Home of the BrewNosers

I picked up an electronic pH meter off amazon the other day and tested my tap water. Straight out of the tap at around 15 degrees, my water has a pH of 8.8. I'm thinking that could be why my efficiencies are so low - mash pH is too high. Is there a way of determining how much gypsum or epsom salt to add to the strike water before mashing, or do you just add some, take note of the mash pH and adjust accordingly for the next batch?

Also, what exactly does a high mash pH do to the starches? My last beer had a grain bill of 17lbs. Beersmith told me I should get an OG of around 077, but even after passing an iodine test I only managed to get an 046. Does a high pH convert starches to unfermentables so that it'll pass an iodine test but still come up short on OG, or is there something else going on?

Whenever I use ph stabilizer from five star I get better efficiency

Also I find that longer mashes and stirring well to ensure u have no dough balls is key. Also good crush as well.

I use the attached spreadsheet to calculate my water adjustments. It takes the grain into account since your pH will change depending on your grain bill.

A tap water pH of 8.8 sounds far too high to me - the meter may be out of calibration even though you just got it.. They are quite finicky and need to be stored wet

A tap water pH of 8.8 sounds far too high to me

I agree. This seems high. Also, depending on the composition of the elements in your water, it may have low buffering capacity and therefore when grains are added the pH drops like a rock to within the proper mashing range. Check your pH during the mash - pay particular attention to the fact that your mash liquor will be hot and your meter may or may not be temperature compensated, or if it does have an ATC probe built in, may not be able to compensate at that high a temperature (check the operating temperature range). I use pH meters daily and I hate them - they are so finicky and require a lot of attention to keep them repeatable and reasonably accurate.

My 2¢, now worth 0¢ with the penny disappearing! Does that mean I have to say 5¢?

Does anyone use those strips for aquariums water?

LiverDance wrote:Does anyone use those strips for aquariums water?

I was actually planning on picking some of those up today - NG sells them $5.99 for a range from 4.6-6.2

It's possible it's out of calibration; I never touched calibration after I received it. I got a reading of 7.3ish with it when testing water here in Burnside, I figured that was around what it should be.

I haven't used it when making a beer yet, I just got it. That was the reason for my question; Can I determine the approximate mash pH before I use it for the first time, or do I trial and error it for the next few batches. Thanks Jimmy, that spreadsheet should help a lot.

Another question, if I notice pH creeping up on me during the mashing, can I add more gypsum directly to the mash itself, or does all chemistry have to be performed to the strike water prior to mashing?

When I use gypsum I add it to the mash, not the heating strike water. The pH of the strike water makes it hard to dissolve many of the brewing salts and you can miss out on the total addition if it settles or precipitates anything else out to the bottom of the strike water heating vessel. Likewise, if I'm adjusting my mash to bring the pH down I use lactic acid in the actual mash, not the strike water, although I rarely have to do this as our water is super soft in Halifax. Using the spreadsheet calculators like mentioned earlier to get your residual alkalinity will be a good way to get a starting point, then make small adjustments as needed once you've added the strike water and mixed it thoroughly.

This is a good read on mash pH http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter15-3.html

HopGrower wrote:It's possible it's out of calibration; I never touched calibration after I received it. I got a reading of 7.3ish with it when testing water here in Burnside, I figured that was around what it should be.

I haven't used it when making a beer yet, I just got it. That was the reason for my question; Can I determine the approximate mash pH before I use it for the first time, or do I trial and error it for the next few batches. Thanks Jimmy, that spreadsheet should help a lot.

Another question, if I notice pH creeping up on me during the mashing, can I add more gypsum directly to the mash itself, or does all chemistry have to be performed to the strike water prior to mashing?

Seems as though that thing is dead on accurate, Halifax Water report says 7.3Ph for treated water

http://www.halifax.ca/hrwc/documents/Po ... 112012.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think the next step is to determine your water composition. If it's fairly soft, that high pH isn't much of an issue as John mentioned. Need more info on the pH creep.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just found this water calculator..seems decent

Jimmy wrote:

LiverDance wrote:Does anyone use those strips for aquariums water?

I was actually planning on picking some of those up today - NG sells them $5.99 for a range from 4.6-6.2

I have some of these and find them useful. They are not known for their accuracy by any means but it will give you a ballpark idea. Most people who are serious about pH will tell you not to bother, just to get a meter.

For the OP, you should get some standards and calibrate your meter regularly. You want to encompass your test range (pH 5-ish) so make sure you get pH 4 and pH 7 standards. You would be surprised how fast they can go out of spec.