Taking Recomendations for pH Meter and Digital Thermometer

[Fat Bastard]

Given that these are pretty essential to good brewing, and I've already invested an shitload of time and money (and time is money) on brewing gear in recent years, I don't mind dropping a bit of my ill gotten loot on some electronic bling.

The ph meter must be easily calibrated, waterproof, and preferably come with bottles (not sachets) of buffers (4.0 & 7.0) and storage solutions, and be way better and cooler looking than the cheapo one I've nicked borrowed from work. Should be in .01 increments

Thermometer should be a probe type, waterproof, easily calibrated and be in .1 increments,

There's seriously metric ship tons of things that are similar to my requirement on eBay, but I really have no idea of which ones are any good, as the price seems to vary widely. I've heard the "Hanna" brand bandied about here a bit, but again, price varies across models that seem similar.

Happy to drop 2-3 hundred on the pair, if need be. I figure that's what I've saved by taking a punt on Handy Imports stock pots anyway.

Cheers,

FB

 

[Fat Bastard]

Just a bump for the daytimers.
Cheers
FB

 

[Mardoo]

If you want genuine pH accuracy/resolution to the hundredths of points you're going to pay big and pay hard. I finally settled for genuine accuracy to the tenths of a point. All the advice I received was that tenths is fine for our purposes.

 

[Mardoo]

Oh yeah, Hanna, Sera Instruments and Milwaukee Instruments all have a good reputation and have models in your stated price range. .

 

[QldKev]

Get yourself some decent homebrewers pH strips, they last a long time and don't need calibrating. I've got some that go from 4.6 to 6.2 and since I've had then I don't use my pH meter anymore.

 

[Tex083]

I would look at the Hanna 98128 it's pH and temp in 1
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/parts-list-using?page=5
And come recommended from the electric brewery! I'm looking at getting one also. They are about $90 and have replaceable probes.

 

[sparkycameron]

Sorry For the drop in, but where do you get the strips from QLDKev?

 

[Fat Bastard]

Cheers Tex, that looks the goods. Will do some more research on that one.
Sparky, I got my strips from Craftbrewer, and borrowed some colorpHast ones from work. They work ok, although I always have nagging doubts in my mind about them.

 

[sparkycameron]

Colourphast strips are consistently 0.3ph above the genuine reading. Any idea on where to get colorphast strips? Can't find them anywhere

 

[QldKev]

I found all the local ones were not the best ranges for wort. The ones I got are here on ebay Cheaper than the sponsors and are an excellent wort range, being 4.6 to 6.2. If you get a few mates who want some the post becomes even cheaper.

 

[QldKev]

Also FB, what do you want the thermometer for, as a calibration or standard use one? The use one should be part of the system, ie a stc or pid. The calibration one I use is just an alcohol filled brewers one from ebay.

 

[Fat Bastard]

Mostly for calibrating the PID's, but I also so I can return the non calibratable kitchen digital probe back to where it belongs, doing what it was designed for, checking the insides of dead animals.
I've had a few funny things going on with my brews in the past couple of months, so I really would like to be able to make sure all the temps and pH values are as good as they can be. They're probably not the issue, but I'll feel a lot better if I can eliminate them from my enquiries.

 

[atregent]

For a thermometer, I don't think you can go past a ThermaPen

A bit on the pricey side, but they read quickly and accurately, and come with a calibration certificate. Great for calibrating temperature controllers and cooking. I love mine.

 

[mmmyummybeer]

I found all the local ones were not the best ranges for wort. The ones I got are here on ebay Cheaper than the sponsors and are an excellent wort range, being 4.6 to 6.2. If you get a few mates who want some the post becomes even cheaper.

Nice

Can see a bulk buy starting up on these to reduce the postage cost.

 

[Tex083]

I just broke my alcohol filled thermometer and have heel looking into this too I found this
http://www.brewhardware.com/thermometers/135-cdn-remote-probe
It's $20 USD and looks like its just as good as the ThermoPen