Acid choice

[Ronnie23]

Hi all

Was interested in knowing which acid people normally use for their water treatment. I've always used CRS however I'm thinking of trying phosphoric or lactic to get a little more control. I understand the benefits of using CRS in some instances however feel as though it might be useful to try a different acid for my lighter beers.

I'm based in the southeast, reasonably high alkalinity and chlorides and sulphates around 90 and 70 from memory.

Look forward to your thoughts

Ron

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi all

Was interested in knowing which acid people normally use for their water treatment. I've always used CRS however I'm thinking of trying phosphoric or lactic to get a little more control. I understand the benefits of using CRS in some instances however feel as though it might be useful to try a different acid for my lighter beers.

I'm based in the southeast, reasonably high alkalinity and chlorides and sulphates around 90 and 70 from memory.

Look forward to your thoughts

Ron

I'm not sure why you say phosphoric or lactic acid would give you more control.

 

[Ronnie23]

I'm not sure why you say phosphoric or lactic acid would give you more control.

Because CRS will add chloride and sulphate

 

[Cheshire Cat]

LSD for meeeeee

 

[Ronnie23]

LSD for meeeeee

I knew someone was gonna give me that!

 

[Ajhutch]

Because CRS will add chloride and sulphate

This is true but the amounts are known so you can work around it, and it’s only the ratio of those that matters rather than the absolute amounts. Having said that I use lactic, because I have to take out a lot of alkalinity and lactic takes out more than CRS, and for no particularly good reason I like to minimise the amount of “stuff” I put into my beer.

 

[user 18729]

I’m not sure the ratio argument is the be all and end all. Put it this way, if you brewed a lager with 20ppm sulphate, 10ppm chloride and then brewed the same beer with 200ppm/100ppm you would notice a considerable difference in flavour profile. CRS does limit your control but you can usually play about with your additions to get where you want to be. I use Phosphoric Acid which works well and gives no unwanted mineral additions. However it reacts with (calcium off the top of my head- someone will correct me ) so does have a potential down side. Similarly lactic acid in high quantities will be detectable in your beer

 

[AdeDunn]

I've used lactic acid in the past, been using CRS/AMS recently though, but for the brew I did yesterday (a fake Helles/festbier) I used lactic again (4.5mls in 26 litres of water). Never tasted the lactic acid in any of my brews in the past, but I believe that there is a point where you start to taste it. There's also acid malt, which I believe has the lactic acid right there in the malt.

 

[Pennine]

I prefer phosphoric, I typically can tell when I use lactic or acid malt, not that it is bad but it's definitely there. I deal with very hard water so am usually adding 4ml to 10l batches that are diluted in half with RO.

 

[Hanglow]

I use lactic but have very low alkalinity anyway so don't need much usually. It is detectable in flavour at a certain point, and some yeasts are lactic acid producers, so the two combined can give you a lactic tang . I also use it when making homemade brewers invert and acidifying after the boil if needed

If I had higher alkalinity which you do I'd probably try other options, or mix it up a bit