Hey there Martin...I was watching a video I believe it was from Brew-Dudes where they were talking about pH. They said something that clicked with me. I treat with my lactic during my water treatment and adjust it to around 5.3ish and then set the mash and take a sample of the wort and measure it later after it had cooled. Then depending on what my pH was if I brew that beer again in the future I will adjust my pH up or down more on that future beer if I missed my mark. He pointed out that by the time you take your pH reading and wait for sample to cool the conversion is already or had already happened so treating pH doesn’t have the same affect as having adjusted it prior to mashing in. I’ve been going at it that way for some time now and find that my pH is almost always around 5.25 to 5.3 with an Apera meter as well. And I don’t adjust after. I just make a note and modify in the future. Just my two cents. If that makes sense. Great vids!
Absolutely love Porter, one of my favourite beer styles. Drinking a clone of O'Dells cutthroat porter at the moment which is great. Really like the Guinness export india porter to which I'm pretty sure has cascade in and am always trying to brew something similar. I've got close but never quite hit the nail on the head yet.
Excellent video Martin, my butchered English strong ale from your recipe worked great! The potassium chloride should really help the pH meters life span, potentially worth washing off the buffer solutions and definitely rinse off the wort before storage, over long periods stuff may grow in the solution especially with sugar/wort contamination
Thank you for another great video, Martin! I have a quick question: A while ago you switched from the Brau Supply Unibrau system to the Clawhammer eBIAB system. Do you have a video where you talk about the reason for switching or a comparison of both systems? Both systems look great, but it seems to me that the Clawhammer system could be considered slightly lower build quality than the Unibrau, so I'm curious about your impressions. Of course I understand that this might have been a business decision (sponsorship and all). Thank you!
I want a pH meter, but I want one with a replaceable probe. Considering the one from Kegland - same price, triple point calibration, replaceable probe, two decimals resolution. Someone below was pointing out your probe was good to 122 - that's pretty good considering that you're supposed to test at 68...who's gonna wait for that? I too love a well crafted Porter - yours looked awesome...Cheers!
I just bought one from kegland, they are excellent, they come with PH buffer only thing you need to buy is PH metre storage solution to lengthen it's life, this is the main reason why a lot of PH metres stuff up after a few Month, the tip has to be submerged with the fluid in the cap
You are going to want to pull a sample and cool it for the ph meter to last a long time. The glass is sensitive to temp changes. I just use a metal 1/4 cup and set it on something cool. It will be under 120F quickly.
Awesome. Do you do any temperature adjustment with it when using it in the mash or just take the reading as-is? A few folks have pointed out the auto temp adjust is only accurate to around 120F.
@@TheHomebrewChallenge The ATC on the meter seems to max out at 122°F, so it's probably a little bit off at mash temperature, but the one time I let it cool down first gave the same reading. I always aim for a pH of 5.3 to allow 0.1 error in either direction
I shoot for a room temp pH of 5.5 on dark beers like porter. Pale beers like wheat, kolsch, etc., 5.3. The higher pH makes my dark roasty brews smoother and eliminates the acrid flavors you can sometimes get.
just a question about the recipe, it says it is for 5 gallons, '19 litres' is it the amount in the keg? or is that the amount in the fermenter? my keg is 5 gallon, '19 litres' and if I were to brew this I'd need to adjust my recipe, also I bought the Kegland PH metre, it has replicable tips, they are great and it has a temperature gauge on it which also calibrates the PH because in hotter liquid the PH is different than in cold liquid
ATC doesn't actually compensate for the pH difference in the liquid at higher temperature, only the probe error at a different temperature than it is calibrated for. Btw. the manual for that Kegland pH meter says it should only be used between 0-50 degC, so anyway below mashing temperature, and while the ATC means you can measure the pH accurately in that range the reading will because of the temperature effect on the fluid still not be the same as if you measured at 20 degC. www.brunwater.com/water-knowledge www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/temperature-compensation-for-ph-instruments www.kegland.com.au/media/pdf/Ph%20Meter%20Instructions%202.pdf
@@nordlands8798 yes I always take a sample out of the mash in a plastic cup and sit it in a container of cold water to bring the temp down to around 30c to 40c which only takes a few seconds as it is a small amount, I see so many people sticking it in the mash and I wonder if that might be damaging the probe
@@T_Mo271 The recipe amounts seems right for around 5 gallons in fermenter, considering the lower mash efficiency with no-sparge. Looking at some of his earlier videos with "5 gallon" batches, he has put less than 5 gallons in the fermenter. Anyway recipes should always be adjusted for equipment, if you want a specific amount finished beer.
Personally I don't acidify a Porter or a Stout when I brew. Lower mash pH's tend to bring out the more harsh, astringent type flavours in the beer which can overpower the nice smoother and maltier type tastes from those specialty malts. Check out this video from Grain and Grape in Melbourne on this if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/6U5z2xiLYLo/v-deo.html
pH measurement is one of the most difficult to measure accurately on a consistent basis, The logarithmic scale is also a potential trap or pitfall. A small change in pH implies a large change in concentration of Hydronium ions in solution. For example, you could double the amount of lactic acid that you add and only measure a change in pH from 5.1 to 5.0. If your pH meter cites an accuracy of +/- 0.1 pH units that may appear to be a precise enough measurement, but that 0.2 pH units equates to a large range in concentration. Earthquake strength is also measured on a logarithmic scale (Richter Scale). An earthquake of intensity 7.0 on the Richter scale is ten times stronger than an earthquake of intensity 6.0. I would only use a cheap pH meter if a rough estimate of acidity or alkalinity is required. That is you only want to know if your solution is acidic or basic. If pH levels are important and need to be precise within certain limits you need an expensive pH meter. For this brewing application a pH meter with at least +/- 0.05 pH units is suitable. +/-0.01 even better. A measurement of 5.1 on a cheap pH meter could actually be between 5.0 and 5.2 (or greater). You can’t hide H+ ions from yeast cells
I think the carapils was added for that, but it didn't do its job. Crystal malts can help sometimes. Flaked barley or wheat would work even better. Flaked wheat will add some haxmze, but that's not an issue in a dark beer.
Hay Martin fyi you are pronouncing Willamette wrong this is a native American word and I'm probably going too not hyphen it right but I think you might get it Wil-lam-ette the last te is silent 😉
To ensure a long probe life, cool down a sample to about 20 C.
Awesome video as usual. I was under the impression you had to cool your mash before using the ph meter ??
Nice quick tutorial on ph meters! I appreciate it. The beer looks great too!
Love a porter. Any would love to know your experience with this pH meter as time goes on, keep us posted!
Great stuff as always Martin! Easily one of my favorite styles and I can't wait to get in the brewery and play around with it some more.
Hey Martin! Nice video as always! Are you checking pH in the hot wort? pH on 20C differs from pH on 60C by about 0.1. Maybe you should consider it.
Thanks
Hey there Martin...I was watching a video I believe it was from Brew-Dudes where they were talking about pH. They said something that clicked with me. I treat with my lactic during my water treatment and adjust it to around 5.3ish and then set the mash and take a sample of the wort and measure it later after it had cooled. Then depending on what my pH was if I brew that beer again in the future I will adjust my pH up or down more on that future beer if I missed my mark. He pointed out that by the time you take your pH reading and wait for sample to cool the conversion is already or had already happened so treating pH doesn’t have the same affect as having adjusted it prior to mashing in. I’ve been going at it that way for some time now and find that my pH is almost always around 5.25 to 5.3 with an Apera meter as well. And I don’t adjust after. I just make a note and modify in the future. Just my two cents. If that makes sense. Great vids!
Makes sense. Learn your system and improve upon it for the next brew.
You called carapils a roasted malt. Did you mean carafa?
Absolutely love Porter, one of my favourite beer styles. Drinking a clone of O'Dells cutthroat porter at the moment which is great. Really like the Guinness export india porter to which I'm pretty sure has cascade in and am always trying to brew something similar. I've got close but never quite hit the nail on the head yet.
That reminds me I think I have one of those Guinness Indian porters in the fridge...
Excellent video Martin, my butchered English strong ale from your recipe worked great! The potassium chloride should really help the pH meters life span, potentially worth washing off the buffer solutions and definitely rinse off the wort before storage, over long periods stuff may grow in the solution especially with sugar/wort contamination
Thanks. Glad the English Strong worked out.
Thank you for another great video, Martin! I have a quick question: A while ago you switched from the Brau Supply Unibrau system to the Clawhammer eBIAB system. Do you have a video where you talk about the reason for switching or a comparison of both systems? Both systems look great, but it seems to me that the Clawhammer system could be considered slightly lower build quality than the Unibrau, so I'm curious about your impressions. Of course I understand that this might have been a business decision (sponsorship and all). Thank you!
I want a pH meter, but I want one with a replaceable probe. Considering the one from Kegland - same price, triple point calibration, replaceable probe, two decimals resolution. Someone below was pointing out your probe was good to 122 - that's pretty good considering that you're supposed to test at 68...who's gonna wait for that? I too love a well crafted Porter - yours looked awesome...Cheers!
I just picked this product up. For $36 bucks it’s a no brainer , thanks for the recommendation.
I just bought one from kegland, they are excellent, they come with PH buffer only thing you need to buy is PH metre storage solution to lengthen it's life, this is the main reason why a lot of PH metres stuff up after a few Month, the tip has to be submerged with the fluid in the cap
You are going to want to pull a sample and cool it for the ph meter to last a long time. The glass is sensitive to temp changes. I just use a metal 1/4 cup and set it on something cool. It will be under 120F quickly.
Excellent tip, will try this.
The ph meter will last longer if you cool the sample to room temperature first.
I have the same pH meter and it is great. Stays calibrated for a long time and it was priced low when I got it
Awesome. Do you do any temperature adjustment with it when using it in the mash or just take the reading as-is? A few folks have pointed out the auto temp adjust is only accurate to around 120F.
@@TheHomebrewChallenge The ATC on the meter seems to max out at 122°F, so it's probably a little bit off at mash temperature, but the one time I let it cool down first gave the same reading. I always aim for a pH of 5.3 to allow 0.1 error in either direction
Mmmmmm, might just have to brew something similar. Cheers Martin 🍻
How hard do you have to twist Lauren's arm to sample your beers? :-D
Hey Norm. I think you know the answer 🤣 Post plague it would be great to get your opinion on one.
I shoot for a room temp pH of 5.5 on dark beers like porter. Pale beers like wheat, kolsch, etc., 5.3. The higher pH makes my dark roasty brews smoother and eliminates the acrid flavors you can sometimes get.
Cool tip
thank you :)
I guess we are in same time zone
Could you tell something more about temperature fermentation, refermentation how Long. And pale Malt that's the some pale ale?
just a question about the recipe, it says it is for 5 gallons, '19 litres' is it the amount in the keg? or is that the amount in the fermenter? my keg is 5 gallon, '19 litres' and if I were to brew this I'd need to adjust my recipe, also I bought the Kegland PH metre, it has replicable tips, they are great and it has a temperature gauge on it which also calibrates the PH because in hotter liquid the PH is different than in cold liquid
ATC doesn't actually compensate for the pH difference in the liquid at higher temperature, only the probe error at a different temperature than it is calibrated for. Btw. the manual for that Kegland pH meter says it should only be used between 0-50 degC, so anyway below mashing temperature, and while the ATC means you can measure the pH accurately in that range the reading will because of the temperature effect on the fluid still not be the same as if you measured at 20 degC.
www.brunwater.com/water-knowledge
www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/temperature-compensation-for-ph-instruments
www.kegland.com.au/media/pdf/Ph%20Meter%20Instructions%202.pdf
@@nordlands8798 yes I always take a sample out of the mash in a plastic cup and sit it in a container of cold water to bring the temp down to around 30c to 40c which only takes a few seconds as it is a small amount, I see so many people sticking it in the mash and I wonder if that might be damaging the probe
I think 5 gallons is the amount of finished beer.
@@T_Mo271 The recipe amounts seems right for around 5 gallons in fermenter, considering the lower mash efficiency with no-sparge. Looking at some of his earlier videos with "5 gallon" batches, he has put less than 5 gallons in the fermenter. Anyway recipes should always be adjusted for equipment, if you want a specific amount finished beer.
Personally I don't acidify a Porter or a Stout when I brew. Lower mash pH's tend to bring out the more harsh, astringent type flavours in the beer which can overpower the nice smoother and maltier type tastes from those specialty malts. Check out this video from Grain and Grape in Melbourne on this if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/6U5z2xiLYLo/v-deo.html
Of course each to their own though! You might want those flavours...
I'm guessing the carapils was to aid head retention? I haven't been very impressed with it either.
Yeah. Maybe needed more.
Hi Martin - how has this pH meter held up over time?
Just brewed a Founders Porter clone 🍻
😋
pH measurement is one of the most difficult to measure accurately on a consistent basis,
The logarithmic scale is also a potential trap or pitfall. A small change in pH implies a large change in concentration of Hydronium ions in solution. For example, you could double the amount of lactic acid that you add and only measure a change in pH from 5.1 to 5.0.
If your pH meter cites an accuracy of +/- 0.1 pH units that may appear to be a precise enough measurement, but that 0.2 pH units equates to a large range in concentration.
Earthquake strength is also measured on a logarithmic scale (Richter Scale). An earthquake of intensity 7.0 on the Richter scale is ten times stronger than an earthquake of intensity 6.0.
I would only use a cheap pH meter if a rough estimate of acidity or alkalinity is required. That is you only want to know if your solution is acidic or basic.
If pH levels are important and need to be precise within certain limits you need an expensive pH meter.
For this brewing application a pH meter with at least +/- 0.05 pH units is suitable. +/-0.01 even better.
A measurement of 5.1 on a cheap pH meter could actually be between 5.0 and 5.2 (or greater). You can’t hide H+ ions from yeast cells
What would you do you improve its head retention?
I think the carapils was added for that, but it didn't do its job. Crystal malts can help sometimes. Flaked barley or wheat would work even better. Flaked wheat will add some haxmze, but that's not an issue in a dark beer.
@@Aleph_Null_Audio very cool. Thank you for that response
Flaked barley would be good for sure. Or a bigger dose of Carapils
Hay Martin fyi you are pronouncing Willamette wrong this is a native American word and I'm probably going too not hyphen it right but I think you might get it Wil-lam-ette the last te is silent 😉
I've always said it the same way that Martin did, but according to a Willamette wine region website... "It's Will-AM-it, dammit!"
Add it to my long list of butchered names. Will-AM-it!
i love your videos but your recipes arent available at all