Ph crash

[bluc]

Another good point will have to get into habit of checking water ph each wash day..

[wynnum1]

Potassium hydroxide could be used to up the PH they use in hydroponics.

[bluc]

Thanks wynum1 :handgestures-thumbupleft: Doing some experiments will post back later today with results

[tipsy]

FWIW, I don't think your sanitation is an issue, especially when your fermenting on grain.
Grain has lacto crawling all over it. We purposely sour beer by putting a handful of grain in after the boil has cooled and holding it at 40c for 24-48 hours. Then we boil again to kill the lacto.

[bluc]

ok cool and your right prob is lacto. Wondering is a sugar solution is left to sit sealed up without yeast added does ph drop? Seems something went wrong with yeast. I normally dont add fresh yeast each gen. I took out small amount wort and added some yeast. and..

yeast.jpeg

wasnt expecting that. So made up a pugirum yeast bomb added about 6l wort and half cup yeast once that takes off will add it to the rest and see what happens..ph back up to 4.0 after shell grit added..

[bluc]

This is what i found about sugar

Adding sugar will not affect the pH level of the liquid because sugar simply does not have the chemical capacity to do this. This is an important distinction to make because many people think sugar is acidic. ... The bacteria feed on fructose and produce lactic acid, which may contribute to tooth decay

So looks like lacto is also produced by bacteria that feeds on sugar. Maybe just to soon to see spider web that usually = lacto. I would say I have not put enough cold water onto yeast cake then when boiling backset and sugar added its has killed off the yeast or enough of it so lacto could take hold( its been sitting two weeks plus the lacto that would also be present on grain), simply adding more yeast to the wort seems to start a healthy ferment going by that glass..

[hillzabilly]

When doing gens,I like to tip the yeast cake and residual wash into another container or small fermenter and set it aside ,then rinse the fermenter with water and add the backset and mollasses etc to dissolve sugar ,then once temp and conditions are good then add yeast cake ,I killed off the yeast by adding hot backset to a rum wash and changed the method to stop the chance of it happening again.cheers hillzabilly :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

Getting it out clean and sanitary would be hard part. Have my drain setup to drain from above trub..

[coffe addict]

Bakers is pretty cheap and certainly cheaper than wasting a 200L ferment... Perhaps just pitch new yeast each time. That's how I do it and only lost 1ferment in 5ish yrs.
Also you can do yeast propagation and turn a teaspoon into enough for a 200L ferment in a cpl hrs :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[orcy]

Grain is covered In lacto. That's why beer guys boil it. The traditional method of souring is a handful of fresh grain in the wort.

You might need to up your yeast pitch to outcompete it.

[bluc]

Yep coffee and orcy new yeast and big starters from now on :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[coffe addict]

I like the effect under pitching yeast has in creating esters and I do it every 4th or so ferment but it always made think it was stretching the friendship... Perhaps you just cut it too fine?

[bluc]

I reakon so :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[DaveZ]

Did you change water sources at all? How's the hardness of your water? Hard water has enough minerals in it to buffer against pH drop. Soft water doesn't so is generally low in pH. RO water has nothing so will plummet like a stone as soon as organics find their way into the water.

In general, mineral additions will raise pH and organic processes will lower it. I think it's just a matter of finding the ballance that works for whatever process you are using.

Cheers,
Dave.

[bluc]

I didn't change water source this time a hefty starter kicked it into gear..