Post-Fermentation pH Adjustment
While Bru’n Water is a tool for managing mashing pH and mineral adjustments, there are times when post-fermentation or post-mashing pH adjustment should be performed. Better beer can be the result.
Wort or beer pH can be off through either targeting or miss-adjustment. For example, DMS removal is enhanced when wort pH is around 5.4. But that higher starting wort pH may make it harder for yeast to bring beer pH low enough.
Mashing at one pH and adjusting the pH at a later stage is OK. A common German brewing practice is to mash and boil at around 5.4 and adjust the post-boil pH down to around 5.2 with saurergut (sour wort) to help the yeast with beer acidification to produce crisper flavor presentation.
If you have a beer with flavor or perception that is a little dull or flabby, dosing the beer with an acid can make a significant difference. While a universal acid dose can’t be prescribed, you can conduct taste tests in a glass of the beer to find a dose that pleases you without being too acidic. A dropper or pipette is recommended to enable you to measure your dose. Use a glass large enough so that a single drop of your acid won’t instantly put the beer over the limit. Give the beer a good stir and taste. Once you’ve found a pleasing dose, scale that up and add to the kegged beer.
Similar taste testing can be performed when dealing with a dark and roasty beer that has an overly sharp or harsh bite to it. It may be possible to take the edge off that beer by raising its pH with either lime or baking soda. Again, measure out a small amount of either mineral (say 0.1 gram in a pint of beer) and stir it in and taste the beer. If the taste improves, try similar doses to see if it further improves the beer. Scale it up and dose your kegged beer if you find a pleasing dose.
Note that these recommendations don’t require the use of a pH meter, but measuring beer pH before and after adjustment is a good idea. There is no guarantee that pH adjustment will correct a disappointing beer, but consider this a tool for tuning your beers to your preference!
