[SterlingArcher]

Hello!

Me and several of my beloved group members are currently working on a examenation project within chemistry (senior high school students in Sweden). The subject of our research shall be production of ethanol in different enviroments. The different enviroments being different pH levels. Our method will be one similar to the one in this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txm7eu8KxVI ), however, distilled water has a pH of 7. I'm wondering if there are ways to create ethanol with this method but to differ the pH some way in each try. Will the oxonium ions or the hydroxide disrupt the process? What is the best way to do this? I am aware that the yeast has a certain pH tolerance (however I have not found a reliable source on what that tolerance is).

Grateful if you could post the soures where you recieve info.

[Borek]

You can't avoid adding something to change the pH.

Do you know any chemical method of keeping the pH under control?

[SterlingArcher]

You can't avoid adding something to change the pH.

Do you know any chemical method of keeping the pH under control?

Of course I know we'll have to add something to shift the pH. I was, primarily, just wondering whether the oxonium or hydroxide ions will interfere with the anaerobic respiration of the yeast (in any relevant sense). Thus not producing any ethanol.

[Babcock_Hall]

Let me rephrase Borek's question, which it seems to me is the critical one.  Do you know of anything that can hold the pH almost constant?  Using this thing, can the experimenter choose at which pH to run a given experiment?

[Borek]

I was, primarily, just wondering whether the oxonium or hydroxide ions will interfere with the anaerobic respiration of the yeast (in any relevant sense)

Isn't it what you are planning to check?