Certain sugars, when exposed to high temperatures, undergo oxidation to produce acidic species. Certain sugar alcohols are also acid precursors. The acidification process is a function of temperature, salinity, pH, and/or the presence of an agent, such as an accelerator or a retarder. The rate of acidification may be controlled within a filter cake breaker fluid in order to achieve a predetermined fluid pH after a selectable period of time. The time controllable nature of the acidification allows the development of filter cake breaker fluids with an engineered activity delay.