Some Rum mash troubleshooting...

[Guerilla Distillah]

Ok, I live in the PNW...today we had our first rain in 56 days...a new record. It has been steady high 80's for several weeks now. Temps not an issue. Split the batch to 2ea @ 15gals. Added 5gals of tap water. Ph still at 3.8. I have a reliable and calibrate the blower and verifiable with my reef controller monitored aquarium ph. Went a head and decided to "sacrifice" One of the two for mentors and use baking soda until I got my desired pH. Nearly shit my pants when I came to discover it took nearly 3 1/2 cups of baking soda to get from 3.8 to 5.5!!! Found the exact amount through trial and error that I could dump in at once and not need a mop. It took numerous additions of that Amount. I am going to do the same to the other unless someone here tells me there is a unknown reason I am missing not to. Then aerate and repitch Baker's yeast which I purchased today.

GD

[still_stirrin]

... took nearly 3 1/2 cups of baking soda to get from 3.8 to 5.5!!!...

That's a LOT of sodium...I would have used calcium hydroxide (pickling lime)...available at the grocer's with the canning supplies. Lime is a much stonger base and therefore you'll need less to raise the pH. Plus, it feeds the ferment calcium, which is a needed nutrient (sodium is not).

If you would do your homework, you would have read this already. It kinda' feels like you're "shooting from the hip" and you're not a very good shot. Search the forum for "pickling lime" references and read a while. It'll help you so you won't end up with as much "trial & error" approach.
ss

[Yummyrum]

Fuck me dead Salt bush bill .... are we just lucky or are some others really shit magnets ?
Rum washes just shouldn't be so hard
Got me beat why the guerilla is having do much problems

[Guerilla Distillah]

OK, I have some input here. First off, this morning before I left for work, both fermenters had an active head/krausen and airlocks were bubbling nicely. SO... while I seem to have found a method to solve my immediate problem, I have in the interim found a better mode of pH adjustment requiring less chemical addition. At the recommendation of another long time distiller I have ordered some calcium carbonate. I will also add that as I am a commercial gardener, I have used molasses for years as a nutritional additive for beneficial bacteria in my soil's. Absolute brain fart that I did not consider that I also used it to lower my pH in my feeding solutions....Duh... so from now on, I understand and remember that after sugar and molasses in version I must adjust my pH accordingly.

Thanks everyone for your attempt to solve my issue.

GD