Question About Acidifying Sprage Water With Phosphoric Acid

[cjones]

I'm trying to start with distilled water for my next brew, then add salts/minerals to the mash to reach my targeted pH and flavor profile. I've been able to figure the salt additions using the advanced water chemistry calculator to get a mash pH of about 5.38.

The pH of 5.38 I got was with adding all of my salt/minerals to the Mash Only, so I will be using a separate untreated round of DI water for the sparge. I have phosphoric acid on hand which I believe is 10%. I want to use this to acidify my sparge water to get the pH down (presuming a pH of 7.0 for the DI water) to around 5.3-5.4ish. The calculator is telling me that I need .09ml of acid to drop the sparge water pH to the desired level. So I have a couple questions.

1. How would I go about measuring that tiny amount of the phosphoric acid??
2. Is .09ml enough to drop about 5gal of DI water down to 5.4ish..that just doesn't seem right.

Let me know if there are any important details I am leaving out that would help answer the question.

Here is the link to the water profile:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemi ... id=12HT05X

Thanks!

 

[Nosybear]

Re: Question About Acidifying Sprage Water With Phosphoric A

Before you start with distilled water and salt additions, what problem are you trying to solve?

 

[LarryBrewer]

Re: Question About Acidifying Sprage Water With Phosphoric A

You don't need to worry about the pH of the sparge water, it is the pH of the mash that matters. As the sparge water runs through the mash, its pH will change. Fly spargers have to worry about over sparging and extracting tannins, but that is when the gravity drops below 1.010.

 

[cjones]

Re: Question About Acidifying Sprage Water With Phosphoric A

Before you start with distilled water and salt additions, what problem are you trying to solve?

Not necessarily trying to solve a problem, but trying to develop water profiles for different style of beers while targeting specific ranges of ppm for things like Sulfate, Chloride, and Magnesium, etc.

I understand I can use tap water, and dilute it with distilled water, use my tap water only and just not worry about it, etc..but it's not like measuring out a couple salt additions and adding them to the mash requires any more effort that any other method; it's just taking the time to understand the complicated mater of water chemistry which is the hard part. So right now I'm interested in trying to experiment with water chemistry and it's outcome in my beer :mrgreen: The calculator on this site has been a big help, but I was just a little confused (wondered if something was wrong) when such a tiny amount came up for the phosphoric acid addition. Seems like for that specific question I'd be better off just not worry about treating the sprage water.

You don't need to worry about the pH of the sparge water, it is the pH of the mash that matters. As the sparge water runs through the mash, its pH will change. Fly spargers have to worry about over sparging and extracting tannins, but that is when the gravity drops below 1.010.

I see what you're saying. I will be fly sparging, and definitely checking the pH of the runoff.

 

[TheZel66]

Re: Question About Acidifying Sprage Water With Phosphoric A

I fly sparge, and put pH 5.2 Buffer in my mash and sparge water. 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. produced some great beers. the low pH during sparge helps the sugars detach from the grain bed better, and you can increase your extraction efficiency. Mine improved my brewhouse efficiency by 5%.