pH 5.2 Mash Stabiliser

[damfoose]

sorry to be dumb but how does this stuff actually work !

 

[Aleman]

pH 5.2 is a phosphate buffer system that is formulated to set the mash pH to 5.2 . . . And it does do so (except in very rare circumstances). I was amused because I am fairly sure that I told Vossy at the time that I didn't think it was the solution to his mash pH and subsequent beer related problems. If you have sufficient Calcium in your liquor then this will do a good job, it is a simple quick and dirty solution to controlling mash pH. If you have very soft water you are b*ggerd though, and have to look at a slightly more complex approach.

If I lived in an area where the water was moderate to hard I would have no hesitation in snapping up one of these tubs.

 

[evanvine]

I know I'm going to incur the wrath of AM for this post, but here goes.
Having taken pH readings of my mash both before and after mashing in the past I have found that the mash pH sorts it's self out and that "water treatment" really only adds to the flavour! (ducking for cover)
Think it's time I went to bed!

 

[Vossy1]

Having taken pH readings of my mash both before and after mashing in the past I have found that the mash pH sorts it's self out and that "water treatment" really only adds to the flavour! (ducking for cover)

It depends what your water ev. For example, my water has next to nothing in it and I have to ADD CaC03 to get the right mash Ph, most people have to remove C03.

 

[jonewer]

Sorry to piggyback this thread, but what does gypsum do to the mash?

Does it alter pH or does it just add the right salts? How do you calculate how much you need?

 

[Vossy1]

Sorry to piggyback this thread, but what does gypsum do to the mash?
Does it alter pH or does it just add the right salts?

Gypsum is Calcium sulphate and it adds Calcium and sulphate ions to the water. It just adds salts to the water IIRC :hmm:

How do you calculate how much you need?

Have a look here then fire away with the questions :thumb:
You really need to know what's in your water to start with, before knowing what needs to be added

 

[Aleman]

What does gypsum do to the mash?
Does it alter pH or does it just add the right salts?

Gypsum is Calcium sulphate and it adds Calcium and sulphate ions to the water. It just adds salts to the water IIRC :hmm:

As Vossy says gypsum is calcium sulphate, what he fails to say is that for crisp hoppy pale ales sulphate accentuates the hop bitterness, and improves the hop flavour . . . it is fine up to 450mg/l . . . Calcium is another beneficial ion, it is vitally important to many brewing reactions . . . Yeast flocculation depends on sufficient calcium as does the hot break. Yeasts ability to ferment strongly is affected by too little calcium, In the mash calcium stabilises beta amylase preventing it from being broken down too rapidly at mash temp . . . The other vital part it plays in mash chemistry is that of stabilising the mash pH at the optimum level of 5.3. Basically it reacts with phosphate released by the phytase reaction to form a precipitate of calcium phosphate (bone) and leave free hydrogen ions (also from the phytase reaction) floating around which help to lower the mash pH . . . If you have a low calcium level then you don't get a significant drop in pH in the mash, and during teh boil and fermentation. . . this leads to permanent hazes and stability issues.

How do you calculate how much you need?

Have a look here then fire away with the questions :thumb:
You really need to know what's in your water to start with, before knowing what needs to be added

:hmm: My take on it is that adding 120mg/l of calcium to the mash liquor is not going to cause any major harm regardless of how much calcium you already have there, so throwing a tsp of gypsum in the mash liquor (for a 23L batch) and another in the boil is not going to screw anything up so is worth doing. . . . and that is in spite of me always saying adding chemicals at random to the mash and boil is not a good idea without knowing what you have there already :lol:

 

[Vossy1]

what he fails to say

I just didn't answer as comprehensively as you :lol:
I don't have the memory of an elephant, and I tend to forget that which I don't use on a regular basis Besides there are far better qualified folk on the forum who can answer the question in far more detail than myself....like you :ugeek: :lol:

 

[evanvine]

It depends what your water ev.

My water here is very soft so I add 1tsp Gypsom, 1/2 tsp Epsom and 1/4 tsp chalk to my HLT (as I now know it's called)!
My average extract (by fly sparging) is 86%, but have been known to achieve 90+%.
Aleman is no doubt technically correct, it's what works that matters!
I find his in depth chemistry fasinating and can read it for hours, but I still do what works for me. (no slight AM)

 

[john_s]

As someone who's looking to go AG at some point, it's handy to see a "it should work" approach to water treatment.

Once I get more seriously into brewing, I'll think about a more serious approach to water chemistry, but having something to go from without having to think about to much to start with is helpful.

 

[snail59]

Oh my god. Just read this and as TODAY will be my first brew how will water make up affect a kit?????? im in a relativley hard water area but have a filter tap for drinking (and tea) water. So should I use the HARD mains tap water or the SOFTER filterd water in my brew.

Or does this only realy affect AG brewing ???.

 

[evanvine]

Should make no difference to a kit as the "mashing" has already been done.
I think hard water makes a better cup of tea, but each to his own!
Good luck with the brew Snail. (thumb)