# This is what happens with you mess with PH **URL:** \ **Category:** Ingredients\ **Created:** [December 24, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367 "2013-12-24T14:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quattlebaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/quattlebaum/32/1217_2.png) [@quattlebaum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/quattlebaum)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/1 "2013-12-24T14:47:56Z")
I am only assuming this is because my finial beer PH dropped to 3.9 at room temp. Using wlp004 irish Ale. My yeast is Dead? PH is to low? BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - [http://www.beersmith.com](http://www.beersmith.com) Recipe: Jamils Ruabeoir (Irish Red) Brewer: Quattlebaum Asst Brewer: Style: Irish Red Ale TYPE: All Grain Taste: (30.0) ## Recipe Specifications Boil Size: 4.90 gal Post Boil Volume: 3.90 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 3.25 gal  Bottling Volume: 3.00 gal Estimated OG: 1.054 SG Estimated Color: 17.2 SRM Estimated IBU: 25.0 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 86.5 % Boil Time: 60 Minutes ## Ingredients: Amt                  Name                                    Type          #        %/IBU        5 lbs 7.9 oz          Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)        Grain        1        87.8 %        4.1 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)    Grain        2        4.1 %        4.1 oz                Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)  Grain        3        4.1 %        4.0 oz                Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM)      Grain        4        4.0 %        0.80 oz              Goldings, East Kent [5.70 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop          5        25.0 IBUs    2.0 pkg              Irish Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP004)    Yeast        6        - ## Mash Schedule: My Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 6 lbs 4.1 oz Name              Description                            Step Temperat Step Time    Mash In          Add 2.74 gal of water at 166.9 F        152.0 F      60 min Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.91gal) of 175.0 F water Notes: Salts:  Alkalinity 105, RA 11, Ca97, mg14, na9, cl 99, so479 mash PH was 5.22 at room temp sparge PH was 5.33 at room temp Strangely my post boil PH did not go down it actually went up a bit?  5.45PH at room temp After 2 days the krausen dropped and OG has stopped at 1.020FG. I did not think this was out of reason for PH but this yeast really dropped the finial beer PH a lot ! 1.55 points i have never seen it drop that much normally it drops .8 to 1 point. All in the name of science i suppose:)  Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![mabrungard](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/mabrungard/32/12430_2.png) [@mabrungard](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/mabrungard)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/2 "2013-12-24T17:33:14Z")
A pH drop from mashing to beer is common. Some yeasts are especially acidic. Ale yeasts always produce a lower pH than lager yeasts and some of those ale yeasts produce lower pH than others. I’m not sure about the Irish Ale yeast. The mashing and sparging pHs are a little bit lower than most beers need, but they aren’t way out of line. I don’t expect that they are responsible for the beer pH. The ion levels in that water are fairly high. Why such a high calcium level? Although calcium is generally beneficial to the yeast, it does increase the yeast flocculation. It is possible that this helped drop the yeast a little prematurely. Warming the beer and resuspending the yeast may assist in helping the fermentation finish. Don’t be afraid of heating the fermenter now since most of the fermentation and fermentation by-products have been formed (or avoided). ---
**Author:** ![duboman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/duboman/32/5890_2.png) [@duboman](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/duboman)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/3 "2013-12-24T18:15:40Z")
I too would suggest raising the temperature and rousing the yeast to try and get it to finish. You can also add some yeast nutrient at the same time to give it a boost and it should finish. BTW, This is a hydrometer reading right? If refractometer be sure you are converting properly to ensure proper reading. Also be sure your measuring device is properly calibrated. ---
**Author:** ![kylekohlmorgen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/kylekohlmorgen/32/7926_2.png) [@kylekohlmorgen](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/kylekohlmorgen)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/4 "2013-12-24T18:36:37Z")
How does it taste? ---
**Author:** ![jonhughey\_att.net](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/jonhughey_att.net/32/6277_2.png) [@jonhughey\_att.net](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/jonhughey_att.net)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/5 "2013-12-24T19:29:35Z")
> [@duboman](#): > > I too would suggest raising the temperature and rousing the yeast to try and get it to finish. You can also add some yeast nutrient at the same time to give it a boost and it should finish. > > BTW, This is a hydrometer reading right? If refractometer be sure you are converting properly to ensure proper reading. Also be sure your measuring device is properly calibrated. Good advice. Using a hydrometer vs refractometer for FG occurred to me too. ---
**Author:** ![quattlebaum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/quattlebaum/32/1217_2.png) [@quattlebaum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/quattlebaum)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/6 "2013-12-24T21:20:39Z")
I basically have been reading the new water book and attempting to apply what i am learning. I have been using the suggested “ranges”       Medium Ale            Amber                        moderate, assertive                        Ca=50-150            Alkalinity=40-120            Sulfate=100-300            Chloride=50-100            RA=0-60  Styles Altbier, ESB, irish red, American amber, English ipa, roggenbier, Belgian pale, saison i have also been wanting to see what a lower boil PH will do for Hop or malt expressions.  I do use a Hydrometer and everything is calibrated. Obviously i have much to wrap my head around. So will a low PH such as 3.9 cause this yeast to not function well. I believe this is in the lambic range for final PH. It taste a little bland and sweet of course. This is my local water profile. Idaho Falls.  Alkalinity 262, Ca 66, mg 20, Na 27, Cl 18, So4 36.  PH 8.3 at room temp ---
**Author:** ![hopfenundmalz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/hopfenundmalz/32/11193_2.png) [@hopfenundmalz](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/hopfenundmalz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/this-is-what-happens-with-you-mess-with-ph/15367/7 "2013-12-24T21:28:41Z")
Somewhere I read that many British ales can be in the 3.9 to 4 range. Lambics are more in the 3.1 3.4 range IIRC.