PH Way Low?

[Mike at Bay]

Hey gang....just checked my 15 min PH. Meter says 2.4! is that possible. Based on water chem calc from the site I added 6g of gypsum and 4 ml of lactic acid. Mash BIAB will finish in 10 mins and I am considering cutting my losses, dumping and starting over. Could this really be that wrong?

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1632223/snpa-clone-3

 

[Mike at Bay]

Hey gang....just checked my 15 min PH. Meter says 2.4! is that possible. Based on water chem calc from the site I added 6g of gypsum and 4 ml of lactic acid. Mash BIAB will finish in 10 mins and I am considering cutting my losses, dumping and starting over. Could this really be that wrong?

I added more than one camped tab....that might be my issue.

 

[Mike at Bay]

I added more than one camped tab....that might be my issue.

so my 2.5 was as 15mins. now at 60 mins I get 5.6. I will keep going.not sure of my issue.

 

[Mike at Bay]

so my 2.5 was as 15mins. now at 60 mins I get 5.6. I will keep going.not sure of my issue.

Maybe too much grain in the 15 min sample

 

[dmtaylor]

When is the last time you calibrated your pH meter, and how did you do it? What type of calibration solutions do you use and how old are they?

 

[Mike at Bay]

Maybe too much grain in the 15 min sample

OK measured 100 times since mash end.....5.9 not perfect but I'll keep going.

 

[Mike at Bay]

When is the last time you calibrated your pH meter, and how did you do it? What type of calibration solutions do you use and how old are they?

calibrated several times today. That seemed to work fine. solutions are Apera and probably two months old. I am getting a very consistent 5.9 now on that 60 min sample after multiple rounds of calibration. I am fairly new at measuring PH.

 

[dmtaylor]

I have no idea what's going on with the wild pH swings, other than either user error or the thing is broken. Those are some pretty wild swings, and end-of-mash pH of 5.9 is high but not completely unheard of I suppose.

 

[Mike at Bay]

I have no idea what's going on with the wild pH swings, other than either user error or the thing is broken. Those are some pretty wild swings, and end-of-mash pH of 5.9 is high but not completely unheard of I suppose.

yeah not sure it was right to do but added 1 ml of lactic to the boil. the 5.9 is fairly consistent with what I saw the last time I brewed this with distilled and additions. this time tap water. pre boil gravity was pretty close on refract and will check with hydrometer when cooled. In the end it will likely be beer. And for the record user error is my speciality.. Thanks for the assist.

 

[Minbari]

How much volume was the mash?
What was the lactic concentration?

Do you store your ph meter in storage solution?

 

[Mike at Bay]

How much volume was the mash?
What was the lactic concentration?

Do you store your ph meter in storage solution?

yes stored in solution....not sure if done properly but seems hard to mess that up.

Volume of mash with grain and water was 9.something gallons. Started with 8.4 gal of water and 11.4 pounds of grain.

How would I know the lactic concentration? The software told me to use 4 mil of lactic acid and 6 g of gypsum with my water sample tested by Ward.

since finishing the brew....color is good, gravity is good, PH of final beer prior to fermentation is no 5.3.

there was a good bit ao grain in my sample and I wonder if that messed it up.

one more question for you all. I have in the past only used one Campden tab for 8 gal of beer. Today I read the Campden bag directions and it said 1 tab per gallon. That freaked me out but I did add two for a total of three tabs........mistake?

 

[Minbari]

yes stored in solution....not sure if done properly but seems hard to mess that up.

Volume of mash with grain and water was 9.something gallons. Started with 8.4 gal of water and 11.4 pounds of grain.

How would I know the lactic concentration? The software told me to use 4 mil of lactic acid and 6 g of gypsum with my water sample tested by Ward.

since finishing the brew....color is good, gravity is good, PH of final beer prior to fermentation is no 5.3.

there was a good bit ao grain in my sample and I wonder if that messed it up.

one more question for you all. I have in the past only used one Campden tab for 8 gal of beer. Today I read the Campden bag directions and it said 1 tab per gallon. That freaked me out but I did add two for a total of three tabs........mistake?

They made "ph meter storage solution". designed to keep the bulb wet, but also in a ph that keeps it happy.

Ok, 11 gallons for that much acid is prolly not why it would have read so low, unless you somehow poked it right where you poured it, lol

The lactic acid container should say what concentration it is, most I have seen for beer making are 88%, but you can get others.

Camden tabs are just sodium or potassium metabisulfite. I think most people use 1/2 tablet for 5 gallons, but definitely follow the directions on the product, yours might be smaller? Too much won't do anything bad

 

[Mike at Bay]

Just one more point that occurred to me this morning....I added the recipe to the original post.

I used 7oz of aciduated grain, 6 g of gypsum and 4 mil LA 88%. The sample I pulled off the top had a good amount of grain in it which could have messed with the reading.

I felt smarter when I wasn't measuring PH. LOL!

 

[Minbari]

since your other readings were pretty stable , i would call the low one an anomaly.

 

[rdharles]

Grain in your sample makes no difference, totally normal to have grain in your sample. Your recipe link doesn't work for me, what style beer did you make? That will make a difference at to how much if any 88% lactic acid should be added. Also, I've never used acidulated grain so I don't know what that'll to other than reduce your pH to some unknown degree.

 

[Minbari]

Grain in your sample makes no difference, totally normal to have grain in your sample. Your recipe link doesn't work for me, what style beer did you make? That will make a difference at to how much if any 88% lactic acid should be added. Also, I've never used acidulated grain so I don't know what that'll to other than reduce your pH to some unknown degree.

That is all it does. Under German purity law, can't use acid

 

[Mike at Bay]

Grain in your sample makes no difference, totally normal to have grain in your sample. Your recipe link doesn't work for me, what style beer did you make? That will make a difference at to how much if any 88% lactic acid should be added. Also, I've never used acidulated grain so I don't know what that'll to other than reduce your pH to some unknown degree.

Sorry. It was a Pale Ale. Sierra Nevada clone. I used the BF recipe builder and water chem to manage PH to 5.5 and it takes into account the acidulated grain.

 

[Mike at Bay]

That is all it does. Under German purity law, can't use acid

Seems to be a pretty common practice for home brew. Is there a better method to manage PH. I could easily eliminate the acidulated grain and my be increase something else (Gypsum) to manage PH

 

[Minbari]

I use a calculator called "ezwater". Allows you to put in your grain and then pay with brew salts and see what ph does as well as keeping the malty vs bitter ratio where you want it.

If course, acid will bring ph down as well. I use 80% phosphoric. (Be careful, it will burn and blind you if spilled)

 

[rdharles]

I use a calculator called "ezwater". Allows you to put in your grain and then pay with brew salts and see what ph does as well as keeping the malty vs bitter ratio where you want it.

If course, acid will bring ph down as well. I use 80% phosphoric. (Be careful, it will burn and blind you if spilled)

I use ezwater too. Love it. I make a ton of Hazy IPAs and rarely use my 88% lactic acid anymore. I used to put .5-1ml of 88% lactic acid in, but since I started using Ascorbic Acid (2 grams per 5 gallons) it's enough to bring my pH down where it's supposed to be. By the way, 2g of ascorbic acid = about 1ml of 88% lactic acid. My darker beers (stouts, porters) don't require a pH drop (a raise if anything).