Mash Ph

[Muddydisco]

Right I'm playing with water treatments again, had a go back in the past but thought I'd get my brews right first so put it to one side.
I have treated my water with campden, and stood overnight and hardness test said I had 284ppm caco3, according to the calc thats 54.9ml of crs to add to total volume of water. Nothing was added to the mash as per the calcs but my mash has come out at 4.8Ph.
Is this caused by there being to much crs and making the mash acidic or is there more at work here???
Answers on a postcard to...... :rofl:

 

[Tony]

Morning MD ... up nice an early on brewday I see!

I wish I could help but I have this overwhelming urge to ignore anything as soon as it starts sounding like a science lesson.

I've read christ knows how many books on brewing over the years and always learn something new (none has ever been as good as a busy forum though). Unfortunately, as soon as I get to the section on water treatment I fall asleep... it's all those little diagrams of letters and numbers joined up with lines that looks like someone has emptied a box of matches onto a table. I start to snore.

Hope your days goes well and looking forward to the pics! In answer to yesterdays question in the chatroom (sorry, got pulled away by the missus), yes an 10 gal (or 50ltr) tun that I could use for both 5 and 10 gal brews. Like I say - sometime in the summer probably!

 

[Aleman]

hardness test said I had 284ppm caco3

Is that really hardness . . . which is not really all that useful in brewing . . . Remember Hardness is a measure of the amount of Calcium and magnesium salts in solution . . . what we need to measure is alkalinity . . . and while there is a relationship between hardness and alkalinity . . it may not be a reliable one . . . and it doesn't help that hardness is measured as ppm calcium carbonate . . . which is also the way alkalinity is reported.

I must admit I've just thrown a few figures into my water spreadsheet and come out with similar figures to you (not knowing total volume treated and desired residual alkalinity) so the calculator is working ok . . . assuming that the figure you have is for alkalinity and not hardness.

What was the grist ? As any dark malts will naturally make the mash pH fall so you need to leave 'more' alkalinity behind when using crystal/black/roast/chocolate malts. . . . . I wouldn't worry too much about it though my Effin RIS had no alkalinity adjustment and mashed at 4.8 with no problems . . . It's on the just about OK end of the range . . . ideally it should be higher though.


And look no letters and numbers joined up with a box of matches

 

[prolix]

my alkinlity is up there at 189 but not quite the cage fighter you have , I tend to always under dose with CRS 50 instead of 55 in 60l of liquor. And as Aleman said I don't use CRS at all in my porters and half dose in my Christmas beers as lots of dark malts drop the pH.

 

[Muddydisco]

Well I'm learning new stuff as always
It was alkalinty I just got mixed up in my head. I was using my pond test kit and after I did the brew water I did my pond while I was at it. At least I didn't quote nitrates ppm or nitrites :rofl:
Total water was 50ltr. And yes there were dark malts in it. Thats sovles that reason :thumb:
I'm close to burton but my water is recycled leicestershire water :sick:

 

[Tony]

And look no letters and numbers joined up with a box of matches

:whistle:

:rofl: