PH tester

[Midlife]

I am interested in getting a PH tester now I'm using starsan as well... Trouble is there seems to be a large range! Really cheap to very expensive for beer making. So the million dollar question is... What's a good one for all grain? Any recommendations?

Cheers.

[goldthirst]

You can get the cheap yellow type one's but I would get one of these as they are an improvement.

[republicofbeer]

I use a Hanna Instruments one as below link

https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/ph-wa ... s/4100902/

Don't forget to buy the proper calibration solution too, whichever one you go for


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[grmski]

this one is at a good price http://amzn.to/2umcIgc

[Jocky]

You can get the cheap yellow type one's but I would get one of these as they are an improvement.

I have the voltcraft one. It's good.

Get decent calibration buffers too though. I tried out the sachet ones that you mix with distilled/deionised water (e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PH-Buffer-Sol ... Fh7XuFuVYQ) and they were bang on with more expensive Hanna ready made ones.

[Fil]

for starsan viability testing a 50p book of ph test papers is the quickest, and easiest solution imho, no worries about equipment accuracy

if after a volcraft meter pm me i have one bought on a whim bnib only removed to look at, never used.. make me an offer..

[Eric]

for starsan viability testing a 50p book of ph test papers is the quickest, and easiest solution imho, no worries about equipment accuracy

if after a volcraft meter pm me i have one bought on a whim bnib only removed to look at, never used.. make me an offer..

I've the Voltcraft one and work it hard. On my second probe now which was bought cheaply off the bay and needed virtually no adjustment to the original settings.
I too use cheap strips for testing pH of clear liquids for sanitation etc. Takes less time than getting the probe out of the storage solution.

[PeeBee]

Remember, however much you pay, the probes have a finite life - 1 or 2 years?

So you need a cheap one you can afford to toss away and replace, or a smarter model you can later buy probes for at a reasonable price. You know when the probe has had it when you need to recalibrate it every time you look at it (if you can recalibrate it).

[Eric]

My replacement was one of these, but don't think I paid that much while it was only a slight touch on the adjustment in calibration buffers.

May be time to order the next replacement.

[Jocky]

Just checked and my Voltcraft with it's original probe is 2 years old!

I guess I only use it once a month and I do store it in a KCl solution and wash the probe with deionised water before storage, but whenever I take it out it's usually only out of calibration by 0.02 or so, sometimes not at all.

[PeeBee]

As I've gone and made worrying statements, I better hand over to a more authoritative source. Dug this out:

http://www.all-about-ph.com/ph-probes.html

But the important points I noted: Probes age even if they are not used. Keep probes damp but never store in distilled (RO, deionised, etc.) water. Never wipe the sensor bulb. I don't think our application is considered "hard" use.

[chris2012]

I've got one of the Hanna pH probes, I should have looked after it a bit better though. I need to put new batteries in it, been ages since I used it. But I've bought some cheap bnc pH probes a while ago I've been meaning to play with. So I might get one of those voltcraft ones sometime. One thing about the Hanna ones, I'm not sure how much Hanna charges for new pH bulb things.

I don't think I've got any storage solution though so will have to get some.

[spook100]

Does anyone know whether the pH buffer solutions will keep once mixed? I would like to mix up say 500ml of each (4 and 7) and put them in plastic water bottles so that the are ready to use whenever I need them.

[Jocky]

Does anyone know whether the pH buffer solutions will keep once mixed? I would like to mix up say 500ml of each (4 and 7) and put them in plastic water bottles so that the are ready to use whenever I need them.

Generally, if you make them up with deionised water then yes they will be stable for some time in my experience.

Each time you calibrate though you will need to take some out and calibrate in that. If you just dip the probe in your whole bottle of calibration solution you’ll contaminate it and it’ll be incorrect.

[spook100]

Generally, if you make them up with deionised water then yes they will be stable for some time in my experience.

Each time you calibrate though you will need to take some out and calibrate in that. If you just dip the probe in your whole bottle of calibration solution you’ll contaminate it and it’ll be incorrect.

Perfect! Thanks!