Inconsistent Acid Malt

I recently had a discussion with a pro-brewer that reported inconsistent acidity of his acid malt supply. That was the third report of inconsistent acid malt from brewers and this brewer was using the same malt from a very reputable maltster.

This result is similar to a report from a brewing supply salesman that reported that he had seen acid malt strength vary by a factor of 2. I don't know if that refers to strength between differing maltsters or differing batches, but the evidence suggests that all acid malt users should be aware of their source and its batch. Switching maltsters or batches could throw your mash pH results off.

While using a program like Bru'n Water helps get your mash pH in the proper range, its still worthwhile to monitor your room-temperature wort pH at the end of the mash to assess performance and make minor adjustments. The latest version of Bru'n Water includes an Acid Malt strength adjustment feature.

Enjoy!