Hello Austin,
This is a topic we have given considerable thought to at our brewery as well. I am working on a 7bbl brewhouse, single infusion mashing. I also do not have rakes, nor do I stir with a paddle to avoid disturbing the grain bed.
We use 88% lactic acid and begin by determining the mash acid we require, then blend with water from our CLT in a 1 gallon pitcher (add acid to water). After the foundation water is in the mash tun, I pour in about half of that gallon of that acid/water mixture into the foundation water. Then, as the dough in continues, I continuously add acid to the area of the grain bed directly beneath the water blending assembly where the crushed grain and strike water is falling into the mash tun. I add the acid/water mixture with a large dropper throughout the dough in process. This approach is largely unique to my system and the fact that it is a highly manual operation. This typically results in a mash pH within 0.05 of the calculated value, or otherwise "good enough for government work" as far as we are concerned.
Another important mention is that I time all of this so that all of the grain is in the mash tun with about 20-30 gallons of additional strike water to spare. Our target liquor to grist ratio is in the 3.5:1 range (fairly thin). The majority of that remaining strike water is added via underletting or directly from the bottom of the mash tun. This is highly individual, and is what I have found that works on my system.
This being said, I have also brewed with a brewery that measures their acid in a flask and dumps all of it into the foundation water and never thinks twice about it. That brewery has mash rakes, FWIW. I do still prefer my approach, as it gives me a little better control in my situation.
Whatever approach you take, do your best to ensure consistency and homogenization to the greatest extent possible, while also ensuring you are forming a uniform and stable grain bed that will filter wort well during lauter.
Hope that helps!
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Travis Kocurek
Brewer/Owner
Hound Song Brewing Co.
Columbus, TX
979-942-7199
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2024 04:29
From: Austin Clem
Subject: Mash Acidification
-Note: I should also add that Calcium Sulfate and calcium chloride are being added about one third of the way into the mash.
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Austin Clem
Castle Danger Brewery
Duluth MN
Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2024 12:46
From: Austin Clem
Subject: Mash Acidification
Im new to this forum, hello all!
I am looking more closely at our process of mash acidification and was curious about what method we should be using to dose our phosphoric acid. Here's some background. I work on a 30bbl brewhouse and typically we do a single infusion mash at a roughly 2.5 l/kg water/grist ratio. Mash in takes about 20 min and then theres a 40 minute rest before its moved to another vessel for vorlauf/lauter.
We treat our incoming brewing liquor with phosphoric acid in the cold liquor tank, though the ph of the incoming water from the city is often quite variable, so post treatment it ranges from 5.6-6.6 ph. To compensate for the variability we will an add additional 200-600ml phosphoric acid at the mash stage to target a mash ph in the 5.2-5.4 range.
My question, is what sort of method seems best for adding this additional acid to the mash process. Should we add it all to the foundation water before mash in? Should we add it at the halfway mark? or should we be staggering the acid addition? There seems to be multiple schools of thought on this among my coworkers. Curious to know your thoughts on this, thanks!
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Austin Clem
Duluth MN
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