worldzfree

Recipes 

After having a couple of AG sessions under my belt I am starting to add some more testing. Is the iodine test the only way to determine that conversion is complete or can a PH meter or refractometer be used?

MalFet

Recipes 

Neither a pH meter nor a refractometer will indicate your degree of conversion reliably.

Bensiff

Recipes 

I don't know of another method readily available to a homebrewer. Oh yeah, welcome to the forum, its nice to see another local.

BigEd

Recipes 

Honestly an iodine test is one of those steps you can eliminate without much worry. Adding well-crushed modern brewing malt to hot water, let it be for 60 minutes and it's going to convert without a problem. You are much more likely to get a false negative iodine test reading than run into starch conversion problems.

pkeeler

Recipes 

If you trust those calculators that predict first running SG, then why not test for conversion with a refractometer? If the predicted sugar is in solution, why not assume conversion is done. Or at least, done enough ;-)

waldoar15

Recipes 

Unless you're using adjuncts. And even then, do a 90 minute mash and you should be GTG.

coypoo

Recipes 

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Efficiency#Measuring_conversion_efficiency


Measure the first wort gravity. If you've converted properly you will have the same gravity as is the chart.


On normal beers (5-7% alcohol) I only do 45 minute mashes and have never had a problem