Water Chemistry

[Yooper]

I use carbon filter water for beer.
I meant I have available distilled water so if I can make any test on that to check my ph meter.
I will try some liquids and i will post the results

Why don't you brew with the distilled water if you don't know the makeup of your brewing water? That would be a great clean slate.

 

[Minbari]

Of course they do. But they are primarily for flavor (think salt and pepper, like seasonings to enhance the beer) and not pH control.

If you look at your spreadsheet there, adding 10 grams of CaSO4 will change the makeup of the ions of the water far more than the pH. If you want to reduce the pH from a very high pH to a mash pH like the OP mentioned to 5.2 or so you'd need so much gypsum that the beer would be undrinkable.

Think of cooking. A little garlic, a little oregano- great spaghetti. A pound of oregano, not so much. The base is tomato, and the seasonings will enhance that. With beer, the base is water, and the salts ("seasonings") will enhance, but it's not the primary way to control a very high mash pH.

dont disagree there, acid will reduce ph far more effectively, if large changes are needed.. but if small ph adjustments are needed as well as water adjustments, it can be done.

 

[Yooper]

dont disagree there, acid will reduce ph far more effectively, if large changes are needed.. but if small ph adjustments are needed as well as water adjustments, it can be done.

I believe he said his mash pH was "about 6.4" which likely isn't accurate, but also not at all suitable for salt additions to lower it that much.

 

[Mastoras007]

Why don't you brew with the distilled water if you don't know the makeup of your brewing water? That would be a great clean slate.

I bought a small amount of distilled water to use it for cleaning the ph meter.it cost about 1,5$ per gallon
Probably my ph meter was wrong, i must run some tests to check it,

 

[Yooper]

I bought a small amount of distilled water to use it for cleaning the ph meter.it cost about 1,5$ per gallon
Probably my ph meter was wrong, i must run some tests to check it,

Could be- if you have a substance that you can know the pH, and calibrate the meter with the calibration liquids to 4 and 7, and check the pH of milk (or whatever) that will help to know for sure.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, one other thing! At what temperature are you checking the mash pH? Make sure to cool your wort to room temperature or thereabout before checking! You don't want to ruin your probe.

 

[Donoroto]

I bought a small amount of distilled water to use it for cleaning the ph meter.it cost about 1,5$ per gallon
Probably my ph meter was wrong, i must run some tests to check it,

Distilled water pH can vary wildly, it ius not useful for checking your meter.

Strong fluids like acids (lemon juice, vinegar) can be used. You can also buy "buffering solution" that is a chemical, mixed with water, that has a known and stable pH.

 

[Minbari]

Distilled water pH can vary wildly, it ius not useful for checking your meter.

Strong fluids like acids (lemon juice, vinegar) can be used. You can also buy "buffering solution" that is a chemical, mixed with water, that has a known and stable pH.

X2. Measuring water doesn't work. You need a known solution to calibrate to.

Also measuring your water before you start mashing is pointless too. The grain will change the ph significantly.

 

[Mastoras007]

I checked my ph meter with a mineral water that says on label PH:7,4 my meter shows 8,45 so is uncalibrated.
But I was calibrate it, any way something went wrong.
I will older a calibration set of chemicals or ph meter is not good?

 

[Minbari]

I checked my ph meter with a mineral water that says on label PH:7,4 my meter shows 8,45 so is uncalibrated.
But I was calibrate it, any way something went wrong.
I will older a calibration set of chemicals or ph meter is not good?

I wouldn't trust that mineral water. Marketing people are not to be trusted.

Get a set of ph test packets. Shouldn't be much. The meter should have a way to calibrate at all three points of the test