Im on the market for a decent pH Meter. Does anyone have any suggestions for a decent pH Meter or what to look for in a pH Meter?
Thanks
I’ve been happy with my Hannah Instruments.
Still hoping for some helpful info on this subject:)
This is one of those discussions that seems to come down to ‘I like the one I have’ I am not sure that there is a huge qualitative difference between brands in similar price tiers.
Ok, how about “About how much should i expect to spend for a decent pH meter that will do the things i am told i should want it to do?”
I’ve been happy with the Milwaukee ph600 el cheapo ph meter. I had consistently hit my ph number each time, so I don’t even bother checking anymore. I still keep it around to test out Star San that’s been left out to see if it’s still good.
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=PH_Meter_Buying_Guide
I think this is the resource you might be looking for. Kai is quite helpful, and would suggest his three part series on understanding pH on that same website.
+1
Perfect, thanks!
Looks like the meter Kai Suggested is no longer available. but the points he suggests looking for are what i will go by:)
The MW101 is the new model, which is equivalent to the one Kai has.
I have the MW102 which is the new one with automatic calibration and I’ve never had any problems. YMMV.
I had assumed the mw101 was the new version. its getting some crappy reviews on amazon. dunno if its rivals talking poorly about someone elses gear. all the pH meters seem to have a 5050 feedback
Last time I read those reviews, the negative ones seemed to be mostly complaining about maintaining regimens or life of the electrode. From what I understand, this is normal in all pH meters.
Milwaukee MW102 PH and Temperature Meter - http://www.milwaukeetesters.com/MW102.html
Around $100 bucks. It works well.
I have found that I hit my numbers “close enough” and could say that I didn’t really need a pH meter. But if you want to really have control on what you are creating you need one so you can adjust your water or grain bill. Different grain, different crop year, different recipe, etc. It’s worth the few minutes it takes to check your pH.
Kai has great info on his website.
Ajdelange has a great thread here as well: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/brewing-water-chemistry-primer-198460/
This thread actually made be pull out my ph meter on Saturday while I was brewing. I’ve had for 1.5 years and had not taken it out of the box. I had reasons for not using it but none that really held up to scrutiny. I intended to start tracking my water more closely but a lot of “life” got in the way.
My basic American Wheat mash gave me a reading of 5.4 with no water treatments or chemical additions. Not bad for “blindly brewing through the new millennium”. 8^) One of these days I’ll get a Ward Labs test done on my water and see where I’m at.
The meter is a Milwaukee pH56. Basic meter from Northern Brewer’s site. Seems to work fine.
Paul
Yep - keeping them wet and calibrated is a PITA. That’s why I still use pH strips.
I have pH strips and they never seem to be one of, or even near, the colors on the back of the bottle. I was hoping a pH meter would take the guesswork out of it.
funny…