Mash ph

How do I adjust estimated mash ph? Seems like no matter what I add, it does not change. Thank you.

Greetings Rick - if I understand your question, you asking how to change the estimated mash pH.  Simple, change the ingredients in your ingredients list.  The estimated mash pH is based on those ingredients.

Hope this helps!

That is my point, no matter what I add, estimated mash ph doesn't change. I tried upping acid malt to 50%, no change.

BS estimates mash pH based on the pH of the selected water profile and the recipe's grain bill. About the same as the stand alone calculators do. To change the estimate you would need to either build a water profile, or alter an existing one , to a pH that would meet your target when added in the proper amount to your recipe.

Thank you, Bob.

ricksephton said:

That is my point, no matter what I add, estimated mash ph doesn't change. I tried upping acid malt to 50%, no change.

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Are you saying that you added acid malt in your recipe on your ingredients list? If so, the software does not know that it's 'acid malt.' I believe that it just counts it as normal 2-row.

I thought that I was happy with how this software told me how much acid malt or lactic acid to add. Then I found out that's it's unbelievably far off.  So much so that I cannot utilize it.

Even in the mash calculator? That is telling me to add 8 oz phosphoric acid to achieve 5.2 ph, or 3.5 lbs acid malt.

The pH prediction and acid/acid malt additions are new to BeerSmith.  I would take them with a hefty grain of salt and ease into the suggested amounts.  For instance, without any adjustment it does pretty well at predicting my mash pH.  When I drop my salt additions it recommends about 170 grams (6 oz) of acidulated malt to adjust the pH, but I can typically get my mash down to a 5.4 target with about 30 grams of acid malt (1 oz). 

ricksephton said:

Even in the mash calculator? That is telling me to add 8 oz phosphoric acid to achieve 5.2 ph, or 3.5 lbs acid malt.

Click to expand...

No, just the ingredient list. I believe that in the mash calculator, if you use acid malt, it just figures 2%...however much that is. I could be wrong.

All I know is that pH is way off with this program unfortunately. It would be fantastic if it was right. It just 'undercompensates' for how much the malts actually reduce the pH.

I'm glad this came up, was struggling with the same issue on my last batch.  I created a water profile based on my Ward test and was adding massive amounts of acid malt trying to get the est Mash pH down... no luck.  Considering Oginme's input, sounds like we're best off going with Brun'water... which still overwhelms me.  Time to study it for a couple more hours I suppose.

I've been having the same issue with the auto calculation of the estimated mash ph. I add my water profile in from my well, and my grain bill and my estimated mash ph is always 5.62 ph. My water ph is 7.6. But when I change that value to 14 ph and add it to my recipe the estimated mash stays at 5.62 ph. When I then add more or less grain is still is stuck at 5.62 ph. I know that's not true. I'm trying to avoid treating the mash too much when the first 25 minutes of the mash are so critical.

Anyone figure this out yet?

BeerSmith does not take into consideration your water profile until you add it to the recipe as an ingredient.  It assumes distilled water unless otherwise directed.  Once you add your water to the recipe, that profile will show up in the mash tab as the base water under the 'estimated Mash pH' section and you will see a change in the calculation of estimated pH. 

Adding any water salts to the recipe will also not figure into the mash pH calculation.  The same goes for acidulated malt additions to the recipe. 

So, what you want to do is go to the water profile tool and start with your well water as your base profile.  Make sure that the water volume for the base profile matches the average volume you want to treat.  Make any water salt additions you would normally make to get the water profile you want to build for that recipe.  Give this target profile a new name in the section on the water tool for 'target profile'.  Click on 'Save Additions to Target' to create a new profile which contains the water salt additions based upon that starting water (base profile) and water salt additions (based upon the volume of water entered in the profile).

Now go back to your recipe and add the new water target profile to the recipe.  If you want the water salts to enter into the recipe based upon the water requirements for that recipe, then click on 'yes' when the program asks if you want the water salts added to the ingredients.  If you want to wing it yourself without the water salts listed, then click 'no'.

Now the estimated mash pH will reflect the water profile you have added to the recipe.

As an aside, your actual water pH has very little impact on the mash pH.  It really determines the species of carbonates which are present in the water which in turn DO affect the mash pH.  This does not impact mash pH as much if your water is soft with low carbonate and mineral content, but does make a difference if your base water is high in minerals.

Also if you decide to change the mineral additions for a recipe to which you have added a water profile, that change must be made to the water profile using the water profile tool and then that water added as a new ingredient.  You should first delete the former water profile in the recipe so as not to create confusion.