pH Woes

Mashing
1

Acknowledging a caveat that I have really unpredictable water (comes from a different source and/or through a different treatment plant during winter months as opposed to the rest of the year), you can count this as a vote for Bru’n Water as opposed to Ez-Water calculator.

EZ water gives me as pH that’s as much as 0.4 higher than what I actually get… unfortunately, I am now mashing at a pH of 5.00 (measured at 90F using a pH Meter). Back-checking, Bru’n Water predicted this… I am so deleting all copies of EZ Water off my HDD, so I’m not tempted to use them, though I find the Bru’N Water Spreadsheet to be in serious need of streamlining.

What I don’t understand is why, when both spreadsheets are set for 100% RO and have otherwise identical parameters, the pH estimates are so far off…

Sob story short: no issues to solve, here. Just pissing & moaning.

2

I haven’t used either but I’d say the difference is in the kind of grains you are using and what effects they have on the color vs pH. Brungard’s calculator incorporates the latest thinking as far as the various grains and their effect on mash pH.

You want to measure pH at 70F not 90F, for one thats what the recommendations are based on and for another its hard on the pH probe. If you want to raise the mash pH just throw in some chalk, it’ll come up.

3

I find Bru’n Water to be really confusing to use. I haven’t really dedicated myself to it but I keep going back to EZ water because, well, it’s EZ. Seems to get me close enough most times but I always adjust with lactic acid as needed anyway. If I couldn’t measure pH, EZ water might not be accurate enough for me.