda in the house. I ended up adding 2 more grams of pickling salt and got it to pH 3.41 where I called it good. Bru'n water says I'm at roughly 120 ppm calcium in the kettle so I think it will be ok.

Hopefully the nice big pitch of WY1007 will be able to handle that low pH. I have 3 packs of US-05 on standby as well.

 

Offline brewinhard

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2015, 01:11:16 pm »
I'm not sure why you are worried about too much calcium given that the downside of sodium chloride, salty beer, is generally worse.

Hopefully the nice big pitch of WY1007 will be able to handle that low pH. I have 3 packs of US-05 on standby as well.

It will perform its duty just fine. 

Offline johnnyb

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2015, 02:15:18 pm »
I'm not sure why you are worried about too much calcium given that the downside of sodium chloride, salty beer, is generally worse.

Hopefully the nice big pitch of WY1007 will be able to handle that low pH. I have 3 packs of US-05 on standby as well.

It will perform its duty just fine.


Sweet. Would it have worked at pH 3.1?

I read a lot of people were having problems with yeast struggling at less than 3.6, but it wasn't clear what yeast they were using. I know you guys like WY1007 because it's good at low pH, but I though 3.1 might have been pushing it.

I pitched at 64o at 3:30 PM EST. Think I'm going to hold it there for a day or two and then slowly keep bringing it up a degree or two every day until 72o.

Offline brewday

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Offline johnnyb

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Re: Help: How to Raise Wort pH?
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2015, 06:13:38 pm »
Woo hoo only 4.5 hours since pitching WY1007 and I have first signs of take off.