5.2 pH Adjuster

[lampshade]

Has anyone used this product for neutral? What were your results? Does it produce off flavors?

The product description says it is a proprietary blend of phosphate buffers, that adjusts your mash to a pH of 5.2 regardless of the starting pH, thereby eliminating the need for pH testing and adjustment for grain mashing.

http://www.brewhaus.com/52-pH-Adjuster-P859C91.aspx

[F6Hawk]

Or you could just add 113 gm of citric acid and baking soda to a 5 gallon wash, and call it done.

[FreeMountainHermit]

Or you could just add 113 gm of citric acid and baking soda to a 5 gallon wash, and call it done.

113 grams of citric acid plus baking soda or a mix of the two totaling 113 and in what proportions to achieve that amount.


FMH

[FreeMountainHermit]

Or you could just add 113 gm of citric acid and baking soda to a 5 gallon wash, and call it done.

113 grams of citric acid plus baking soda or a mix of the two totaling 113 and in what proportions to achieve that amount.


FMH

[Raging56]

Has anyone used this product for neutral? What were your results? Does it produce off flavors?

The product description says it is a proprietary blend of phosphate buffers, that adjusts your mash to a pH of 5.2 regardless of the starting pH, thereby eliminating the need for pH testing and adjustment for grain mashing.

http://www.brewhaus.com/52-pH-Adjuster-P859C91.aspx

I used it but I haven't tasted it yet. It still seemed a bit acidic after. I had to add some calcium carbonate to get it closer to 5.0. due to cost and availability I may go with baking soda. I was hoping the 5.2 PH Stabilizer would put it exactly where it needed to be but it was still a bit acidic. (for my water) maybe others have better luck.

[John Barleycorn]

Or you could just add 113 gm of citric acid and baking soda to a 5 gallon wash, and call it done.

A quarter pound of additives for a 5 gallon wash? I don't believe I have ever used more than 6 g of citric acid in anything ... unless I was cleaning copper.

[rtalbigr]

In my experience the pH 5.2 buffering agents really don't work that well and I can't justify the cost. They do a fairly decent job of lowering the pH but a really lousy job of raising the pH once fermentation is started.

I use backset to lower my pH for mashing and then use calcium carbonate to raise the pH for and during fermentation.

Big R

[Raging56]

Now I have a question....

should I test my PH during the fulmination (I do simple sugar washes) OR, once I sent the PH and its going should I just leave it alone?

And yeah, for what its worth....the 5.2 PH stabilizer didn't get me to where I wanted to be that well. calcium carbonate is what will work for me...my well water is just too acidic.

[Prairiepiss]

Now I have a question....

should I test my PH during the fulmination (I do simple sugar washes) OR, once I sent the PH and its going should I just leave it alone?

And yeah, for what its worth....the 5.2 PH stabilizer didn't get me to where I wanted to be that well. calcium carbonate is what will work for me...my well water is just too acidic.

No need to test Ph during ferment. Unless there is a problem with it. Like really slow or stalled. And depending on the recipe. There usually isn't much need to test it before you pitch the yeast. Most recipes will end up right around the Ph yeast like. Would also like to point out the 5.2 Ph is just for the mashing procedures. If I'm not mistaken. Yeasties like it higher like 7 or so. Someone step in on that if I'm wrong. I'm working off memory here. And its not always that great. But the Ph will raise during mashing. If its a good recipe it will end up right where you want it. But if its not a mash and something like UJSSM where you are using the backset from each gen in the next gen. The Ph will get out of whack after so many gens. So then it may need to be adjusted for a good ferment.

All that being said. You should research your recipe. And find out how it works. Because there are to many variables to give you a good answer.

Now I use the 5.2 buffer. Because I'm lazy. I have not had a problem. But I don't test hard core like others do. So I couldn't tell you if I did have a Ph problem. But I haven't had a conversion or ferment problem.

[F6Hawk]

Sorry, FMH, missed your replies.

I was given the "recipe" of 113 g EACH of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate for 5 gallons of wash. I have tried it, and it seems to work, though I was a tad concerned about how much "salts" this adds to the wash. I always add this to the water before the yeast, along with the sugar (beware, it will bubble/boil like crazy for a bit, so add slowly).

The person I got this from said it will buffer the water well enough so that over multiple gens of say a SF or UJSSM, the pH will not drop down into the 3's anymore. I wouldn't bother with it on a single-run ferment, unless you have water that is way out of whack.

[lampshade]

The person I got this from said it will buffer the water well enough so that over multiple gens of say a SF or UJSSM, the pH will not drop down into the 3's anymore. I wouldn't bother with it on a single-run ferment, unless you have water that is way out of whack.

I always need to raise the pH of my UJSSM and Wineos sugar neutral (haven't used any other recipes). If I don't, my ferment will stall after a day or two. I follow the recipes to the letter. I don't know why I have this problem. One possibility is that I use a nuvoH2O water softener, that uses citric acid to bind to lime and scale. But after the water softener, the pH of the "softened" water measures 7.0.

[Dnderhead]

you should not be removing lime it acts as a buffer.it be better to use your water as is unless there is something really bad in it like sulfur,iron .

[F6Hawk]

Not sure if it makes a huge difference, but I have read that yeast prefer hard water over soft. Salt is kind of an enemy to yeast, so it stands to reason that putting it in the water might make them struggle more.

The 5.2 pH buffer I am referring to doesn't just lower the pH from 7.0, it also works hard to KEEP it around 5.2, but as the yeast eat and pee, they naturally lower the pH. Just doesn't go down into the 3's like it used to when it stalled.

[lampshade]

you should not be removing lime it acts as a buffer.it be better to use your water as is unless there is something really bad in it like sulfur,iron .

Convinces me. From now on I will go to the garden faucet to get wash water. Thanks, everyone.