PH Mind Melt

Hi guys…for those following my saga, I am really perplexed at some readings I’m getting.

I didn’t have a change to measure a proper PH measurement until I used a sample pre-boil OG (post vorlauf). This sample came out to 4.87! **

My post-boil PH reading was even stranger at 5.01, isn’t this supposed to go down?

**For those interested in the specifics on what I added to this beer please check here. I expected it to be low, but darn this is really low. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.0

Did you cool your sample down to room temps prior to measuring?

Yup, 72 degrees.

What did you actually end up adding?

Strike- 2 grams Gypsum, 7 grams CaCl
Sparge- 2 grams Gypsum, 7.5 grams CaCl

2 ml Lactic 88%

Well, friend, perhaps I wasn’t clear in the other thread, but I was warning you against using those amounts of water salts.

In fact, I posted the numbers that would have provided a satisfactory pH and advised against using acid with such a large amount of water salts.

I also advised against trying to match such a large amount of calcium.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.msg339934#msg339934
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.msg339947#msg339947
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.msg339996#msg339996
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.msg339999#msg339999
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.msg340000#msg340000

Trent, you were clear. No need to repost all of your comments. I take everyone’s advice here with a grain of salt. I assumed that one of the two brewing software tools would have got me to where I needed.

Most importantly…will my beer suck?  8)

Justin- did you measure your gravity…just curious how well conversion was if your PH was really that low.

Yes, Estimated Pre- boil OG was 1.042, I hit 1.044.
Estimated Post- boil OG was 1.052, I hit 1.050.

i wonder if you’re getting good readings on that PH meter.

[quote]i wonder if you’re getting good readings on that PH meter.
[/quote]

My thoughts exactly. You need to work to get a pH that low.

My thoughts exactly. You need to work to get a pH that low.

[/quote]

yeah I’ve never had something that low. And while I don’t know for sure, Martin and some readings suggest conversion would be pretty sub par at that low of mash PH, and yet he exceeded his target.

so i plugged that into basic recipe with RO water and ended up with target PH of about 5.2.  while that is a metric crap ton of cacl and then the 2ml lactic acid, still should have been well north of 4.8ish.

what was your grist -base + ?

edit: ?? water volumes also for strike and sparge

Justin, did you enter your volumes, grist, and lovibonds into Brunwater correctly? What size final batch? I’m trying to get my head around using almost 15g of CaCl2. What profile did you use? Just curious.

yeah just adjusted all base malt recipe and 4.5 gal strike and 4.5 gal sprage.  with those mineral additions and 2ml lactic, PH project around 5.10…super low. add any crystal in there and going to be lower.

Read this thread folks, it’ll answer your questions:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26283.0

Actually he would have gotten a very good conversion as his grain bill was a lot of oats and proteinase conversion is optimal with a lower pH (4.6-5.0).

So basically mostly Maris otter with some flaked outs. Bru’nwater seems right and likely about what he ended up with considering PH instrument margin of error.

For sure. Like you, I’m surprised it ended up so close to target OG.