mash ph

[Mark1964]

Got a litmus testing kit what is the ideal ph of the mash when maximum sugar has been extracted?

 

[kev]

I think you're mis-understanding the point in measuring ph of a mash.

The test you're thinking about involves iodine.

I may be wrong though.

K

 

[Mark1964]

iodine gives a blue colour when the mash is at its correct ph but what is that ph?

 

[Aleman]

iodine gives a blue colour when the mash is at its correct ph but what is that ph?

No it fcuking doesn't!!!

Iodine (Actually tincture of iodine - iodine dissolved in potassium iodide solution) gives a blue / black colour when there is starch present irrespective of pH.

When measuring mash pH you are looking for a pH in the range of 5.3 to 5.7 when taken 10 minutes after the start of the mash.

Litmus paper covers the scale from 0 to 14 and is completely and utterly useless for this test!

 

[Mark1964]

who said i was usung litmus papers?

 

[adomant]

The iodine is supposed to go a yellowish colour to show saccharification isn't it?
Don't get it in the mash!

 

[snail59]

who said i was usung litmus papers?

I hope your not useing a Soil PH test kit. For brewing purposes I think there even less accurate than Litnus Papers.

 

[dennisking]

The iodine test is to see if the mash has fully converted the starch to sugar, as Aleman says any blue/black shows some starch still present. Should all be a yellowish colour.

 

[Mark1964]

you all have me confused now the ph level should be between 5 and 8 on this testing kit that should be a blue to a black colour

 

[snail59]

you all have me confused now the ph level should be between 5 and 8 on this testing kit that should be a blue to a black colour

No the Ph should be between 5.3-5.7 thats a range of 0.4 not a whole 3 points. What test kit/system exactly are you useing??.

 

[kev]

who said i was usung litmus papers?

You did in the first post?

K

 

[snail59]

who said i was usung litmus papers?

You did in the first post?

K

Unless he edited it he didn't. He said he has a LITMUS TESTING KIT.

 

[Mark1964]

if you read the first post properly you would know its a kit. No editing needed all sorted now

 

[Aleman]

who said i was usung litmus papers?

You did in the first post?

Unless he edited it he didn't. He said he has a LITMUS TESTING KIT.

Irrelevant as to whether it is a litmus kit or litmus papers, it is still inaccurate for brewing purposes

Litmus is a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from lichens, especially Roccella tinctoria. It is often absorbed onto filter paper to produce one of the oldest forms of pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity. Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions and red litmus paper turns blue under basic (i.e. alkaline) conditions, with the color change occurring over the pH range 4.5-8.3 at 25 °C. Neutral litmus paper is purple. Litmus can also be prepared as an aqueous solution that functions similarly. Under acidic conditions the solution is red, and under basic conditions the solution is blue.

All it can tell you is, is it acid? Or is it alkaline? . . . Or if it's purple it is neutral . . . and of course the colour change occurs outside the range that we are interested in.

Narrow range indicators are available which actually have the colour change in the region that we are interested in, Brewferm produce the better ones.