Best way to reduce mash PH

[barbarianbrewer]

I brew All Grain & batch sparge (in a blue cooler ) and in recent brews I have started to play with water treatments. In my last Irish Red Ale I added ½ tsp each of gypsum & Calcium Chloride. I added this to both mash and sparge. The resulting beer tasted good but had…for the lack of a better word…”soft” taste to it. The roasty edge and hop flavor was mostly absent. Could that amount of gypsum and CaCl have had that effect? The calculated mash PH was 5.65. I would like to bring my mash PH down to at least 5.5 without affecting the original flavor that I really like. What is the best way to bring down mash PH? Should I add an acid (phosphoric, lactic, acetic, tartaric, etc.) to the strike water? Or should I add some Acidulated Malt to the mash? Or is there another option I’m missing?

I use Brewer’s Friend water treatment calculator to estimate PH and other values. I do not have a PH meter so I can’t verify their calculator’s accuracy but IIRC, other posters have said it’s very close.

This is my water profile:

This is my recipe (5 gal):

[sneezles61]

I'm not a water knowing home brewer... BUT, I have found my brews are tasting better, perhaps partly from adjusting the mash water. Using a pH meter has has increased my awareness to be able to land on the desired pH. Brews without dark malts need more attention... more correction... I use phosphoric and citric acids ... Along with baking soda when I go too low..
Take one pint of you home-brew... put just a small pinch of the calcium Chloride in it... gently stir and sample... You are just doing a tasting test... Add more if you care... do the same with the gypsum... You'd really be suprized how it will change... Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

Brewers friend will show you pH with a little arrow. You may have to put the pH of your water in or I think it will use average. Put some acid malt in the recipe and see how that changes things in the recipe builder you can use lactic acid also I just prefer to use acid malt.

[sneezles61]

Brew Cat, I thought somewhere a while back you expressed a German heritage.... That would coincide with your acid malt relation.. I've got a bunch of Swede.. They're a conservative lot now... Old ones had some different stuff going on... Heather? Sneezles61

[barbarianbrewer]

I did enter the PH (7.6) in Brewer's Friend. I didn't notice that it wasn't shown on the summary screen that I snapshot'ed. Regarding adding acid malt to the grist. Would that impart any sour flavor to the beer. The forums seem to have a probably-not-but-maybe-yes opinion

[brew_cat]

No it won't unless you add to much. Ill generally add
about 4 oz

[squeegeethree]

I really like my Ph meter and enjoyed using it but I never had a PH issue when I tested during the mash.
As a result I never use it anymore.
When should I be worried about PH? Is there a certain grain bill that is problematic?

[brew_cat]

I found I only have to make a pH adjustment is with alot of Pilsner malt. I used to use a meter but it stopped working so I don't use one now. I'm not that exacting. I would like to get another meter for checking sours though

[voodoo_donut]

All of the methods work; I use lactic acid primarily but occasionally use citric acid for citrus forward beers like NEIPAs. Or a combination of the two, as I think a little too much citric acid could stand out.
I've heard some homebrewers say they can taste lactic acid in a beer but I never have.

I trust the software and add to BK/ mash(target 5.3 mash ph) and sparge also targeting 5.3.
This is of course in addition to water additions such as cacl or caso4 which you would use to amend your base water to style. These will drop your mash ph modestly.

[squeegeethree]

I was just reading that lactic acid is one of the prime "landing pad" odors for female mosquitos.

[voodoo_donut]

High lactic acid levels in the bloodstream mean that you are ( or will be) toast....

[sneezles61]

Just had too bring this back to life...
I did brew Sunday.. No phosphoric acid... Lactic acid or citric acid... BUT.... I stuck my neck out and used lemon juice... It's pH is 2.2... It's easily accessible. It's food grade... It took 16 teaspoons to correct my 13 gallons of water to 5.9 pre-mash... After 20 minutes.. I had 5.5 pH.... And I could not tell there was lemon juice in there... In a week or so this brew will be ready... I'll get the guys in the band to be Guinea pigs and give you all a report!
Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

Most of the lemon juice as you know is just fruit juice which will ferment along with all the other sugars probably only a teaspoon or so of citric acid. Don't think your going to taste anything. How was the conversion?

[Rburrelli]

That is being very resourceful and creative Sneezles. Nice!,

[sneezles61]

22 lbs grist pre boil came in at 1.050... So I did hit my numbers... I can tell when it's done fermenting... My FG does get a bit lower than if I don't correct..
Like I said... I couldn't taste it... The gentleman that introduced me to brewing has a very sensitive palate... He'll be part of the tasting crew... If it does turn out, it may become my standardized way to correct pH.
Sneezles61

[brew_cat]

Lemon in some beers is appropriate. I have some lemon drop hops I'm going to try in a Pilsner maybe some lemon juice in the mash?

[dannyboy58]

Lemon juice huh? interesting...

lactic acid is easy. Acidulated malt is even easier.

[sneezles61]

Not as easy buying lemon juice... Well, here any way...
I should look deeper into this... Is it spiked juice from a lemon... with citric acid to bring down the pH?
Sneezles61

[WMNoob]

Curious as to at what percent of the grist Pilsner malt you become concerned with pH?

[sneezles61]

Id suspect Brewcat is more looking toward the flavor...
Any light colored brew will benefit from pH conditioning before mash in... So many benefits from correcting..
Sneezles61