ph issue

[ray m]

I've read a lot of references lately in various posts about ph. I've been brewing all-grain since the beginning of the year and have never messed around with ph---at all. I brew with strictly bottled spring water since the municipal water around here is incredibly hard and incredibly chlorinated. What are the advantages to fiddling with ph, and if the arguments are convincing, what steps/additives to my mash/sparge water, & what additional equipment, are necessary to adjust it? Is it a pain in the ass?? My brews have tasted great, with no complaints, but I am starting to wonder if I am missing something that may make my beers even better. Thanks, as always, guys, for any and all insight.

Ray

[Beerconnoisseur]

Mash pH is mostly about avoiding the extraction of harsh tasting phenols and tannins from your grain. It also affects the overall enzyme activity, so it is one more way to fine tune the taste of your beer.

Palmer (http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15.html) goes into this in some detail, so once you read Chapter 15, you should have a pretty good understanding of salts and their effects on water and pH.

If you are trying to brew to a specific style, especially for competition, or if you are just pretty anal about perfecting a recipe, then water salts are fine to use. They are not too expensive; MoreBeer has some under "Additives, Clarifiers, Water Modifiers," and which one(s) to buy mostly depends on the style you plan on brewing a lot of. You should also get some pH paper/roll to test with, if you go this route (under "Measuring and Testing").

All told, it shouldn't run you more than $10-$15. However, most of the time, the mash pH is fine, and doesn't need a lot of adjustment.

[Fast_Eddy]

If you're using bottled then you have very little to worry about with regard to mash ph. The grains(especially darker grains) will usually lower the ph to the correct level. But it's fairly widely maintained that the sparge water should have a ph in the low mid 5's, especially if you're using sparge temps near 170F.

I use 10% phosphoric acid to lower the ph of my sparge water.

[wortchillergoal]

I know an all grain brewer who does not worry about ph. He has won several best of show awards. Many brewers around here consider him to be one of the best in this area and beyond and he has the trophies to prove it. So relax and have a homebrew.

[ray m]

Thanks for the clarification, guys. It doesn't sound like I really need to change anything I'm doing now. Thanks again!!