Testing the PH level

[beechwood]

Hi, I was wondering if its really necessary to test the PH level of your beer? I did a few AG brews last year and I never checked the PH level (mainly because I wasn't sure how) they turned out fine. I do use bottled water which is obviously better than tap water, I'm guessing its something you would need to do more so if you were using tap water.

What level should it be? About 7? :wha:

 

[MyQul]

Depends how 'into' brewing your are. I don't think it's necessary if you simply want to make beer. My thoughts on it are fiddling with PH is 'tweak' that you can do if you really want too, similar to adjusting your alkalinity or calcium levels in your water, but isn't that necessary.

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[beechwood]

Ok cheers :thumb:

 

[Dads_Ale]

For some reason I check the PH at the start of the mash and look for about 5.2. I have to add a tsp of citric acid to my mash water to achieve this (tap water Thames Valley). Don't know why I bother now as it is always 5.2...:-D. Think the 5.2 value came from the original Graham Wheeler book.
Apart from that I don't really care as long as the beer turns out OK :-D.

 

[McMullan]

As suggested, it doesn't matter. It's a nice-to-know. I have a pH meter, but I don't use it for brewing anymore. I got bored of noting the same values every time! A mash of malt should have a pH around 5.5, regardless, due to the internal buffering system of barley cells. Calcium ions already in your water or added to your water lower the mash pH to about 5.2, by interacting with phosphates from the barley cells. The optimum mash pH is about 5.3, apparently. This is the optimum reported for enzyme (amylase) activity. The enzymes are sufficiently active for our purpose above and below this optimum.