[beersk]

Jeff, have you been adjusting it upwards then after getting a low reading? Just wondering how much this could affect the final beer.
I wonder if it's not just Best pils, but maybe their Vienna as well? Gah! I really don't want to have to get a pH meter...

this one was at 5.25, so I let it ride. Conversion eff. was close to 100%, hit my OG. Was going for 5.55, then use lactic to drop. Next time I will try that.

Great, thanks. I think I'll target 5.4-5.5 for my next helles in Bru'n water. Or should I actually target 5.6? Hmmm...

[narvin]

I haven't seen this in the past.  I targeted 5.35 in the kettle, and the lactic acid addition suggested got me close (8 ml for 10 gallons of mash water).  But, their spec sheet shows that it can vary.

Specification min max
 Moisture content % 5.0
 Extract fine grind, dry basis % 80.5
 Fine-coarse diŠ erence EBC % 2.0
 Viscosity (8.6%) mPa·s 1.60
 Friability % 80.0
 Glassiness % 3.0
 Protein, dry basis % 9.0 11.5
 Soluble nitrogen mg/100g 610 780
 Kolbach index % 36.0 45.0
Wort color
EBC 3 4.9
L 1.6 2.3
Wort pH EH 5.80 6.10
 Grading > 2.5 mm % 90.0
 Diastatic Power WK 250

[Wort-H.O.G.]

I haven't seen this in the past.  I targeted 5.35 in the kettle, and the lactic acid addition suggested got me close (8 ml for 10 gallons of mash water).  But, their spec sheet shows that it can vary.

Specification min max
 Moisture content % 5.0
 Extract fine grind, dry basis % 80.5
 Fine-coarse diŠ erence EBC % 2.0
 Viscosity (8.6%) mPa·s 1.60
 Friability % 80.0
 Glassiness % 3.0
 Protein, dry basis % 9.0 11.5
 Soluble nitrogen mg/100g 610 780
 Kolbach index % 36.0 45.0
Wort color
EBC 3 4.9
L 1.6 2.3
Wort pH EH 5.80 6.10
 Grading > 2.5 mm % 90.0
 Diastatic Power WK 250

yes i think that's the key...could vary between maltsters and lots.

Edit: be interesting to see what I get for PH of recipe with  RO and water profile identical to one with Avangard pils vs. the weyermann floor malted pils I ordered.

[mabrungard]

I also have a sack of Best Pils malt and have found that wort pH tends to be a bit lower than the color indicates.

Maybe more maltsters are getting on board with making base malts more acidic through some sort of acidification like done for acid malt? Since all mashes need some sort of acidification via alternatives such as: adding Ca and Mg salts, adding darker crystal and roast malts, or adding an actual acid, it is a good thing that the maltsters are doing this. It's just that it makes it difficult to know which maltsters are doing it.

By the way, I've found that Simpsons Golden Promise tends to be more acidic than indicated by color rating.

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

[hopfenundmalz]

I also have a sack of Best Pils malt and have found that wort pH tends to be a bit lower than the color indicates.

Maybe more maltsters are getting on board with making base malts more acidic through some sort of acidification like done for acid malt? Since all mashes need some sort of acidification via alternatives such as: adding Ca and Mg salts, adding darker crystal and roast malts, or adding an actual acid, it is a good thing that the maltsters are doing this. It's just that it makes it difficult to know which maltsters are doing it.

By the way, I've found that Simpsons Golden Promise tends to be more acidic than indicated by color rating.

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

I plan on getting some distilled water, doing some mini-mashes in a thermos with the base grains I have on hand.
A post will have the findings.

[zorch]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

[The Beerery]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

It's quite simple really. All you need to do is get the malt analysis info. For instance this is my vienna malt I have http://www.weyermann.de/pdf_analyses/q204-002360-01.pdf 

Why must we always make more work for ourselves, all the malsters have lot analysis on the malt. More over how do you know how to properly mash the malt without the specs.
Simple as that

[beersk]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

It's quite simple really. All you need to do is get the malt analysis info. For instance this is my vienna malt I have http://www.weyermann.de/pdf_analyses/q204-002360-01.pdf 

Why must we always make more work for ourselves, all the malsters have lot analysis on the malt. More over how do you know how to properly mash the malt without the specs.
Simple as that

It seems to me the issue is with conflicting results to what the analyses is saying...

[hopfenundmalz]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

It's quite simple really. All you need to do is get the malt analysis info. For instance this is my vienna malt I have http://www.weyermann.de/pdf_analyses/q204-002360-01.pdf 

Why must we always make more work for ourselves, all the malsters have lot analysis on the malt. More over how do you know how to properly mash the malt without the specs.
Simple as that

The lot analysis from Country Malt Group does not have pH listed. Best Malz gives a range. Lot Analysis entry is not apparent on the Best Web Page.

[The Beerery]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

It's quite simple really. All you need to do is get the malt analysis info. For instance this is my vienna malt I have http://www.weyermann.de/pdf_analyses/q204-002360-01.pdf 

Why must we always make more work for ourselves, all the malsters have lot analysis on the malt. More over how do you know how to properly mash the malt without the specs.
Simple as that

It seems to me the issue is with conflicting results to what the analyses is saying...

No, Weyermann just lists general specs as well. No one here is getting lot analysis.
If north country is lacking, one should contact best. They are quick responders.

[hopfenundmalz]

Keep posting this sort of information since it will help refine the malt acidity parameters.

Martin, is there a simple procedure a brewer can perform on a small malt sample to determine its relative acidity in a mash?   Something along the lines of "take X grams of pulverized malt, add to Y grams of distilled H2O at 68 degrees F, wait Z minutes, record pH?" 

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who would be happy to perform this sort of data gathering (and send you the results), so having a standard process seems like good idea.   And if there is also a simple way to translate that discovered pH value to an adjusted "L" value to plug into Brunwater to improve its performance, that would be good to know.

It's quite simple really. All you need to do is get the malt analysis info. For instance this is my vienna malt I have http://www.weyermann.de/pdf_analyses/q204-002360-01.pdf 

Why must we always make more work for ourselves, all the malsters have lot analysis on the malt. More over how do you know how to properly mash the malt without the specs.
Simple as that

It seems to me the issue is with conflicting results to what the analyses is saying...

No, Weyermann just lists general specs as well. No one here is getting lot analysis.
If north country is lacking, one should contact best. They are quick responders.

Ich werde Best Maltz Kontaktieren

[hopfenundmalz]

Mashed 0.25 lbs in a half quart of distilled water at 155F in a SS coffee thermos. Calibrated the Milwaukee 101 with fresh 7 and 4 solutions. Then measured the pH after my usual 10 minutes. Result was 5.55 pH.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

Mashed 0.25 lbs in a half quart of distilled water at 155F in a SS coffee thermos. Calibrated the Milwaukee 101 with fresh 7 and 4 solutions. Then measured the pH after my usual 10 minutes. Result was 5.55 pH.

and is 5.8ish Ph what you would have expected?

[hopfenundmalz]

Mashed 0.25 lbs in a half quart of distilled water at 155F in a SS coffee thermos. Calibrated the Milwaukee 101 with fresh 7 and 4 solutions. Then measured the pH after my usual 10 minutes. Result was 5.55 pH.

and is 5.8ish Ph what you would have expected?

Yes. The range Best has on their page is 5.8-6.1. So it measured low.

[VictorBrew]

I know this has been discussed a million times, but is it possible that some analysis sheets are listing pH at mash temp rather then at room temp?