Mash pH

Measure after 15 minutes or so
Measure Sparge PH, adjust as necessary
Measure at start of boil, adjust as necessey
Measure at end of boil, adjust as necessary

Even measure during fermentation if you like to see how it changes.

 

pH is typically measured 15-20 minutes into the mash.

 

I’d reccomed against adding acid before the first measurement unless you are making a very light beer that you KNOW will be high in pH, like a Kölsch or something. And event then, have a light hand. There is just too much variation in grain to dial it in perfectly.

Grain in. Mix. Measure, adjust. It’s easier to drop pH than raise it.

I usually take my first reading about 15 minutes in, from the grant, and will measure at least 3 more times before cooling in. You can never take too many measurements. It’s just more data to work with.

 

Sparge water which has alkalinity at roughly 15 ppm or greater (measured as CaCO3) is acidified (if/as needed) separately (as well as differently in purpose) from strike water (which also may or may not require acidification, as seen below). The objective in acidifying sparge water is to neutralize only sufficient alkalinity such that the sparge water achieves a measured pH of 5.4 to 5.6. If you are using respectable quality RO (TDS of ~20 or preferably less) or distilled (typically exhibiting a TDS of 8 or less) there should be no need to acidify your sparge water regardless of its measured pH, as its buffering capacity (ability to resist change in pH) is nill.

Strike water is acidified or made basic (or left alone) to counter (if/as needed) the grists aggregate post mineralization Mash pH and bring the wort to a room temperature measure of typically 5.3 to 5.5 pH at ~20 minutes into the mash. I prefer to adjust strike water in advance of the mash, as by 20 minutes into the mash ~80% or more of starch conversion has likely already taken place.

 

That's what I've used and my PHs have always been pretty close. Only needed to adjust PH after start of mash once in 30 or so batches using it. And it is very simple to use as well.

 

Actually I've developed my own mash pH adjustment assistant spreadsheet and made it available as a free download. Do a web search for 'Mash Made Easy'.

 

I have used Bru'n water in the past and for me it has consistently predicted a pH higher that I actually achieved. FWIW my preferred water tool is MpH which can be downloaded here:

http://homebrewingphysics.blogspot.com/2016/03/brewing-water-calculator-mph-water.html

I measure my mash pH after I have conducted the entire mash; I measure it just to verify things (the MpH tool works pretty good for me).

I just got done homebrewing a batch of Classic American Pilsner. I add lactic acid to acidify my mash water. MpH predicted I would achieve a mash pH of 5.47 and my measured pH was 5.3. So MpH does predict a mash pH a bit higher than I achieve (and do achieve for other batches) but no by much (a little over 0.1 more).

Cheers!

@utahbeerdude

 

I have software as well. Due to the nature of malt variation, programs that don't use the specs from the malt analysis sheets will be off. I am able to nail my pH's down to the hundredth along with gravity numbers. But, it takes some wizardry...
From today...






A view of my(our) brewing software on the wort production tab.


Downloadable here...
http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/brewing-methods/low-oxygen-brewing-software-version-7-0/

 

That is exactly what I did. I set up an Excel sheet where I collected the data for three batches of beer:

Oatmeal Stout:

· Bru’n Water: 5.8

· MpH: 5.6

· Measured: 5.4

Classic American Pilsner

· Bru’n Water: 5.7

· MpH: 5.5

· Measured: 5.4

Tmavý Ležák (Czech Dark Lager):

· Bru’n Water: 5.5

· MpH: 5.5

· Measured: 5.3

After those three batches I decided to utilize MpH for my brewing.

Cheers!

 

It depends on your input data on the water and grist, how well you measure you salts and acids, when you pull the sample (about 15 min for me).

Bru’nwater predicted 5.30 for my last beer, a pale ale. I measured 5.30.

 

I would select B for Flaked Barley.

The person who developed MpH is Mark Rifle (BA @utahbeerdude). If you have any further questions on using MpH I would encourage you to start a conversation with him. He has been very helpful to me in the past.

Cheers!

 

The distilled-water pH of flaked barley is about 5.5 (and its buffering capacity is comparable to base grains with a similar pH), so I would select "B" and adjust the color to about 9 (even though this isn't the actual color). Cheers!

 

The 'Mash Made Easy' spreadsheet tells you if you need to add baking soda, and (when needed) it tells you how much to add. You do not tell the spreadsheet to add baking soda.

Since chalk additions are generally quite ineffective, there is no chalk option. Most of the time it merely precipitates out, and thereby it does not contribute or do what you are banking upon it to do.

 

On this subject: My last pilsner beer had a 5.65 pH when I measured it 15 minutes into the mash. I added a little acid to get it to 5.45 but I wasn't sure if I needed to. Is 5.65 considered too high or is it within the safe zone?