I am considering a batch of DME based beer to tide the tide so to speak. DO I have to worry about the PH of the water in the boil or can I use plain water that was boiled?
Will the beer result in something lacking that "Grain beer" flavor, or will I be able to tell if I add at least crytal.
Steve
With DME does PH Matter?
Moderator: slothrob
no short cuts..
Alas, i too have to make "other" beer from time to time and no matter what you do it will ALWAYS taste like "other" beer. The wife wont touch it.There is no substitute for a grain beer as we all know
Wort pH
I believe you can make very decent extract beer as long as you use fresh extract, filter the chlorine out of the water, and pay attention to wort pH.
As far as wort pH, according to Noonan it should be between 5.0-6.0. If you have high pH water, odds are (I haven't checked personally) you'll end up outside that range. When making allgrain beer, I usually shoot for a wort pH of 5.0-5.3. The ferment will bring the finished beer pH down to 4.0-4.5, the range of most commercial beers. If you start with an exceedingly high wort pH, the final beer pH will be correspondingly higher and this will affect your flavor perception.
I would reconstitute your DME, and then check pH. I'd be interested to hear of the results--starting water pH and then final wort pH without adjustment. Anyway, acidify it as necessary to bring in the proper range. It's unlikely you'll need to add salts as the extract was made with water that had minerals. However, as in a mash, you can add calcium salts to bring down pH through the same reaction with phosphates. I wouldn't advise this practice since you don't know the extract's original salt composition.
Hope this helps.
Cheers!
Bill
As far as wort pH, according to Noonan it should be between 5.0-6.0. If you have high pH water, odds are (I haven't checked personally) you'll end up outside that range. When making allgrain beer, I usually shoot for a wort pH of 5.0-5.3. The ferment will bring the finished beer pH down to 4.0-4.5, the range of most commercial beers. If you start with an exceedingly high wort pH, the final beer pH will be correspondingly higher and this will affect your flavor perception.
I would reconstitute your DME, and then check pH. I'd be interested to hear of the results--starting water pH and then final wort pH without adjustment. Anyway, acidify it as necessary to bring in the proper range. It's unlikely you'll need to add salts as the extract was made with water that had minerals. However, as in a mash, you can add calcium salts to bring down pH through the same reaction with phosphates. I wouldn't advise this practice since you don't know the extract's original salt composition.
Hope this helps.
Cheers!
Bill
I agree with Bill
I have to agree with Bill.
I have made some excellent extract, and partial mash brews. The biggest difference I have found is with the yeasts. It isn't as simple as dry vs liquid either; because, I have brewed fine beers with dry yeasts, and actually prefer them in many cases. I generally steer clear of any yeast in a kit, unless it is a liquid. Nottingham, Superior Lager, and Muntons Gold are all good dry yeasts. I have heard rave reviews on most of the safeale, safe lager strains also, but I haven't tried these yet. With liquid yeast, go for the type of beer you are brewing.
Cheers,
Fitz
I have made some excellent extract, and partial mash brews. The biggest difference I have found is with the yeasts. It isn't as simple as dry vs liquid either; because, I have brewed fine beers with dry yeasts, and actually prefer them in many cases. I generally steer clear of any yeast in a kit, unless it is a liquid. Nottingham, Superior Lager, and Muntons Gold are all good dry yeasts. I have heard rave reviews on most of the safeale, safe lager strains also, but I haven't tried these yet. With liquid yeast, go for the type of beer you are brewing.
Cheers,
Fitz
Here goes nothing!
Thanks guys!
I tend to use Lactic acid and will report on PH adjustment to and fro.
Cheers
Steve
I tend to use Lactic acid and will report on PH adjustment to and fro.
Cheers
Steve