Acid Malt in CAP

Northern Brewer General
1

Hello Everyone,

I’m looking at brewing a CAP next week from Jamil’s “Brewing Classic Styles” book. When working with Bru’n Water, I found that (along with a few other mineral additions) the easiest way to bring my mash pH down from 5.5 to 5.3 was to add a half pound of Acid Malt. This is my first time around brewing a CAP and I was wondering if there would be any reason not to add the acid malt for this style.

2

That seems like a hefty amount of acid malt. I went on a kick with that stuff for awhile, and even included a # of it in a ‘tripel saison’ that I made.

Only having brewed a ‘faux’ CAP (with US-05 fermented real low), I am probably not the most qualified to answer, but it seems to me that lower pH by 0.2 is not going to make that big of a flavor impact on a beer, and the risks you run with a half lb of acidulated malt seem to outweigh the potential benefits. Couldn’t you just buy an acidifying agent from your LHBS or our sponsor?

3

I OD’d a lager with acid malt recently. It had a really strong twang to it at first, but fortunately mellowed after a couple of months in the keg. I’m staying away from the stuff now. Or at least away from more than 4 oz/batch.

4

Thanks very much for the feedback!

I decided to go back and eliminate the acid malt and instead try to lower the pH by adding Lactic Acid to the mash (which I have never done before). The levels I then calculated (which put me at a mash pH of 5.3) are listed below, with Bru’n Water’s profile numbers listed in parenthesis:

Calcium - 80.4 (50)
Magnesium – 7.8 (7)
Sodium – 8.0 (5)
Sulfate - 76.1 (75)
Chloride – 61.4 (60)
Bicarbonate – 7.5 (0)

To achieve these numbers, I’m told to add the following mash additions to 100% RO Water (sparge additions in parenthesis):

Gypsum – 1.3 g (3 g)
Epsom Salt – 1.3 g (1.7 g)
Calcium Chloride – 2 g (3.8 g)
Pickling Lime – .9 g (n/a)
Lactic Acid – 2.2 ml (3.1 ml)

Would anyone be able to comment on these additions? I’m just wondering if I’m going overboard…

5

Nope, those additions are perfectly fine and not overdone at all. We were recently discussing the threshold for acid detection on the AHA forum and it’s quite a bit higher than you’re using.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/f ... ic=15041.0
6

[quote=“Denny”]Nope, those additions are perfectly fine and not overdone at all. We were recently discussing the threshold for acid detection on the AHA forum and it’s quite a bit higher than you’re using.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/f ... ic=15041.0[/quote]

Thanks, Denny – and thanks for the link.

In general, can all of the acid and mineral additions be mixed into the water before heating? I know pickling lime should be added directly to the mash, but can I just mix everything else into the water the night before when I measure out my mash and sparge water?

7

[quote=“Dan S”][quote=“Denny”]Nope, those additions are perfectly fine and not overdone at all. We were recently discussing the threshold for acid detection on the AHA forum and it’s quite a bit higher than you’re using.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/f ... ic=15041.0[/quote]

Thanks, Denny – and thanks for the link.

In general, can all of the acid and mineral additions be mixed into the water before heating? I know pickling lime should be added directly to the mash, but can I just mix everything else into the water the night before when I measure out my mash and sparge water?[/quote]

yeah, that’s what I do.

8

What is a CAP?

9

[quote=“Denny”][quote=“Dan S”][quote=“Denny”]Nope, those additions are perfectly fine and not overdone at all. We were recently discussing the threshold for acid detection on the AHA forum and it’s quite a bit higher than you’re using.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/f ... ic=15041.0[/quote]

Thanks, Denny – and thanks for the link.

In general, can all of the acid and mineral additions be mixed into the water before heating? I know pickling lime should be added directly to the mash, but can I just mix everything else into the water the night before when I measure out my mash and sparge water?[/quote]

yeah, that’s what I do.[/quote]
Thanks, Denny!

Hi, Paul - “Classic American Pilsner”

10

[quote=“Dan S”]

Hi, Paul - “Classic American Pilsner”[/quote]

Thanks, Dan. I had never heard that before, and I’ve brewed several.

11

The acid in acid malt is lactic acid, so there’s really no practical difference between using acid malt or adding lactic acid separately. Either way you’ll probably be fine. Phosphoric is supposedly a more flavor neutral acid if you’re concerned, but I think you would be fine either way.

12

[quote=“paultuttle”][quote=“Dan S”]

Hi, Paul - “Classic American Pilsner”[/quote]

Thanks, Dan. I had never heard that before, and I’ve brewed several.[/quote]

http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/ClassAmPils.html