Bad Water Buffer 5.2 and PH Testing

[wrplace]

I've used 5.2 with RO water and my pH meter to check it. I only add 1/2 the recommended amount to the mash and it holds it at 5.2 with light to amber beers. I forgot to check pH when I brewed a stout, but the beer tastes very smooth. I don't add much in the way of other minerals for my yeast. ROP takes my water from 471 TDS to ~47 TDS, so there is some minerals left in the water. I did find that I needed to add a little Zn to my wort to complete fermentation to the expect terminal gravity.

[mesabrewer]

I use 5.2 ph because my water has a very high ph it works great for me but if you are useing ro water you have to add minerals but the good thing is you can replicate any beer style. you can buy the water additives ready made for any style.

[Guest]

I tried pH 5.2. I have soft water and have trouble getting the pH right in dark beers. I had no luck with it. I eventually had no luck with it even after adding 3 times as much as recommended. YMMV, Tom

[George]

5.2 works great for me, but I have the high carbonate water that it was specifically designed for. What part of the country are you in? Any idea at all what your water is like? As long as your water isn't really foul-smelling or full of iron, you'll definately have better luck mixing some of your tap water with RO for trace minerals if nothing else. For very light beers, I mix 3 parts RO with 1 part of my hard, carbonate tap water.

[diver]

I've made several batches of beer with and without 5.2 Stabilizer and checked the mash PH with a ATC PH Meter. I have Chicago water and the mash PH is too high when I make a Pale Ale or Pilsner and the mash PH is too low when making Stouts. When using 5.2 Stabilizer it worked great when the PH was too high but with the stouts it didn't do a damn thing, the PH was still low. I've been using baking soda with good results for the stouts.

[Dogger Dan]

If you are using RO, you need to add the Calcium and other ions back to the water through salts and this will pretty much bring the water into spec.

This is not the same as buffering the water to balance the pH

Dogger

[Lufah]

Ok I've been using this stuff for about 6 months now. It's great. Really helped get my ph where I wanted it without me having to do anything(Ya I'm lazy). I've got the same water as George(pretty much) so your mileage may vary.

Travis

[yinzer]

I've heard from a few sources NOT to use 5.2 fot stouts, porters, anything with the extreme roasted malts. It won't work and even creat bad flavors.

I've used it with normal ales with no harm done. I don't have a PH meter so I don't know if it helped.