My wife is getting me a Milwaukee MW101 meter for my birthday coming up. But I can’t tell what comes with it and what other solutions I should get along with it.
She is buying through amazon since its pretty cheap - any advice would be helpful.
Tx
You’ll need the two calibration solutions (4.0 and 7.0 buffers) and storage solution. Other than that you should be good to go.
You’ll need two calibration solutions, 4.01 and 7.01 and also some storage solution. You can make your own storage solution with KCl and the 4.01 buffer but I just bought the premade solution. There is also a cleaning solution but I didn’t get any of that.
edit: sniped by tygo! 
Paul…I have the same meter and love it. It should come with 4 and 7 solutions. I use the White Labs vials for storing the probe and the solutions. I keep the soulutions in my cellar for cool storage. The meter is really easy to use and pretty darn accurate IMO. I store the probe in “tap water” as per the manufacturers recommendation (don’t use distilled water for storage).
I take a small sample of the mash and quickly chill it down to RT. The meter responds very quickly. I get a steady reading within 10 seconds. I use distilled water and salts to build my water profiles then add the grain and wait 10 min before I take a reading. This instrument is probably one of the most valuable tools in my brewery.
They now recommend storing it in “storage solution”.
MW101 Manual: “After completing measurements, switch the meter off and store the electrode with a few drops of storage solution (MA9015) in the protective cap.”
That must have just changed.
I spoke to a Milwaukee rep about a month or two ago and his recommendation was “tap water”.
I have this pH meter, and the package I bought came with a bottle of storage solution and a silicone protective cap that holds a bit of solution in contact with the probe. So, certainly use that stuff if you have it.
Otherwise, tap water is better than distilled.
You’ll probably want to get some additional calibration solution (4.01 and 7.01). You can get it by the bottle, or you can get it in the little 20ml foil sachets. I prefer the sachets because they are dead simple to use: Just cut off the top and dunk the probe straight in.
What is the shelf life for the reference solutions once opened, and how often to people calibrate? My LHBS sells the sachets as well as bottles of the solutions. I like the idea of the sachets, and I think you can order them in bulk, but I presume they are meant for single use. I can see the attraction in getting the bottles of the solution, but only if they don’t go bad after a short amount of time.
My bottles usually have a “best by” date over a year from the purchase date.
cool - they had a package deal (4.01+7.01+storage) on sale, so that’s what I told her to get - thanks fellas.
blatz, please post the Amazon link…
thanks
tom
edited for spelling
I store mine in the green General Hydroponics 7.01 calibration fluid. It also says “storage solution” on the label. Was emphatically advised not to use distilled or tap water to store the meter probe in.
I use the meter often and don’t need to calibrate it very much.
I’ve found that the calibration holds pretty steady over time. I used to calibrate before each use but since it doesn’t seem to drift I only do it occasionally now.
I calibrate every time I use my meter.
I find that now that I store my probe in storage solution, the calibration settings change very little. This suggests that if you store the probe properly, the meter should maintain its calibration better. I still check my calibration every session since its providing important information for my mash acidity vs pH calibration data set.
Another consideration is that as the probe ages, its susceptability to calibration drift is greater. I would check the calibration every several sessions in any case.
Can you buy a replacement probe for this pH meter?
Yes.
Cool, I have 10 more test strips. I am due to get me a pH meter
little confused here - I brewed a fest yesterday - pH read 5.61 at room temp and 5.44 at mash temp. I know its a little high, but I think I’m okay - gravity etc was fine. More important, does that differential seem right? I thought it should be 0.3 difference between mash and room temp readings?