PH Readings

[LittleBroBrews]

Who takes a PH reading of their water and at what points do you test the PH?

What PH should you aim for when brewing a beer?

 

[WoodlandBrew]

I measure mash pH once it has reached mash temperature. I add lactic acid to adjust at that point if necessary. My target is a hot mash pH of 5.2 although you may see recommendations for cooling before measuring pH. The pH will change when cooled and traditionally the room temperature pH is used as a bench mark for brewing.

see here for details:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/10/mash-ph.html

 

[brewmeister13]

I've just started and I take a reading about 10 minutes after dough-in, first runnings, keep measuring toward the end of sparge, preboil and post boil. I do most of them just for recording purposes. If I remember right most of the time a pH of 5.2-5.5 at the beginning of the mash is a good target.

Here is a good link on using a pH meter:https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/ph-meter-calibration-302256/

 

[duboman]

Ideally about 10 minutes after dough in when things stabilize and a good pH is about 5.2-5.4.

 

[mchrispen]

I also take readings through out the mash process. Generally at dough in, once temperatures have stabilized and after any salt additions and at each of the temperature steps I sometimes use... I use the Bru'n Water Spreadsheet before hand to see if something might have drifted too far. I try to target mash pH between 5.2 and 5.6 depending on the style.

I also check pH if I notice that conversion has not occurred after 25-30 minutes as a troubleshooting step after an iodine test.

I have not been checking boil pH yet...

 

[RM-MN]

If you have a really fine crush/grind on your grain you need to take your pH reading within a minute or 2 of dough in because your conversion will be already occurring and during conversion is when the pH is important. If you wait 10 minutes the majority of the conversion may already be over.