[rabeb25]

You should always be checking and locking in pH outside of any enzymatic activity present. With that said I check my pH after 10 minutes, but I do recirculate the whole time of the mash. I want to make sure I have reached a "homogeneous" mixture. Single infusion mashes will vary very little though the entirety of the mash. Step mashes however.......

Why is that? My pH taken 15 min. into the mash rarely differs much at all from what I get pre-boil in the kettle (theoretically after enzymatic activity)

Only because if for some reason it is way off or needs adjustment, you most likely have already "locked" the mash profile..I.e. you wait 10 minutes, you then take a sample and cool +5 minutes, you then notice you are high and need to adjust. Then takes +10 more minutes to take a sample,  then cool +5, and etc..... Too late.

[neddles]

You should always be checking and locking in pH outside of any enzymatic activity present. With that said I check my pH after 10 minutes, but I do recirculate the whole time of the mash. I want to make sure I have reached a "homogeneous" mixture. Single infusion mashes will vary very little though the entirety of the mash. Step mashes however.......

Why is that? My pH taken 15 min. into the mash rarely differs much at all from what I get pre-boil in the kettle (theoretically after enzymatic activity)

Only because if for some reason it is way off or needs adjustment, you most likely have already "locked" the mash profile..I.e. you wait 10 minutes, you then take a sample and cool +5 minutes, you then notice you are high and need to adjust. Then takes 10 more minute to take a sample, etc..... Too late.

Maybe I am dense because this is making no sense to me. Can you explain again… tell me when it is that you can check pH in the absence of enzymatic activity that still allows you to adjust before getting to the kettle?

[rabeb25]

Doughing in anywhere from 95-133F, then going to where ever you need to go

[neddles]

Doughing in anywhere from 95-133F, then going to where ever you need to go

I was including protease activity as "enzymatic activity" in my thought process. But I get now what you were saying. Although I wouldn't want to dough in at those temps just to get a mash pH reading sans saccrification.

[rabeb25]

Doughing in anywhere from 95-133F, then going to where ever you need to go

I was including protease activity as "enzymatic activity" in my thought process. But I get now what you were saying. Although I wouldn't want to dough in at those temps just to get a mash pH reading sans saccrification.

Sure, the problem is there is a curve ball, at each step (95-103), (120-133), (140-150), (156-162), there are different optimum pH's. The good part is generally it goes low to high, so you can augment per step.

[Village Taphouse]

I would also say that my aim here is to get my mash pH "into the zone" and not necessarily wring my hands over an exact mash pH.  That is to say that 5.2 to 5.3 is satisfactory for me as a mash pH.  Where I have failed in the past is with regard to adding sparge water that had a high pH (especially in a pale beer) or boiling when my kettle pH is too high.  Before I knew to neutralize bicarb with acid and before I had decent pH control, I was making some very offensive pale beers.  If my mash pH is 5.2 to 5.3 and my sparge pH comes in around the same zip code, my kettle pH will be in good shape too.