What is the tested accuracy variance of Kegland pH meters? I can't find an accuracy rating in the manual or listed on your site. It is stated that the resolution is 0.01, which makes it an accurate meter, however resolution is not the same as accuracy. Most pH meters in that price bracket are 0.1 accuracy whether they have 0.01 resolution or 0.1 resolution.
Given there is much inference in the product description and video that Kegland have designed and manufactured the pH meter and that Kegland expect that brewers will use it to measure 'hot wort from the mash tun' I find it odd that the operating temperature range only goes to 50C. This means that any reading at temperatures above this can't be relied on at all and damage likely to occur to the meter. So why are statements made, implying that it is normal for brewers to take pH measurement at mash temps, when anything above 50C will potentially damage the unit. For example
"Home brewing puts a lot of stress on the electrodes. Especially if you are testing hot wort directly from your mash tun." and
"Lets face it, you are not going to wait for your wort sample to cool down to 20C are you." Conversely, neither the video, manual nor product description has one statement that recommends that the customer does wait for it to cool down.
On the video is this
"a lot of guys brewing, obviously are going to be measuring hot wort in particular, or they don't have the patience to let it cool down to room temperature and if you don't have ATC you are gonna get a poor accuracy reading and that's gonna be a bit of a problem for you." If Kegland know this then why have 50C max. If it is too expensive to make a unit that goes as high as 70C, then why not strongly recommend for customers not to go above 50C. As far as ATC and poor accuracy readings, that is a bit of lack of understanding given the meter's ATC only goes to 50C as well. ATC doesn't take into account the change in the pH of the wort solution itself at any given temperature (different to 25C).
Link for reference.
Why isn't Kegland encouraging brewers to test mash/wort samples at as close to room temperature (25C) as possible. This would give them better accuracy for their purposes (of comparing pH values with recommended mash pH values that are all given for room temperature)? Such advise from the maker/seller would also increase the life span of the electrode for the customer.
Quotes regarding ATC.
AJ deLange;
"Even if your meter is equipped with properly functioning ATC you need to allow for actual mash temperature if it is more than a few degrees above room temperature. All pH measurements in brewing are referred to room temperature."
Kai Troster;
"many brewers think that ATC means that you can test the mash pH at any temp within the pH meter’s temperature range. While this is true you still need to know the temperature dependent pH shift in order to correct the pH temp to the standard temperature at which the optimal pH targets were published. Briggs and DeClerck cite a pH shift of -0.35 between a room temps and a mash temp sample while my own experiments showed only -0.18. There doesn’t seem to be much data about this shift out there and the majority of the pH values that are given for brewing are room temp pH measurements. Just because a meter has ATC it is not more accurate, especially if the sample's temperature to pH function is unknown."
