Good explanation, Randy. Cheap pH meters won’t last because the electrode dries out. If you rinse the meter tip in distilled water before putting the cap on it helps a little. Better meters will come with a storage solution and have replaceable electrodes. Best practices are to calibrate your meter frequently. Also, testing your water is not very helpful. Malted barley will drop your pH, so test your mash and adjust after you dough in. Thanks for the video!
You can also use Pickling Lime or Washing Soda to Raise the Ph. Been using Oyster shells (Chicken Scratch) and Marble Chips from a box store in the gardening dept. They dissolve when the ferment falls below 5.0 and raise Ph back to 5.0. They do not do anything with a Ph higher than 5.0.
My suger mash keep crashing to low PH number ~ 3.1 ish and fermentation stops. Just a simple clear spirt mash with a ration of 2lb suger/1gal water, redstar dady and yeast nutrient. pH starting at 6.5. Do you know why it crashes and stops fermeting. I add a few table spoons of baking soda to push it back up to 5.2 and it rocks again. Thoughts anyone? Second time in a row. Thinking my city water has somthing going on.
Fermentation produces acid and there is nothing in a sugar wash to buffer it so the pH decreases and fermentation stalls. You're doing the right thing compensating for it manually. You'll always have to do that with sugar washes.
I did a quick interwebz search and came up empty. Does anyone know of a calculator to help you get in the ball park of correcting your pH? For example, I’m 3 days into fermentation and my pH is at 4.0. If I wanted to get it back up to 5.3 how much baking soda do I add? I imagine that would depend on how much mash I’m fermenting? 5 gal vs 17 gal. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for another video! -Nutz
For a 5-gallon wash, add citric acid to lower, calcium carbonate (preferable) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise the number in 1/4 teaspoon increments. Stir well and take a new reading. Adding too much at once can cause a fizzy overflow.
Good explanation, Randy. Cheap pH meters won’t last because the electrode dries out. If you rinse the meter tip in distilled water before putting the cap on it helps a little. Better meters will come with a storage solution and have replaceable electrodes. Best practices are to calibrate your meter frequently. Also, testing your water is not very helpful. Malted barley will drop your pH, so test your mash and adjust after you dough in. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for info
You can also use Pickling Lime or Washing Soda to Raise the Ph.
Been using Oyster shells (Chicken Scratch) and Marble Chips from a box store in the gardening dept. They dissolve when the ferment falls below 5.0 and raise Ph back to 5.0. They do not do anything with a Ph higher than 5.0.
thanks cheers!!
Pity we can't buy lemon juice here in Australia. I use lemons to add add acidity, but mostly we want our water should be at 5 or below
cheers
Those ph meters can be purchased from eBay for less than $10 CDN including tax and shipping.
thanks Cheers!!
If you wash the end of your ph meter with distilled water between test it gives you a more accurate reading.
you are 100% correct thanks
My suger mash keep crashing to low PH number ~ 3.1 ish and fermentation stops. Just a simple clear spirt mash with a ration of 2lb suger/1gal water, redstar dady and yeast nutrient. pH starting at 6.5. Do you know why it crashes and stops fermeting. I add a few table spoons of baking soda to push it back up to 5.2 and it rocks again. Thoughts anyone? Second time in a row. Thinking my city water has somthing going on.
i'm not sure did you check sg and fg ?
Fermentation produces acid and there is nothing in a sugar wash to buffer it so the pH decreases and fermentation stalls. You're doing the right thing compensating for it manually. You'll always have to do that with sugar washes.
I did a quick interwebz search and came up empty. Does anyone know of a calculator to help you get in the ball park of correcting your pH? For example, I’m 3 days into fermentation and my pH is at 4.0. If I wanted to get it back up to 5.3 how much baking soda do I add? I imagine that would depend on how much mash I’m fermenting? 5 gal vs 17 gal. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for another video! -Nutz
For a 5-gallon wash, add citric acid to lower, calcium carbonate (preferable) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise the number in 1/4 teaspoon increments. Stir well and take a new reading. Adding too much at once can cause a fizzy overflow.
Thanks Bob cheers!!
maybe if you put the camera on the other side.
Right handed put camera on the left side. Left handed put camera on the right side.
I thought Bleach would be acidic.
Too much yack, just get straight to it wilya please?
cheers