pH meter usage questions

[brechbräu]

As I continue to refine my brewing acumen, one thing I think I should be paying more attention to is mash pH and water chemistry. I was reading through some threads on pH meters and looking some up, but I’m still a little unsure of application and usage because of temperature, calibration, etc. Can someone walk me through how you use your pH meter on brew day, including calibrating/setting up, using it with your brew water/mash (do you cool the mash sample down?), when in the process you use it, what you do with the data, etc.?

Thank you for your time!

 

[day_trippr]

I'm a retired engineer, for context

• First I check the pH of the raw RO water I use for brewing just to make sure I didn't blow the membrane when the rig was being filled
• Next, after adding the prescribed salts and minerals and phosphoric acid to the sparge liquor in my HLT, I give that a check to make sure the pH is around 5.0.
• From there, I check mash pH at 20 minutes, 40 minutes, and end of mash, to confirm the room temperature pH is around 5.4.
• Next, at the end of fly sparge, I check the last runnings from the MLT, to confirm the pH stays below 5.6.
• I then check the pre-boil pH to verify it's around 5.3.
• Last, I check the post-boil pH to verify it's around 5.2.

All those data are recorded in the BeerSmith3 file for that brew day...

Cheers!

 

[micraftbeer]

I do just a subset of what @day_trippr does. I collect wort from the mash, at some point at least 20 minutes in. I have a small stainless saucer that the sample sits in at room temperature for maybe about 30-40 minutes until it cools down to the 20-25C range (per the directions of my meter), then I pour it into a small glass that I can set the probe in it and get my measurement.

 

[tracer bullet]

I do just a subset of what @day_trippr does. I collect wort from the mash, at some point at least 20 minutes in. I have a small stainless saucer that the sample sits in at room temperature for maybe about 30-40 minutes until it cools down to the 20-25C range (per the directions of my meter), then I pour it into a small glass that I can set the probe in it and get my measurement.

Very similar for me. Grab a sample of the wort towards the end of mashing (an hour or so in, when I'm back to wrap up mashing and work on starting a boil). Use a shot glass and let it sit a minute, then pour it into another shot glass that lives in the cold beer frig. Let it sit while I get the boil started, my first hops in, and so on. Then I measure gravity and pH with the settled, room temperature wort. I've found that settling it gets a more accurate gravity reading.

I've got my processes and recipes pretty well down, and so I'm still taking this information to tweak for next time. I used to do it early in the mash and stress over it, but after years and years of never being very far off I just do it at the end now. Lets me tweak for next time if needed.