I think, pretty much everything you want to know can be answered by reading this page.

https://sites.google.com/site/brunwater/water-knowledge

He notes that paper strips are not very accurate for brewery use, but also provides what he believes are safe practices for homebrewers.

I don't even test my mash pH. I adjust my Acid malt, gypsum and CaCl, RO water % based on my tap water report toward the profile I'm trying to achieve (usually the Pale Ale Profile). Then, I cross my fingers. Folks who use pH meters regularly report that the spreadsheet is pretty accurate. Good enough for me, but if I start having issues I'd likely just buy an electronic meter.

blancasterb wrote:Anyways, I ordered these strips and they came in the mail the other day. I am just not sure how/when to use them. Obviously you put them in water, but when do you test? Before the mash? During the mash? After the mash?

Hey there blancasterb,

Good question and what we need to do is simplify things. The first thing to realise is that most brewers shouldn't be worrying about water for a long time if ever. WHat I am trying to say is that nearly all brewers shouldn't be worried if they know nothing about water chemistry. You can brew 90% great beers or better with 90% of tap waters I would guess.

Water chemistry is only to be worried about if your tap water has a well-known problem or if you have reached a sound knowledge of at least several other brewing aspects first.

I'll deal with a few things here but not many. In fact, I'll only address pH, as to address salts etc, you really need to do a lot of reading and there is nothing I have found written to date that makes things simple. Like most stuff in brewing literature, there is a lot of mud or complexity that is unnecessary.

1. Just concern yourself with pH first unless you know there is some major mineral problem in your area.

2. The pH strips you have bought are fine and give a far more stable reading than my pH meter. The Bru'n Water site reports a problem on pH strips. They could be parroting one small and very uncontrolled experiment reported elsewhere by one home brewer. Who would know? What I have never seen written before is that there are two types of pH strips and the ones I linked above are more suitable for wort. Other types of strips are more suited for measuring other liquids such as urine.

Regardless, a pH meter is going to be less reliable for you when starting out. A crappy pH meter is going to be far less useful to you than the strips I gave above. I have just dipped these into the hot wort and am pretty sure that I have done the same with the wort that has cooled and come up with the same reading. Anyway, don't trust me, do the experiment yourself and report back please.

....

I really can't spend too much time on a subject that is really of no benefit to most readers. All I'll say for now though is, in BIAB (pure, full-volume BIAB), you have a big advantage when it comes to water adjustment as you can just adjust the full volume of water and the addition of grain has very little effect.

So there's your first hint blancasterb. Adjust your full volume of water to say about 5.5 pH using an appropriate acid (even white vinegar will do in many waters. Add it drop by drop using a syringe from your pharmacist.) Later when you get a feel, maybe use acidulated malt. Once you add your grain, the pH above should drop a little into a safe place.

I think that last paragraph of info would take you about a month's reading to find elsewhere so I hope that is enough to get you started .


PP