I got my first AG brew under my belt yesterday. My attempt at a clone of Wild Beer Co Bibble. It seemed to go well. I got 80% efficiency so it will be a bit stronger than I had planned.
One thing that concerned me is the mash pH which I took 20 min in to the mash. I was using Johnson narrow range test strips and dunked it to the mash. It suggested the pH was around 4.6 so very low.
I don't know how accurate they are but I've no reason to doubt them. What would be the effect of a mash pH this low?
My efficiency was fine so I guess the mash worked.
The local water report that I found online suggested a very high alkalinity and bicarbonate level, so I made some acid additions to get it down. It looks like it might not be as alkali as I thought and I could have gone too far.
I've just sent of a sample to Murphy and Sons for analysis so I know what my water is actually like, rather than relying on online reports.
Might I have done any damage by letting the pH get this low?
One thing that concerned me is the mash pH which I took 20 min in to the mash. I was using Johnson narrow range test strips and dunked it to the mash. It suggested the pH was around 4.6 so very low.
I don't know how accurate they are but I've no reason to doubt them. What would be the effect of a mash pH this low?
My efficiency was fine so I guess the mash worked.
The local water report that I found online suggested a very high alkalinity and bicarbonate level, so I made some acid additions to get it down. It looks like it might not be as alkali as I thought and I could have gone too far.
I've just sent of a sample to Murphy and Sons for analysis so I know what my water is actually like, rather than relying on online reports.
Might I have done any damage by letting the pH get this low?