Request addition of Malic acid to acidification section

Amapola Ales

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Title kind of says it all. I will note that Zymurgy is recommending malic acid as addition to the mash for NE IPAs. I was very happy with the results but I had to work too hard to find the right amount to add. This is why I use your site it is easier. So how about a little help here?
 
Title kind of says it all. I will note that Zymurgy is recommending malic acid as addition to the mash for NE IPAs. I was very happy with the results but I had to work too hard to find the right amount to add. This is why I use your site it is easier. So how about a little help here?

It would be easy to add as an option to select in Other Ingredients as a water agent. It should lower the pH. There is a lot of talk about acids on various forums, Here is a good comment I found,

Malic acid is "rough". That's why vintners do a malo/lactic fermentation (Leuconostoc eats rough malic and excretes smooth lactic acid). It is not used in brewing (nor is tartaric). You will find citric acid mentioned in old home brewing texts (the ones that recommend equal parts of malt extract and cane sugar and recommend boiling the hops separately in water) but even they note the citrusy taste of citric acid. Citric isn't used any more AFAIK.

For brewing the choices are generally lactic (continent), sulfuric and hydrochloric (UK) and phosphoric.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/acid-additions.217407/#post-2546216
 
Awwwwwwwwwww,now you popped my bubble. I was seriously thinking of giving Citric acid a try. Figured that in addition to lowering pH of lighter colored APAs and IPAs, it would give me an extra citrus kick.
 
Title kind of says it all. I will note that Zymurgy is recommending malic acid as addition to the mash for NE IPAs. I was very happy with the results but I had to work too hard to find the right amount to add. This is why I use your site it is easier. So how about a little help here?
Hi, buddy

I am interested in using Malic acid. Is the amount similar of citric acid?
Tell me more what is the difference with other acids.

Best
André
 
Malic acid is the acid of apples. It's a rather harsh tartness. I wouldn't recommend it as a water agent, rather as a flavor so add it at packaging to taste. In fact, when making wine, it's often put through a malolactic fermentation to convert the malic acid into lactic acid. You sure you want to use it?
 
Awwwwwwwwwww,now you popped my bubble. I was seriously thinking of giving Citric acid a try. Figured that in addition to lowering pH of lighter colored APAs and IPAs, it would give me an extra citrus kick.
well here's my anecdote on it.. I use it every time with no ill effects. I also find Citric Acid easier to measure out than Lactic Acid, i never like having to deal with liquid measurements. Citric looks and feels like salt, makes it easier to get my mineral additions together.
 
well here's my anecdote on it.. I use it every time with no ill effects. I also find Citric Acid easier to measure out than Lactic Acid, i never like having to deal with liquid measurements. Citric looks and feels like salt, makes it easier to get my mineral additions together.

That response was tongue in cheek. I fully intend on trying it in one of my often brewed beers. I'm old fashioned and brew mainly APAs and IPAs, primarily with C hops and think citric just may give me that extra citrussy pop I'm always looking for.
As for measuring liquid acids, I find that a graduated 10 ml syringe works great.
 
Aaannnddd.... A trip to my favorite meditation area later, I realized that for acidification, you aren't adding enough of any of the acids to make much of a difference in flavor. For example, I use maybe 2ml of 88% lactic acid solution to acidify my mashes, another 2-3 to acidify my sparge water. As long as your pH is coming out right, don't worry about what kind of acid it is! If you're going to go for measurable tartness, I'd stick to lactic or phosphoric but the couple of grams to control mash pH shouldn't matter. To measure the acids, get ahold of a graduated syringe or dropper - I use the dropper. Both work fine.
 

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