measuring pH

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Dave Y

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What are some good ph measurement tools.
After a Brülosophy article, I picked up a Thermoworks meter. I'm on my 3rd, and have not had an accurate reading in 3 of the last 5 brews.

I tried a search, but no matter how many arguments I passed I got no results found- which I find difficult to believe.
 
Dave Y said:
What are some good ph measurement tools.
After a Brülosophy article, I picked up a Thermoworks meter. I'm on my 3rd, and have not had an accurate reading in 3 of the last 5 brews.

I tried a search, but no matter how many arguments I passed I got no results found- which I find difficult to believe.
Click to expand...
ask 10 brewers and get 8 answers and 2 are promoters
 
well I think unless you spend a lot of money they all go bad at some pt
I buy cheap ones on Amazon and just figure on replacing itfrequently
I actually stopped checking after I realized the calculations are pretty darn accurate
the only time Ill use one is when brewing sours
wasnt @Dave Y who doesn't do sours?
 
#Truth. I will not brew sours.

I just want something I can get close with, but the meter from t-works wasn't what I call inexpensive, I think it was about 75 bucks and I think the head units are 50 bucks. Even with spares, I've been left with no way to measure - as in I had spare head units and a spare meter. 2 of the head units were less than a month old, one was a replacement that just arrived... It's been very frustrating.
 
I find the $35 ph meter on Amazon is good enough. Use the calibration solution and it is close enough for what we do
 
yes I buy the cheap ones every year and calibrate it once and a while but you can get good benchtop models for 3 or $400
 
I use a cheap Chinese meter that I got on Amazon for like $15 that comes with the calibration powders. It's held calibration nicely for over a year now -- I check calibration every time I use it and it works great. Nothing beats these cheap pH meters, they work just fine, and if/when they fail after about 3 or 4 years, just buy a new one for another $15 (maybe $20 now, I'm not sure). I'm on my second one. First one lasted like 3.5 years before it became very difficult to calibrate. The one I have now I've had for about 2 years so far. I ain't spending no friggin $400, that's just stupid. We are friggin homebrewers making beer to drink at home. Don't be stupid ya'll.

David M. Taylor
Chemistry Analyst
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech Class of 1997
 
dmtaylor said:
I use a cheap Chinese meter that I got on Amazon for like $15 that comes with the calibration powders. It's held calibration nicely for over a year now -- I check calibration every time I use it and it works great. Nothing beats these cheap pH meters, they work just fine, and if/when they fail after about 3 or 4 years, just buy a new one for another $15 (maybe $20 now, I'm not sure). I'm on my second one. First one lasted like 3.5 years before it became very difficult to calibrate. The one I have now I've had for about 2 years so far. I ain't spending no friggin $400, that's just stupid. We are friggin homebrewers making beer to drink at home. Don't be stupid ya'll.

David M. Taylor
Chemistry Analyst
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech Class of 1997
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Do you have a link to the one you buy?
 
 
I have tried a couple of pH meters, including the cheap Amazon meters. I'm now using a Milwaukee MW102 and have been using the same meter for about 6 years. If you take care of the probe by keeping it in storage solution and clean it regularly, the probe lasts about 3 years. A new probe runs about $50. I expect my meter will last a long time if I take care of it. Buy once, cry once.

The MW102 is used by thousands of home brewers and pro's alike. It's really not very expensive, @$200, but I guess that's relative to your situation. pH has a massive impact on the beer, so $200 is well spent in my mind. Spending $500 on a DO meter is not worth it and I can get by without a density meter, but a pH meter is really a useful tool in brewing great beer.
 
dmtaylor said:
I use a cheap Chinese meter that I got on Amazon for like $15 that comes with the calibration powders. It's held calibration nicely for over a year now -- I check calibration every time I use it and it works great. Nothing beats these cheap pH meters, they work just fine, and if/when they fail after about 3 or 4 years, just buy a new one for another $15 (maybe $20 now, I'm not sure). I'm on my second one. First one lasted like 3.5 years before it became very difficult to calibrate. The one I have now I've had for about 2 years so far. I ain't spending no friggin $400, that's just stupid. We are friggin homebrewers making beer to drink at home. Don't be stupid ya'll.

David M. Taylor
Chemistry Analyst
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech Class of 1997
Click to expand...
Calibration powders???? i buy 500ml bottles of cailbration solution every so often, never heard of powder.
HighVoltageMan! said:
I have tried a couple of pH meters, including the cheap Amazon meters. I'm now using a Milwaukee MW102 and have been using the same meter for about 6 years. If you take care of the probe by keeping it in storage solution and clean it regularly, the probe lasts about 3 years. A new probe runs about $50. I expect my meter will last a long time if I take care of it. Buy once, cry once.

The MW102 is used by thousands of home brewers and pro's alike. It's really not very expensive, @$200, but I guess that's relative to your situation. pH has a massive impact on the beer, so $200 is well spent in my mind. Spending $500 on a DO meter is not worth it and I can get by without a density meter, but a pH meter is really a useful tool in brewing great beer.
Click to expand...
i use the Milwaukee as well. i know a bunch of breweries that also use this model. it has been very reliable for me. i did buy a new probe for it, but that was after using it for 2 years multiple times a day. i have gone through SOOO many ph meters, they all sort of suck until you get into the better quality ones. the stick ones are the worst(even the expensive ones).

i have been taking consistent ph readings on my batches for the last couple months. i will try to get some notes typed out to add to the discussion on ph. I have 4 brews this week so i will have more data and all of my tanks full by monday so ill have time in the beginning of next week to type that shit up and post it.
 
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Bigbre04 said:
Calibration powders???? i buy 500ml bottles of cailbration solution every so often, never heard of powder.

i use the Milwaukee as well. i know a bunch of breweries that also use this model. it has been very reliable for me. i did buy a new probe for it, but that was after using it for 2 years multiple times a day. i have gone through SOOO many ph meters, they all sort of suck until you get into the better quality ones. the stick ones are the worst(even the expensive ones).

i have been taking consistent ph readings on my batches for the last couple months. i will try to get some notes typed out to add to the discussion on ph. I have 4 brews this week so i will have more data and all of my tanks full by monday so ill have time in the beginning of next week to type that shit up and post it.
Click to expand...
You have to add water to the powder, very specific amount so the ph come out correct
 
I'll stick with pH strip for my rudimentary set up for now.
But at some point in time I may invest in a pH meter.
 
I have a Milwaukee Martini PH55 that I got in a trade a number of years ago. I think it's discontinued but the ones that seem to be in stock run $80 to $100. I've found it to be accurate and easy to use.
I think knowing the mash pH is pretty indispensable but I think that the recipe calculator and water chemistry calculator are really good at predicting it so if you didn't have one, you could count on being close enough. :)
 
Donoroto said:
I have a cheap Amazon meter. I suppose I should open the box once…

I have given up on pH. The calculations reassure me (even if they are wrong - I never checked) and my beer does not seem to have suffered.
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I second that motion. I never noticed a difference in the quality of my beer from when I measured and from when I didn’t, so I gave up on it.
 
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