Homebrew done right, PH is everything? Beer!!
Hey everyone, what can I say, I have spent thousands of rands working my beer science out and I guess based on this, I am from from there as of yet. In South Africa we have a saying 'skool geld' school money. Basically learning is not free!
So up until now around 15 brews later I have yet to make decent beer. Well, ok honestly I have made 2 that were half decent, but what am I doing wrong? PH could it be that? I finally decided to buy a PH meter and test my water because literally I was under the impression I was doing it all perfectly, but alas.
After testing my PH I was horrified to find tap water was 9ph and my borehole water was 8, this MUST have been it?? As brewing right is to be done between 5.2 and 5.4.
So Craig ,what is that in the top picture?? More here as per wikipedia: A hydrometer is an instrument used for measuring the relative density of liquids based on the concept of buoyancy. They are typically calibrated and graduated with one or more scales such as specific gravity.
A hydrometer usually consists of a sealed hollow glass tube with a wider bottom portion for buoyancy, a ballast such as lead or mercury for stability, and a narrow stem with graduations for measuring. The liquid to test is poured into a tall container, often a graduated cylinder, and the hydrometer is gently lowered into the liquid until it floats freely. The point at which the surface of the liquid touches the stem of the hydrometer correlates to relative density. Hydrometers can contain any number of scales along the stem corresponding to properties correlating to the density.
Hydrometers are calibrated for different uses, such as a lactometer for measuring the density (creaminess) of milk, a saccharometer for measuring the density of sugar in a liquid, or an alcoholometer for measuring higher levels of alcohol in spirits.
The hydrometer makes use of Archimedes' principle: a solid suspended in a fluid is buoyed by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the submerged part of the suspended solid. The lower the density of the fluid, the deeper a hydrometer of a given weight sinks; the stem is calibrated to give a numerical reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrometer
After also researching on the internet and watching tons of youtube videos made by other homebrewers I learnt that water chemistry i EVERYTHING. I purchased some gypsum with basically keeps water stable as well as phosphoric acid to bring my ph down from 0 to 5.3 which worked perfectly!
So with my usual home recipes and complex mixes, correct PH, high heat yeast, we potentially got it all right and within a month, may have some awesome, decent beer soon? I shall keep you all posted!
I trust you have an amazing Sunday!
Love and light, may you be abundantly blessed this year!
Cheer$;)