Answers.Body: <p>Sure, there are major differences in acidity. Unsurprisingly, the sour beer styles can have very low pH levels. <a href="http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2011/11/measuring-sour-beer-ph.html" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> an example of someone measuring the pH of sour beers and finding that even within that category there are significant differences. <a href="http://www.weyermann.de/downloads/pdf/Weyermann_TKW_Mash-pH_2010.pdf" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> a short presentation showing that expected pH ranges from 3.2-3.4 for Berliner Weisse to 4.5-4.8 for pilsner and bock. So, yes, there are definitely major differences, and they do matter to the perception of the finished product. At the most obvious level, low-pH beers actually taste sour. There are also indications that smaller pH variations matter to how people perceive the flavour.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-08-17T16:04:54.690Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-08-17T16:04:54.690Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lars Marius Garshol
Answers.Body: <p>Well, brewers typically control pH during the fermentation process top avoid unwanted bacterial growth, etc., fermentation actually doesn't even happen below ~4. So not a significant difference.</p>
  
  <p>Sources - I brew and <a href="http://gillesenergies.webs.com/phinfermentation.htm" rel="nofollow">web</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-08-11T02:41:18.240Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-08-11T02:41:18.240Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: shuashock
Body: <p>I would guess that a Porter pH is higher than for an IPA, because of alpha acids or other acids from the hops. I also heard that it can heavily  depend on the acidity of the water used. </p>
  
  <p>But anyway, are those pH differences really significant in the final product ? For instance, if I have an ulcer, would it be worse to drink some type of beer rather than an other ?</p>
  
Tags: <style><ingredients>
Title: Is there any meaningful difference in acidity level between beer styles?
UserDisplayName: user978548
ThreadText: # Is there any meaningful difference in acidity level between beer styles?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-09)
  
  I would guess that a Porter pH is higher than for an IPA, because of alpha acids or other acids from the hops. I also heard that it can heavily depend on the acidity of the water used.
  
  But anyway, are those pH differences really significant in the final product ? For instance, if I have an ulcer, would it be worse to drink some type of beer rather than an other ?
  
  **Tags:** style, ingredients
  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2014-08-17. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  Sure, there are major differences in acidity. Unsurprisingly, the sour beer styles can have very low pH levels. [Here's](http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2011/11/measuring-sour-beer-ph.html) an example of someone measuring the pH of sour beers and finding that even within that category there are significant differences. [Here's](http://www.weyermann.de/downloads/pdf/Weyermann_TKW_Mash-pH_2010.pdf) a short presentation showing that expected pH ranges from 3.2-3.4 for Berliner Weisse to 4.5-4.8 for pilsner and bock. So, yes, there are definitely major differences, and they do matter to the perception of the finished product. At the most obvious level, low-pH beers actually taste sour. There are also indications that smaller pH variations matter to how people perceive the flavour.
  
  
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  ### Answer by username_2 on 2014-08-11. Score: 2
  
  Well, brewers typically control pH during the fermentation process top avoid unwanted bacterial growth, etc., fermentation actually doesn't even happen below ~4. So not a significant difference.
  
  Sources - I brew and [web](http://gillesenergies.webs.com/phinfermentation.htm)
  
  
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