do you adjust PH during a ferment?

[needmorstuff]

Started my raw wheat mash off, adjusted to 5 using lactic acid prior to using AA enzyme and checked again before adding yeast. 24 hours in and it's at 4.5. My GA works between 3.5 and 5.5, but I know from previous experience too low a PH can stop/stall a ferment.

Just wondering how obsessive people are with PH. I'm inclined to leave it but the OCD side of my brain wants it at 5 for the whole ferment.

 

[SlickFloss]

Changing ph of active ferments is an exceptionally high level exercise in brewing and none of your enzyme manufacturers would recommend it u less you were incredibly out of tolerance. Most vendors recommend to most clients not to even adjust ph during cooking for enzymatic optimization.

Why are you so fixated on five ph for the whole ferment? this seems odd to me given the mechanics of fermentation. 

[needmorstuff]

6 hours ago, SlickFloss said:

Changing ph of active ferments is an exceptionally high level exercise in brewing and none of your enzyme manufacturers would recommend it u less you were incredibly out of tolerance. Most vendors recommend to most clients not to even adjust ph during cooking for enzymatic optimization.

Why are you so fixated on five ph for the whole ferment? this seems odd to me given the mechanics of fermentation. 

Thanks for the advice, it is what I am hearing elsewhere as well.

I was just trying to stay within the tolerance of the yeast and enzymes and considered maybe opimally that being in the middle of the range is the ideal condition.

Next time out I am not going to adjust PH at all, not even during mashing and see how I get on.

BTW I didn't adjust PH after initially dosing with lactic acid to get me from 6 to 5. It ended at 3.5

Thanks again

[adamOVD]

You want the ph to drop at first. Helps keep out mold spores and certain bacterial infections, like ones that create butyric acid, before a healthy amount of alcohol is produced.

[needmorstuff]

I hadn't considered that, I was adjusting down to keep within the specs of the yeast and enzymes. Funnily enough on my 2nd ferment I did have a bit of a baby milk/puke smell... So not full on infection..  but definitely something going on, it did hit 35c and erupt out of my fermenter despite having loads of head space so conditions weren't perfect.