[pkrone]

Me too.   But I still like seeing my target pH hit on my pH meter and giving myself a crisp high 5.   

[Stevie]

starting off with RO water and using Bru'n water, mas ph reading have gone the way of Iodine starch conversion tests. After so many times of hitting my desired mash ph ( or getting damned close) I don't feel the need to confirm it anymore.

I was in this boat, but a sack of Red X has changed my opinion. I always thought a pH meter would be the very last think I'd buy.

[Big Monk]

starting off with RO water and using Bru'n water, mas ph reading have gone the way of Iodine starch conversion tests. After so many times of hitting my desired mash ph ( or getting damned close) I don't feel the need to confirm it anymore.

I was in this boat, but a sack of Red X has changed my opinion. I always thought a pH meter would be the very last think I'd buy.

Best Malz will make you grab a meter in a hurry!

The only reasons I don't own a meter are:

 a.) Weyermann Malts are fairly consistent and their malt sheets have tons of detail

b.) I've seen Bryan verify our spreadsheet estimates as "dead nuts" with his Extech so many times it doesn't seem necessary

c.) I've always used Colorphast strips and because of b.) I still do.

[JJeffers09]

Everyone will hate this advice, but...

I measure my pH directly in the mash at like 150 F.  To adjust for temperature, I add 0.2.  So if shooting for 5.3 as measured at room temp, I shoot for 5.1 as measured in the mash.

I know, I know, shame on me, it will shorten the life of my pH meter, yadda yadda.  Yeah, but, my meter was only like $14 on Amazon.  So who the frick cares!

 

Then, if pH is too low, add a teaspoon of baking soda at a time to bring it up.  If too high, add a couple tablespoons of acid (any acid, like, I use vinegar    ) until it comes down.

Troll bait?  Sarcasm?  Put the crack up?  Ohh, I know you're drunk?  Aren't you that crazy small batch brewer who brews 1 gallon batches and lots of them?  You put 1 tsp of baking soda in a 1 gallon batch?  Even a 5 gallon batch?  Do you know what that amount will do to the pH in those batch sizes?  And you use a couple teaspoons of a random acid?  Must be weak solution if you're using a couple teaspoons.  Nothing unusual about using vinegar though.  Do you drink the beer you brew?  And you adjust mash pH on the fly using these techniques?  Wow, you're some kind of stallion - boy.  Who cares about the life of your damn pH meter, your beer will shorten your life!!    

I think we found a maltster that's sure his sh*t don't stink.

Listen dmtaylor does his thing.  He may be beating on his own drum but creativity and science is what we are all in this for...

To each his own.  Meanwhile if it works for him who are we to judge?

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

[juggabrew303]

Don't chase pH. Find out your water profile and use it to estimate your water adjustments prior to brewing and then live with the result. If you have a good pH meter, check the measurement at several points during the mash duration and see how the prediction and measurement compare. If there is variation, bias your future batch pH adjustments as guided by those observations. Don't worry if the pH was off by a tenth

From where do you recommend pulling the sample from? Top, middle, bottom?


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[jimmykx250]

starting off with RO water and using Bru'n water, mas ph reading have gone the way of Iodine starch conversion tests. After so many times of hitting my desired mash ph ( or getting damned close) I don't feel the need to confirm it anymore.

I was in this boat, but a sack of Red X has changed my opinion. I always thought a pH meter would be the very last think I'd buy.

Care to explain? I dont understand?

[MaltMaker]

I think we found a maltster that's sure his sh*t don't stink.

Listen dmtaylor does his thing.  He may be beating on his own drum but creativity and science is what we are all in this for...

To each his own.  Meanwhile if it works for him who are we to judge?

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk

Says the guy who's flippin' everyone off in his profile pic.

And you think my post isn't sarcastic?  Hey look jjeffers, gullible is written in the ceiling!

dmtaylor gathers attention by posting things that are on the edge, same thing that Denny does with his "lazy ways" brewing.  They try to establish a reputation for themselves with these initiatives and of course they enjoy the attention it brings them.

You southern boys need things splain'd a little more than usual, don't ya?  ..|.

[HoosierBrew]

We need to be civil, guys. Sarcasm is ok, if it doesn't get personal.

[Big Monk]

starting off with RO water and using Bru'n water, mas ph reading have gone the way of Iodine starch conversion tests. After so many times of hitting my desired mash ph ( or getting damned close) I don't feel the need to confirm it anymore.

I was in this boat, but a sack of Red X has changed my opinion. I always thought a pH meter would be the very last think I'd buy.

Care to explain? I dont understand?

Best is notorious for malt that is a bit more acidic than other maltsters as well as having a few occasions where they inadvertently tainted their pils with Sauermalz.

In that case their malt sheets didn't account for that mistake and people had low pHs.

[Stevie]

starting off with RO water and using Bru'n water, mas ph reading have gone the way of Iodine starch conversion tests. After so many times of hitting my desired mash ph ( or getting damned close) I don't feel the need to confirm it anymore.

I was in this boat, but a sack of Red X has changed my opinion. I always thought a pH meter would be the very last think I'd buy.

Care to explain? I dont understand?

Low mash pH caused by a particularly acidic batch of this malt. While it's a 12L mat, I need to enter it into Bru'n water as a 18L malt to get semi accurate estimates.

[deadpoetic0077]

Don't chase pH. Find out your water profile and use it to estimate your water adjustments prior to brewing and then live with the result. If you have a good pH meter, check the measurement at several points during the mash duration and see how the prediction and measurement compare. If there is variation, bias your future batch pH adjustments as guided by those observations. Don't worry if the pH was off by a tenth or two.

+1000;  My last meter's life (average is 6mos-a year at best IMO) was dedicated to comparing the real world to both EZ water and BNW and found both to be excellent and BNW to be slightly more accurate.  Accurate enough that I brew sans meter since which has got to be near 10 years now.  BNW is no good unless you have the Ward Labs test or other reliable water data...

If I were to use store bought RO water (not the filter into a jug type, the actual Distilled (RO) water that they sell in gallon jugs, think I would still need a ward labs test?

[MaltMaker]

If I were to use store bought RO water (not the filter into a jug type, the actual Distilled (RO) water that they sell in gallon jugs, think I would still need a ward labs test?

Distilled water is different from RO water in that it has no other ions present.   The Great Value Distilled water from Walmart is actually distilled/deionized and has no other ions present.  RO water on the other hand can vary due to maintenance of the filters on the RO system.

If you know the filters are new or have been recently replaced then you know the RO water is probably fairly decent.  Distilled water, unless it's false advertising, can be used anytime without a test.

[Big Monk]

Don't chase pH. Find out your water profile and use it to estimate your water adjustments prior to brewing and then live with the result. If you have a good pH meter, check the measurement at several points during the mash duration and see how the prediction and measurement compare. If there is variation, bias your future batch pH adjustments as guided by those observations. Don't worry if the pH was off by a tenth or two.

+1000;  My last meter's life (average is 6mos-a year at best IMO) was dedicated to comparing the real world to both EZ water and BNW and found both to be excellent and BNW to be slightly more accurate.  Accurate enough that I brew sans meter since which has got to be near 10 years now.  BNW is no good unless you have the Ward Labs test or other reliable water data...

If I were to use store bought RO water (not the filter into a jug type, the actual Distilled (RO) water that they sell in gallon jugs, think I would still need a ward labs test?

Distilled water should be nearly free of any dissolved solids or minerals. As a general rule I buy Distilled because of my batch size and consider it a clean slate when I build my water up.

[Stevie]

Don't chase pH. Find out your water profile and use it to estimate your water adjustments prior to brewing and then live with the result. If you have a good pH meter, check the measurement at several points during the mash duration and see how the prediction and measurement compare. If there is variation, bias your future batch pH adjustments as guided by those observations. Don't worry if the pH was off by a tenth or two.

+1000;  My last meter's life (average is 6mos-a year at best IMO) was dedicated to comparing the real world to both EZ water and BNW and found both to be excellent and BNW to be slightly more accurate.  Accurate enough that I brew sans meter since which has got to be near 10 years now.  BNW is no good unless you have the Ward Labs test or other reliable water data...

If I were to use store bought RO water (not the filter into a jug type, the actual Distilled (RO) water that they sell in gallon jugs, think I would still need a ward labs test?

But a cheap TDS meter. The RO I buy locally is <8ppm

[HoosierBrew]

But a cheap TDS meter. The RO I buy locally is <8ppm

Yep. It's a cheap and easy way to know what you're working with.