Milk stout...can it be saved?

[Turfgrass]

There was an error with my brew software that brought the mash ph into the high 3’s. I continued on as planned, but I’m not sure what to expect in the final product. If the sample at FG taste is off, could I rack on top of something else in secondary as a flavor enhancer or keg on top another additive? I do have a peanut butter extract, but wonder what others may have done with coconut or something else. If there is any possibility of saving. Thank you.

The OG in the fermenter was 1.055 and 2.5 days later 1.031 according to the Tilt hydrometer. Using us-05 yeast.

 

[kh54s10]

I have yet to take a pH reading. I have no idea where the pH in any of my beers have been. 105 batches now. Only 2 have been bad and those were extreme recipes, more than likely having nothing to do with pH.

I would guess that unless you had a strange recipe that the beer will be good. I would leave it alone unless you know it will not be good.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

D

There was an error with my brew software that brought the mash ph into the high 3’s. I continued on as planned, but I’m not sure what to expect in the final product. If the sample at FG taste is off, could I rack on top of something else in secondary as a flavor enhancer or keg on top another additive? I do have a peanut butter extract, but wonder what others may have done with coconut or something else. If there is any possibility of saving. Thank you.

The OG in the fermenter was 1.055 and 2.5 days later 1.031 according to the Tilt hydrometer. Using us-05 yeast.

Do you mind if I ask whether the pH error was within the software itself, or rather in the end user application of the software? Any pH driven into the 3's (even if the high 3's) seems highly unlikely for mash pH assistant software. Unless you were attempting a sour perhaps.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Clarification...did you take a pH reading that said your mash was in the high 3's, or did some software calculate that? Did you add acid to your mash? (which I would have to think is about the only way to get your pH that low)

BTW, I am an "expert" in mash pH now, so feel free to ask me anything. Well...where expert means I am confused by the reading I have done, software seems to say my mash pH is fairly low, and the pH meter I ordered from Amazon arrived a few days ago and I have yet to use it.

 

[Turfgrass]

Clarification...did you take a pH reading that said your mash was in the high 3's, or did some software calculate that? Did you add acid to your mash? (which I would have to think is about the only way to get your pH that low)

BTW, I am an "expert" in mash pH now, so feel free to ask me anything. Well...where expert means I am confused by the reading I have done, software seems to say my mash pH is fairly low, and the pH meter I ordered from Amazon arrived a few days ago and I have yet to use it.

I use BS3 for all my recipe designs and this was to be my first stout of any kind. The salt additions to build on my tap water was the first step and then an acid addition to bring the ph down a bit. Targeting 5.4. The calculations were all correct. It wasn’t u til I tested the mash water and saw that it was real low. Post brew I checked on the BF software and it confirmed the low ph before any salt additions were made. Other brewers have mentioned that there is an issue with the ph part of the BS program.

 

[Turfgrass]

Oh, now I think the ferment has stalled. Sluggish around 1.030.

 

[TGFV]

What was your grain bill? And did you already add lactose during the boil?

Both of those can effect the tested gravity and FG, making it higher.

Also it could just be sluggish. My Dark Mild I just made went down 75% in the first 3 days, but took a full week after that to finally finish up at the FG.

 

[Turfgrass]

What was your grain bill? And did you already add lactose during the boil?

Both of those can effect the tested gravity and FG, making it higher.

Also it could just be sluggish. My Dark Mild I just made went down 75% in the first 3 days, but took a full week after that to finally finish up at the FG.

Maris otter
Carafa 3
Pale chocolate
Lactose near the end of the boil

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Other brewers have mentioned that there is an issue with the ph part of the BS program.

Since pH is a base 10 logarithmic scale, a pH of 4 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 5. That's a lot of acid overshoot. Can BS3 be off to this degree?