2019 Craft Brewers Conference

ASBC Lab-in-a-Fishbowl Session 2: Titratable Acidity and pH (Room Four Seasons Ballroom 4)

This joint project between the Brewers Association and the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) is designed to deliver basic quality methodology to attendees. Monitoring of potential hydrogen (pH) at various stages in the brewing process is a critical control point of brewing at any scale. The control of pH can aid in increased brewhouse efficiencies, fermentation performances, and stability in finished product. Mishandling pH can have a negative impact on flavor quality and perception. Total acidity, also known as titratable acidity (TA), is a measurement of the amount of acid present in a solution. TA percentage can be used to determine levels of organic acids such as lactic, acetic, citric, and malic. This presentation will provide an in-depth explanation and guide in how to properly calibrate pH probes, measure TA% using benchtop titration and an auto-titration setup, troubleshooting both methods of analysis, and how all of this can aid in charting the acidification rates of kettle- and barrel-aged sours. Take a look inside the Lab-in-a-Fishbowl for a live demonstration and Q&A session.