Rising pH WTF?!!?

[chill]

My last two washes (lentil wash, same thing I have been doing for months) have started to slow after about 3 days. I check the pH to see if it has crashed. And... what the... the pH is 7! It is going in the opposite direction. I add a couple tsp of citric acid, it goes back to around 5 and fomentation takes off again. I am using the same batch of lentils, the same batch of pH buffer (my washes consistently drop to 3 and stall), the same yeast, etc. The only thing that I can think of is that my water supply has changed or the sugar has changed (which seems more far fetched that the water). I did not check the pH when I started the washes. Googling did not find any infection that would cause this and the washes seem fine otherwise, no bad smells or slimy floating islands.

[Icefever]

Strange that... never checked my wash when their fermenting...but will keep an eye on them.

[Mash]

This is a yeast issue. What quantity of yeast are you adding to what vol of water and how please.

[Mash]

Temp can do strange things to yeast. What was the temp when you started and what did you maintain?

[chill]

It was DADY yeast, I used about 1 Tbsp in 25L of wash. Temperature is controlled by an aquarium heater set to about 28c. None of this changed but the yeast might be getting old and I have my doubts about the thermostat in the heater.

Chuck

[Mash]

given the acuracy of the stat,is probably 2 degrees is it worth setting it a bit lower.

Also we are coming into summer and the ambient air temp in rising.

[Almanac]

I've been pondering this prob over the last few days because I've had lots of time waiting around with nothing else to do. I've racked through the few remaining brain cells I have and haven't come up with any experience that might help with this.

I have never come across a rising pH in a wash - ever! The only thing I can think might create such a phenomenon is some kind of infection but I'm clutching at straws

AidanMac

[Mash]

Given this dose the yeast is probably just exiting the lag stage. I have never seen it - but I have not been looking. How many of us just make sure it is started and then just keep an eye on the temps.??

[Easydrinker]

Last week,I had two buckets of the same wash,started as three,in an effort to control the yeast monster.After initial vigorous ferment I recombined to two buckets as usual,so some commonality there.
One I racked off,left a day and then racked to still,two days ago,at.990 and stripped.
The other,three days later,I have given up on at 1.000,and racked off.
The OP of this topic,drove me to check pH on it- 3.1.
The temperature of the wash when checked agreed with the aquarium heater too.
Yeast Gremlins me thinks.


Robert.

[Anavrin]

I've been thinking about this also,

Is it possible the PH was 7 in the first place and the yeast you added just didn't get going?

Maybe you got some action as the yeast was initially multiying but the ph being to high stopped it in its tracks until you dropped it to 5 with some citric acid.

[chill]

It started with a good, bubbling crust on it. I don't think that was just the initial multiplication phase, but I could be wrong.

[Mash]

Ph will swing in a wash. PH is a complex subject and certainly not linear. This is more likely to be the symptom and not the cause. Did you stir in the citric acid well?

[chill]

I would not say well. I sprinkled it on top and gave it a couple of stirs with a small spoon. A couple hours laters it was fizzing again.

[Jaggie]

if the PH is around 3 what can we use to bring it back upto 5.2 ?

[chill]

Baking soda. Start slow with around 2-3 tsp. Measure and adjust. It will likely dive again. There are some threads on here about pH buffers which I find needed for my local conditions.