Ph crashes in sugar washes

[Saltbush Bill]

Which is why not everyone needs to know all of the ins and outs of how to fiddle with pH throughout a ferment, as some would have all newbies believing. My local water only needs me to chuck a couple of large clams in the wash at the start then look after the temperature.

Thank you Chris for some sanity in this thread..........some newbs must be thinking making a sugar wash is some sort of rocket science.
When I kicked off in this hobby only a tiny percentage of distillers worried about PH in sugar washes.......few if any of the old recipes from the different Tried and True recipes of the different forums even mentioned such things as PH.
From what I saw back then the amount of sugar washes that failed to finish ..or that produced a bad result was about 2% ......if that.
People really do get fanatical about this stuff for very little reason.
Having said that , a hand full of shells in a wash sure don't do any harm.........are they other or PH adjustments necessary ?........in many cases I think not.

[bcook608]

Would this be a decent meter? Or do you guys recommend something different?

https://a.co/d/1ZI0eGU

[StillerBoy]

Would this be a decent meter? Or do you guys recommend something different?

I would recommend this one instead.. the one you make reference to is calibrated by using the, which on occasions don't work well.. the link attached is one that is calibrated manual from a screw.. and that what I been using, with care good at least two yrs used on a weekly base..



Mars

[Salt Must Flow]

Would this be a decent meter? Or do you guys recommend something different?

https://a.co/d/1ZI0eGU

That's the one I use. It hasn't read wrong yet.

[bunny]

........some newbs must be thinking making a sugar wash is some sort of rocket science.

It is if your water isn't agreeable to the recipe as written.

[NZChris]

Would this be a decent meter? Or do you guys recommend something different?

https://a.co/d/1ZI0eGU

I'm on my second one, (the first died). I've had it for three years, but it's still in the unopened box, I'll use it when I do my next rum.
Litmus strips are accurate enough for sugar washes, don't need calibrating, the batteries don't go flat, and they don't have a delicate probe that has to be looked after correctly between uses.

[Copper]

some newbs must be thinking making a sugar wash is some sort of rocket science.
When I kicked off in this hobby only a tiny percentage of distillers worried about PH in sugar washes.......few if any of the old recipes from the different Tried and True recipes of the different forums even mentioned such things as PH.
From what I saw back then the amount of sugar washes that failed to finish ..or that produced a bad result was about 2% ......if that.
People really do get fanatical about this stuff for very little reason.
Having said that , a hand full of shells in a wash sure don't do any harm.........are they other or PH adjustments necessary ?........in many cases I think not.

So I've been homebrewing and making sake for decades. Over three decades. My water is VERY soft. There are no minerals in my water to buffer pH. Many beer, wine, sake, or wash recipes fail because of my water. It needs adjustment to be successful. Without minerals in my water, the pH is vulnerable to dramatic changes and I experience "stuck fermentation". I even adjust minerals in my water to make simple federweisser!!!

There is a reason why famous sake in Japan comes from natural springs. The water has high mineral content and natural pH buffering (some Japanese water even contains lithium!) Coors Beer advertises mineral-rich "Rocky Mountain Spring Water". Many other beer advertisements feature mineral-rich water. My water DOES NOT have mineral content so many recipes result in stuck fermentation, especially sugar washes like TPW. It took me years to figure this out.

Edit: "buffering" means the water contains elements to neutralize pH changes before they occur. Dissolved minerals in the water absorb pH changes so it doesn't have dramatic swings (until all the minerals are consumed).

There are many journal publications documenting this exact phenomenon. An example is in the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, where a proper balance of dissolved solids is discussed to maximize yeast and minimize bacteria. All science is "rocket science". For example, you can get a Ph.D. making biscuits. Examined closely, the science of making biscuits is very complex. It's not irrelevant. It matters. Just because you're lucky with mineral-rich water with lots of dissolved solids, you are lucky, not exempt, from the science. Some people are unlucky. With soft water and few dissolved solids, they experience decreased yeast growth and increased bacteria infections while do you not. An "armchair quarterback" will unfairly criticize their brewing skills without recognizing the scientific truth is the dissolved mineral content of the water.

Hard water or soft water affects pH buffering and some people have stuck fermentations for very scientific reasons.

[shadylane]

My water is VERY soft. There are no minerals in my water to buffer pH.....
....the pH is vulnerable to dramatic changes and I experience "stuck fermentation".

Same here on soft water.
Here's my thinking.
A little bit added minerals is better than nothing, and it takes a whole lot to be too much.