Acidulated Malt

Natural pH Control • Subtle Tart Brightness • German Brewing Tradition

Acidulated Malt is a German base malt coated with natural lactic acid, prized as the traditional Reinheitsgebot-friendly way to lower mash pH. Developed for brewers who couldn't add acid directly, it remains one of the easiest tools for dialing in mash chemistry — and for lending a clean, subtle tartness to the right styles.

With 27 PPG of extract and a pale 3 °Lovibond color, Acidulated Malt slots into any grain bill without affecting color, working quietly in the background to sharpen efficiency, clarity, and flavor.

Flavor & Aroma Profile

• Clean, gentle lactic tartness
• Brightens overall flavor impression
• Neutral pale malt base underneath
• Crisper, snappier finish
• No flavor impact at low pH-adjustment rates

At pH-adjustment levels, Acidulated Malt is flavor-neutral — it simply nudges the mash into the ideal range. Push the percentage higher and a soft, refreshing tartness emerges, which is exactly the point in kettle-sour-style and traditional German wheat beers.

Brewing Applications

Acidulated Malt is a staple ingredient across many styles, including:

• Pilsner
• Helles
• Berliner Weisse
• Gose
• Hefeweizen
• Pale Lager
• Hazy IPA (water adjustment)

It is especially valuable for brewers with alkaline water or very pale grain bills, where mash pH tends to run high.

Usage Recommendations

For pH adjustment, use Acidulated Malt at 1–5% of the total grain bill — as a rule of thumb, each 1% lowers mash pH by roughly 0.1. For deliberately tart styles like Berliner weisse and gose, rates up to 10% contribute a clean, bright lactic edge.

Measure your mash pH before scaling up: the right amount depends on your water chemistry, and small adjustments go further than you'd expect.

Specifications

• PPG (Points Per Pound Per Gallon): 27
• Color: 3 °Lovibond
• Flavor Notes: Tart, clean lactic, lowers mash pH
• Usage Rate: 1–5% for pH adjustment, up to 10% for tart styles
• Beer Styles: Pilsners, helles, Berliner weisse, gose, wheat beers

Whether you're fine-tuning the mash for a world-class pilsner or building gentle tartness into a gose, Acidulated Malt provides precise, natural pH control the traditional German way.