What are you drinking right now?

[Craigerrr]

Good question @Donoroto. This is only my second brew using brewing salts, and I just made additions until the calculator indicated that I was in an acceptable range for a balanced profile, using reverse osmosis water.
I have been in the habit of adding 2-4% acid malt to most brews to get the mash pH in an acceptable range according to the recipe editor.

The baking soda and the acidulated will cancel each other out as far as pH goes.
I have only ever needed baking soda with real dark roasty brews when the pH needed to be raised due to the acidic nature of those grains.
I would suggest that you should never need baking soda except to raise mash pH.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Curious, what temp did you ferment at? The first time I used this yeast I started in the lower 70's and raised to the lower 80's. It was very spicy, kind of a hot alcohol thing. This time I kept the temps between 67-72. The pepper spice is still there, but everything else seems much more subtle allowing the lemon and hops flavors to blend much better.

I fermented at 68F until the last 2 days (once the gravity didn't change), I bumped it up to 70F.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Irish red. The keg keeps giving!

 

[Herm brews]

A bottle of Herm’s Amber Ale, next to a newly brewed batch from today.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Looks great @Herm_brews

 

[Herm brews]

The baking soda and the acidulated will cancel each other out as far as pH goes.
I have only ever needed baking soda with real dark roasty brews when the pH needed to be raised due to the acidic nature of those grains.
I would suggest that you should never need baking soda except to raise mash pH.

I have used the same recipe 4 times now, but this is the first to have salt additions. I started working on the salt additions after I already had the grains, all milled at lhbs. What drove me to add baking soda was seeing in the calculator that I needed bicarbonate ions to bring everything into range for a balanced profile. Maybe the 4.2% of the grain bill that is acidulated malt should be knocked down a bit, like to 2%.
In any case, the beer is good!

 

[Head First]

Tapped the BUSTIN OUT STOUT brewed new years wknd. Not as dry as last time with new system. Not a see through beer.

 

[Craigerrr]

I have used the same recipe 4 times now, but this is the first to have salt additions. I started working on the salt additions after I already had the grains, all milled at lhbs. What drove me to add baking soda was seeing in the calculator that I needed bicarbonate ions to bring everything into range for a balanced profile. Maybe the 4.2% of the grain bill that is acidulated malt should be knocked down a bit, like to 2%.
In any case, the beer is good!

I would take the baking soda out, then reduce the acidulated malt until I had the pH I wanted. You can always add back some basemalt to keep your OG where you want it.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Last of the Irish red.

 

[Head First]

Vienna/ Cascade smash is carbonated. Best cheap beer I ever had. A few oz. of cascade and free grain, works for me. Actually may brew this again as tasty as it is.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Wow that’s nice. I’m doing a Vienna and Hallertau a few brews down the road.

 

[thunderwagn]

Whiskey, Nautical Star, and Walter White.

 

[Sunfire96]

HB Lot 48 pale ale

 

[Ward Chillington]

Whiskey, Nautical Star, and Walter White.]

Yeah! Science Bitch!

 

[Craigerrr]

Whiskey, Nautical Star, and Walter White.
View attachment 13897

I am the one who brews!

 

[Herm brews]

HB Lot 48 pale aleView attachment 13898

That looks nice!

 

[Josh Hughes]

Sam Adams Boston lager

 

[GFHomebrew]

Vienna/ Cascade smash is carbonated. Best cheap beer I ever had. A few oz. of cascade and free grain, works for me. Actually may brew this again as tasty as it is.
View attachment 13896

Dam that looks tasty

 

[Josh Hughes]

Sam 76 for the refill

 

[Sunfire96]

Last of the Lot 48 pale ale. It was a great recipe for expanding my repertoire: cluster and Cascade throughout the boil, dry hopped with Chinook and Columbus, and my first batch with a 2:1 sulfate:chloride ratio.