Proper pH measured mashing, here I come!

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I want to start looking at PH too, but it seems like the meters are a PITA to use, and the strips are not that accurate - the colors all look damn near the same between 5.2 and 5.7 on the strips I have. Maybe I need new strips
 
That's a great deal. Wow. I am envious.

I have hard water that is low in calcium, so I am starting to think about mash pH for lighter beers. I was thinking of using a pH meter and adjusting with acid, so I would be really interested to hear how you like using this. I assumed they would be great, except MA Brewer says they can be a PITA. It would be good to hear what others think.
 
MA_Brewer said:
I want to start looking at PH too, but it seems like the meters are a PITA to use, and the strips are not that accurate - the colors all look damn near the same between 5.2 and 5.7 on the strips I have. Maybe I need new strips

No, you are using the $1 ones I use. Made to test rain water or something.

It makes good beer so who gives a flyin ...?
 
FlyGuy said:
I assumed they would be great, except MA Brewer says they can be a PITA. It would be good to hear what others think.

Yes, please listen to others! I don't even own one, because I *think* it will be a PITA to have - you have to calibrate it each time, with two different solutions I think, and then store it in a special solution. Then, the measurment tip only lasts about a year, and costs $45 or so to replace - that is my understanding, anyway.
 
Calibration takes almost no time at all, just need to make sure you've got the buffer solutions ready! This seems like a nice find, let me know how it works!
 
Here is a pH sensor for $78 that one could easily integrate into the mash monitor microcontroller system. One could monitor the temperature of the mash as well as the pH.

This sensor works to 80C (176F). You have to be careful when looking at these things because some of them are not rated for high temperatures.

http://www.vernier.com/probes/ph-bta.html
 
brewman ! said:
Here is a pH sensor for $78 that one could easily integrate into the mash monitor microcontroller system. One could monitor the temperature of the mash as well as the pH.
I figured something like this existed. I also couldn't pass up the $25 deal on eBay. Perhaps I'll figure out how to get digital or analog output out of the one I just bought...
 
Alright, the damn thing arrived in the mail today. Kudos to the seller for fast shipping.

However, buffer fluid was leaking all over the place when it got here because a cap was loose. I was willing to overlook that...until I found that it's f$%@ing BROKEN! The probe is broken right in half, and it doesn't appear that it was damaged during shipping - the protective case is completely intact.
eBay listing said:
ATC TEMP PH METER PICCOLO PLUS BY HANNA. IN WORKING CONDITION BUT NEEDS NEW BATTERY.
Yeah...working condition if you count that the upper half did power up when I installed batteries. But, IT WON'T MEASURE $HIT WITH A BROKEN PROBE! A replacement probe is about $50.

I have contacted the seller and asked for either a replacement meter, replacement probe, or full refund. This is my first negative experience with eBay. Thankfully it wasn't very expensive. I wonder how this will be resolved...

In the meantime, NEVER buy from this seller.
 
The probes are basically a wear item anyway, aren't they? I thought they only lasted like a year or so? I kinda figured you'd end up replacing it.
 
the_bird said:
The probes are basically a wear item anyway, aren't they? I thought they only lasted like a year or so? I kinda figured you'd end up replacing it.
Yes...but that's not the point. It's broken in half.
 
The PH probes dont usually wear out, the potassium salt inside the glass leaches out and you cant recalibrate. You can revive the probes by storing them in the potassium chloride salt solution sold for that purpose, and recalibrate again. PH probes will normally need recalibration on a 6 month cycle, and salt recharge on a yearly basis. you might want to let the sample cool a bit before taking a PH reading as the built in temperature compensation in the competitively priced units might have a significant effect on PH reading.
 
kladue said:
The PH probes dont usually wear out, the potassium salt inside the glass leaches out and you cant recalibrate. You can revive the probes by storing them in the potassium chloride salt solution sold for that purpose, and recalibrate again. PH probes will normally need recalibration on a 6 month cycle, and salt recharge on a yearly basis. you might want to let the sample cool a bit before taking a PH reading as the built in temperature compensation in the competitively priced units might have a significant effect on PH reading.

With the HUGE caveat that all my knowledge on this topic is second-hand, but as per Jamil on this week's podcast, that's not the case. Once they start wearing out (the term JZ used), the calibration is not reliable. Some of the better models will indicate to you when the probe itself is becoming unreliable and needs to be replaced.
 
<rant>

Ok, so I returned the broken meter for a refund. The seller promptly refunded my money, and I left this neutral feedback:

Product broken and unusable. Prompt refund. Fast shipping. Will avoid seller.

Her response was to leave this negative feedback for me:

Retarded!!!!Ebay poison!!!!Avoid like plague!!!!

Wow! I have a feeling that she knowingly sent me a broken product, and now she is marring my 100% positive record with personal attacks. I know she is attempting to get me to mutually withdraw my comment. I'd rather just leave it as is, and enter a response to her negative. WHAT A BEAATCH!!!!

Here's my off-the-record response (mods, is this ok?):

AVOID alison-beker LIKE THE PLAGUE!

</rant>
 
Yuri_Rage said:
<rant>

Ok, so I returned the broken meter for a refund. The seller promptly refunded my money, and I left this neutral feedback:

Product broken and unusable. Prompt refund. Fast shipping. Will avoid seller.

Her response was to leave this negative feedback for me:

Retarded!!!!Ebay poison!!!!Avoid like plague!!!!

If I saw that on eBay, I would see it for what it was. Your feedback was pretty subdued, and hers was emphatically hysterical. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who was likely at fault for this transaction. I would let it stand.
 
dibby33 said:
I learned the hard way to check sellers history. Hers is not looking very good. Don't go on the %age as they could just be going bad in the last month.
I usually do that. I was a little hasty to bid in this case, and it bit me. You can bet that I'll be much more diligent in checking comments in the future.

I'm going to contact eBay and ask that her comment be removed because it is potentially offensive (they don't remove scathing or retaliatory feedback, but they do remove offensive comments).
 
Yuri
If your interested in interfacing the PH information with your computer take a look at the Hanna HI 9815 PH probe and transmitter with a RS 232 interface and software for display and calibration, new price around $85-$95.
 
the_bird said:
Let us know how that works. I'm happy just using the 5.2 Buffer for now, but if I could start measuring PH accurately for $23, well... I just might do that.
OK, I got this a few days ago, and tested it out this weekend - It calibrated easily, and I was able to check the pH of my Star San as well as mash - It worked quickly and easily. I was a little skeptical of using a pH meter at first, but so far this does seem easy. Hopefully the probe will last quite a while as I don't intend to use it all that often.

My mash was at 5.1 - without any 5.2 buffer. I just bought a can of 5.2 buffer, but I guess I don't need it! I also just started to use my own city tap water, filtered through a carbon filter. It was nice to not have to run to the store to pick up bottled water before the brew session.
 
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