Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Acidifying finished IPA  (Read 1395 times)

Offline Bjørn

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 10
Acidifying finished IPA
« on: September 20, 2018, 12:27:24 pm »
I brewing a more or less traditional west coast IPA in a couple of days.

I remember listening to an episode of the experimental brewing podcast where Danny talked about adding lactic acid to lower the PH of the finished IPA. I believe this was to make the hop character pop and make a crisper beer.
But I can't for the life of me find the episode to confirm this. (this has nothing to do with adding acid to the mash)

So I'm asking here:
Does anybody acidify their finished beer (for other reasons than to per-sour a sour beer), and what would be an ideal PH range to acidified a  finished IPA to.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Acidifying finished IPA
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2018, 12:54:47 pm »
I don't recall specifically, but we may have been generally discussing post fermentation treatment.  Like adding gypsum, CaCl2, or acid in the glass.  I've done the acid thing a couple times.  All I can tell you is start with just a little bit and adjust to taste.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline mabrungard

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2902
  • Water matters!
    • Bru'n Water
Re: Acidifying finished IPA
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2018, 02:00:30 pm »
I've post-fermentation acidified some of my beers to make them crisper when I didn't feel that the yeast had done enough to acidify the beer. I just dosed a glass of beer until I found the level I thought tasted right.

I recommend that you get a graduated dropper or pipette for your trials. The first thing to do is to count out how many drops of your acid equate to 1 mL of that acid. Don't do it with water since some acids are more viscous than water and the drop count could differ.

Then get a known quantity of your beer and add say 5 or 10 drops and mix it into the beer and taste. If its not good enough, give it more. When you find a dose that meets your tastes, scale that dose for your keg.
Martin B
Carmel, IN

BJCP National
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)

Brewing Water Information at:
https://www.brunwater.com/

Like Bru'n Water on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Brun-Water-464551136933908/?ref=bookmarks