Mash pH

[meinbrau]

I've been reading up on mash pH adjustments lately. Maybe I've missed it, or just not as sharp as I'd like, but exaclty when do I do the adjustment? Do I take a reading just before I seal my mash tun and then open it up to dump in my gypsum or whatever I use and stir it in?

 

[malkore]

when i read about altering pH, it seems like its done to the initial mash water as you heat it, since it could be rough to thoroughly mix in the MLT with 10+ pounds of grain.

 

[WBC]

I believe that you can only measure PH when you have a mash to measure from as the grains affect the PH. You then mix gypsum with water and add that to the mash. I use test strips. Be careful to not add too much as you can not take it out.

 

[pjj2ba]

As WBC said, it is a waste of time to adjust the pH of the water before you add the grains. As soon as you add the grain it is going to change the pH (unless your water is pH 5.2-5.6 out of the tap). Go ahead and add the grains, give it a very good stir and then check the pH. If you know ahead of time you want to add some salts to match a water style (like Burton), then yes, go ahead and add that before putting the grains in. But again, don't bother checking the pH until youve added the grains.

 

[malkore]

i'm sorry I thought he was talking about adjusting water to match regional chemistry.

is mash pH really a problem for people? my tap water is kinda hard and alkaline...7.8 is the pH of my water. I've only done one PM and one AG batch, but I nailed the OG on both so it doesn't seem like i have any conversion/efficiency problems.

 

[Got Trub?]

Mash pH is really only a problem for extreme beers or waters. Most potable water will work fine for most beers. As noted above your grain bill affects the mash pH with darker grains lowering it into the appropriate range. If you brew extremely light beers such as a Pilsner you could run into difficulty. This would be reflected by a poor conversion, only then would I get concerned about mash pH and try to fix it.

 

[boo boo]

Mash PH is only for serious brewers. If you are serious about brewing, then you will be careful about your mash PH.
Read about what what you add to your mash to adjust your PH and the effect it will have on your final brew taste. Not much sense in adjusting something if you don't know what you are adjusting or what you will get when you adjust it.