pH Change By Beer Yeasts
What final pH can I expect from different yeasts?
Different yeast strains acidify wort differently. In general, wort acidification is correlated to yeast growth, as the yeast cells export hydrogen ions in order to bring in sugars and nutrients. Also, FAN (free amino nitrogen) buffers the pH of wort and beer, so yeasts with higher FAN consumption will typically reduce the pH the most. As a result, fast-growing and nutrient-hungry yeasts tend to drop pH more than slow-growing yeasts.
| Strain Category | Final pH |
| American | Variable |
| Belgian | Medium-Low |
| British | High |
| German (Kolsch/Weizen) | Variable |
| Kveik | Low |
| Lager | Medium-High |
| Saison/Wild | Low |
For reference, in a typical wort, we would consider Low pH to equal pH 4.0-4.2, Medium to equal pH 4.2-4.4, and High to equal pH 4.4-4.6.
Interested in the pH change of a specific strain? Scroll down for more data.
Experimental Data
In 2019-2020 we tested many of our strains in a controlled experiment to understand how they all compare. The data below are from that experiment. New products released since late 2019 have not been included, but if you have questions about the specs of any individual product, you can check its product page or ask us.
Final pH by Strain Category:
Final pH of individual strains in a standardized wort:
Additional Resources:
Crispy brewing with kveik: mind the pH gap Blog Post
Yeast Strain Diversity on YouTube