I am going to brew NB’s Helles AG kit and will be using this water build:
http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.ph ... er_recipesShould I add the 3% acidulated malt or just brew it with the supplied grains in the kit?
Thanks
If you’re following that water build exactly according to what Brew Kaiser is saying you’d want some acidulated malt to bring the mash pH into where you want it. I’d just throw all the information in Bru’n Water and figure out what I need to do in order to get my mash pH where it should be.
what is the sense of buying a kit if you are not going to follow the recipe. When I make the helles I use the house softwater that has sat in a bucket over night to degas, It always turns out great.
My guess is the OP is trying to replicate the water profile of an area of Germany.
add in 4oz of Acid Malt. I always do for my pale lagers and they turn out great!!
I would follow the water profile and add the acidulated malt.
The reason to “buy a kit and not follow it” is simple in this case - I have yet to see a kit that actually addresses the issue of water. EVERY kit simply insinuates you add whatever water you might have on hand regardless of the effect it will have on your beer. You could take the exact same kit, brew it with 3 different water profiles “as directed” and get 3 totally different beers. Basically, the kit is just “assuming” your brewing water is right for the style you have chosen.
+1 do whatever you need to, to get your mash pH right. NB can’t formulate for every water type. A few percent of acdiualted malt (or some lactic acid) won’t affect the recipe from a flavor perspective, other than allowing you to hit the OG.
