MASH ph

[Justin Dean]

What do you use to measure your mash ph? I.e. once you have stirred grain in.

 

[An Ankoù]

Me. Nothing..
If it's dark the mash pH will take care of itself. If it's light then a bit of Acid Malt or dilute phosphoric acid.
Most of all, it depends on your water profile. -HCO3 can be troublesome.
You sort of learn to live with your water, since you're stuck with it. Adjusting for different styles is a matter of experience. When I lived in Poole, I used rainwater to make Pilsners. Here I have to add salts to get a decent bitter.

 

[Oneflewover]

I don't bother either. I'm getting good, reliable, efficiency these days after sorting my processes out so I take the view that it must be ok!

 

[Justin Dean]

Sure I am the same but am curious on checking from time to time. The ph will vary from beer to beer depending on the grain bill. It is a simple way of a quality improvement.

 

[Hoddy]

Ph meter. Draw off some wort mid mash and test. If your single infusion in a cooler etc then you can’t really do anything about it. But you will know to add more acid for next time. Like say, knowing helps for next time.

 

[Clint]

I use those pH strips...I'm not that into the clever side of things doing only very basic water treatment as per StrangeSteve's thread on water...things seem to be ok. My efficiency was consistently in the mid to high 60's but has improved since I got rid of the bazooka filter in the tun and made a manifold.

 

[strange-steve]

I have two pH meters, one cost a fiver from ebay and the other was about £50 and they are remarkably close every time I compare them.

This is the one I have: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/191409438200

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I have two pH meters, one cost a fiver from ebay and the other was about £50 and they are remarkably close every time I compare them.

This is the one I have: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/191409438200

Remarkably close is close enough for me. I've just ordered one.

 

[Justin Dean]

I have two pH meters, one cost a fiver from ebay and the other was about £50 and they are remarkably close every time I compare them.

This is the one I have: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/191409438200

Yes I have one of these but I do not like it. does not last long and now it is dead.

 

[samale]

I just ordered one out of interest just to see what I get. I don't make much water adjustment. I add some acid malt for pales and IPA

 

[strange-steve]

Yes I have one of these but I do not like it. does not last long and now it is dead.

I haven't found that, mine has been going fine for many years. You're not putting it into the hot wort are you?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I haven't found that, mine has been going fine for many years. You're not putting it into the hot wort are you?

So glad you you said that. That's what I would have done!! At the risk of sounding even more stupid, can you share how you do it please?

 

[cheeseyfeet]

Here’s a can of worms ...

How do you take your reading? Draw a sample and cool it to 20c or just test at mash temp?

I’ve tried both using a fairly expensive meter and always had readings that look far too low.

By the time a sample has cooled I’m thinking it’s too late to correct the mash anyway?

To be honest my beer hasn’t improved since acidifying the mash so I didn’t bother for the last brew!

 

[Argentum]

pH readings taken at mash temperature (~65-70 degrees C.) will be about 0.3 pH points (0.25 to 0.35 points difference depending upon whom you believe) lower than if you cool the sample down to ~20 degrees C. If you are targeting 5.6 pH at room temperature, and you see ~5.3 pH at mash temperature (or visa-versa) you are there. Then it is wise to measure and acid adjust (if/as needed) a second time just prior to boiling in order to be at ~5.1-5.2 pH at that juncture, with this latter reading/adjustment/reading regimen being done at ~ 20 degrees C. You want post boil and cooling pH to be 5.0 to 5.2 leading into fermentation.

 

[strange-steve]

@Markk About 10-15 mins after dough-in take a small sample of the wort in a glass or something, chill it quickly (I put it into the freezer) and test it at about 20-25°c.

Putting the meter straight into hot wort will shorten the life of the probe and give you a false reading (technically the reading is correct as pH drops as temperature increases but the commonly suggested mash range is as measured at room temperature).

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

@Markk About 10-15 mins after dough-in take a small sample of the wort in a glass or something, chill it quickly (I put it into the freezer) and test it at about 20-25°c.

Putting the meter straight into hot wort will shorten the life of the probe and give you a false reading (technically the reading is correct as pH drops as temperature increases but the commonly suggested mash range is as measured at room temperature).

Gotcha, thanks

 

[strange-steve]

Here’s a can of worms ...

How do you take your reading? Draw a sample and cool it to 20c or just test at mash temp?

I’ve tried both using a fairly expensive meter and always had readings that look far too low.

By the time a sample has cooled I’m thinking it’s too late to correct the mash anyway?

To be honest my beer hasn’t improved since acidifying the mash so I didn’t bother for the last brew!

It's very possible you don't need to acidify your water depending on the alkalinity, calcium, grist etc. The fact that your pH readings looked too low suggests that you're over-acidifying.

 

[Jakeyboi]

Why is the p.h of the mash important?

 

[strange-steve]

Why is the p.h of the mash important?

There are many benefits to a correct mash pH, here are some of them from Braukaiser:

The enzymatic activity in the mash is increased as all important enzymes get activated. (except for alpha amylase which starts to suffer at a pH below 5.6)

More zinc, an essential yeast nutrient, goes into solution

The extract yield (efficiency) is improved

The protein coagulation and precipitation is improved (improved break formation)

The redox potential is improved which results in a lower susceptibility to oxygen.

The run-off speed is improved

The color increase during the wort boil is reduced

Better trub precipitation and faster pH drop lead to faster fermentation and greater attenuation of the beer.

Lover viscosity improves filterability

The taste of the beer is more rounded, fuller and softer. The beer is crisper, more fresh and shows more character.

The hop bitterness is more pleasant and doesn't linger

The foam is more stable and denser
The color of the beer is lighter

Mash oxidation is reduced since the main culprit, the lipoxigenase enzyme, doesn't work well at low mash pH conditions

Haze stability is improved

Beer digestion is stimulated. This is a positive effect of the lactic acid

Susceptibility to microbial spoilage is reduced through

Lower beer pH: beer spoilage organism don't grow below a pH of 4.4

Higher attenuation