LACTIC ACID 88% W/W 150ml pH AJUSTMENT

Using Lactic acid to hit mash pH

First a word on trying to achieve mash pH 5.2-5.6 by just adding brewing salts such as Calcium Sulphate or Chloride. You need some Calcium in your mash for mash conversion and yeast health and final clarity but the additions should be kept to just what’s needed, no more or you risk your finished beer tasting mineral and undrinkable.

So the addition of an Acid such as Lactic Acid makes sense as acid will adjust pH much better than brewing salts. Ideally you would want to make these additions at the start of the mash after doing some software calculations but in reality you would mash in take a pH reading after 10 mins then add the acid to make your changes to achieve a mash of 5.2-5.6 pH.  Additions should be made incrementally, allowed to combine and another pH reading taken and if needed another acid addition.

I recommend that you add only 1-2ml per addition to the mash before retesting. There is a 3ml pipette included for convenience.

Lactic can be used for sparge water adjustments also but note that sparge water usually has much less buffering than the mash so make smaller additions and stir through well. If you go under you target water pH simply dilute sparge water with tap water to bring it back into range.

Keep good brewing records, this helps take some of the guess work out pH additions.