Anything to learn from these ph numbers?

[wildwest450]

Just been doing the water adjustment and ph check for 5 or 6 batches. I was only checking the mash and calling it good. This batch, I checked throughout the process, just wondering if these numbers seemed consistent(i have a cheap ph meter). Am I on the right track?

The meter was calibrated at 68F, all testing was done in the 68f to 68.8f range, checked with a thermapen.

Here's what I started with

Here's my numbers:
Tap water-7.30
mash after salt additions, 15 minutes in- 5.28
mash@ 45min- 5.30
end of sparge- 5.48
boil@ 45min- 5.17

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[ajdelange]

I think what you can learn from these numbers is to be guided by your pH meter (and informed by a spreadsheet if you like). Assuming a pale ale malt with DI mash pH of 6 you could anticipate a mash pH with these salt additions about 0.12 lower than that (5.38). There is not that much specialty malt and they can't be too dark as the projected color is only SRM 11 thus they could hardly be expected to knock of more than a few hundreths to say 5.37 or so. With a meter with inherent accuracy of ± 0.05 and buffers with an uncertainty of ± 0.02 a measurement of 5.28 - 5.30 is certainly consistent with the rough pH estimate given above. Now if you were using Pilsner base malt with its DI pH of 5.75 or so there might be concern.

To sumarize: Water pH doesn't really matter. Useful as a warning that something in the water may have changed. If it runs 7.3 month after month and then comes in at 9.3 one day check your meter and then call the water company.

Mash after additions : 5.28 -- right where you want it to be (some would argue for a little higher)
Mash @ 45 minutes: 5.30 -- should be about the same unless you are using sauermalz in which case expect it to increase over time. If doing decoctions, expect a slight decline after each.
End of sparge: 5.48 > 6 so that's good.
Boil @ 45 min: 5.17 -- you got a reduction from the boil. That's good too.

 

[wildwest450]

Thanks Aj, I was hoping you would chime in here. I just checked the water because I could.

There still is a lot for me to learn, hopefully i'm on the right track.

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