pH meters - what's good and what's not?

[antiphile]

This is very topical for me. I saw this on BeerBelly yesterday for $45 and will give it a try as a first attempt.

http://shop.beerbelly.com.au/ph-meter.html

 

[Camo6]

http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/151478602398

This is the one I bought Mofox. It's gone up a couple of bucks but like I said it's a cheap and somewhat reliable entry level meter.

 

[danestead]

I use a Hanna Instruments 98128 which is accurate to 0.05 PH. Hanna Instruments are a very respectable brand for what they do. It cost me about $130 on ebay plus the calibration solutions and storage solution.

Milwaukee also seem very respectable from my research. Id be buying one of those next time and expect it to be as good as the Hanna. I recall there being a model which had an accuracy of 0.01 or 0.02 for a similar price to the Hanna I bought.

2 tips, all electronic Ph testers are only as good as when they were last tested and do your research on how to use them, in particular the ATC. The ATC likely works a little different to what you think. You will still need to apply a correction to your PH readings if you are measuring at mash temperature. There is info on this from reputable articles online.

 

[Mardoo]

Yep, I always cool my mash samples before I test pH. From what I've read ATC is a workaround, not a solution. At the time scales mashing works on, knowing the pH 5 minutes sooner likely won't make a noticeable difference in the final product.

 

[danestead]

Yep, I always cool my mash samples before I test pH. From what I've read ATC is a workaround, not a solution. At the time scales mashing works on, knowing the pH 5 minutes sooner likely won't make a noticeable difference in the final product.

Yep good practice. ATC corrects an error in measurement of the probe. The PH of beer actually changes with temperature (not an error in measurement. The ph actually changes) which is why you want to measure it at room temp as that is what most people make reference to.