ph meter or thermapen?

Which one would you rather have?
So I counted my jar of spare change. Decided to spend it on brewing stuff. I've been thinking about a ph meter for some time now because of off flavors and low efficiency in some of my lighter beers. I have been using bottled RO from the grocery store thinking my tap water is inconsistent (not likely, but w/out a Ward labs water report I'm kind of blind. City report is incomplete).
On the other hand, if I just start using a water calculator/spreadsheet with the RO then that should get me at least in the right ballpark right?
I use 2 different thermometers, one Taylor digital, one old school mercury that came with my original brewing equipment 8yrs ago. They are never the same even in icewater and boiling (digital reads 208-210 @ boiling, 30-32 in icewater)
Anyways, I'm gonna buy one or the other, just wondering what smarter people than me think.

I'd vote thermapen since you can use pH strips to help dial in on your mash pH in the interim (but trying to adjust for two thermometers that are off by different amounts is a bit harder.)

it would depend on what problems you're trying to solve.

if you are consistent and happy with fermentability then I would go with pH meter. wort temp can obviously effect efficiency but if its only lighter beers then it could be a pH issue.

thermapen is one of the more useful(not just in brewing) and important brewing tools I own.

PH meter is practically worthless. Using a spreadsheet like bru'n water with RO water will get you as close as you need to be.

Also, room temp PH does not equal mash temp PH, and using a PH meter at mash temps is bad for it's longevity.

Are you a big cook/griller? If so, I'd say Thermapen because you'll get a ton of use out of it in the kitchen and on the grill. If not, then go for the pH meter and one of thermoworks' less expensive, but perfectly suitable thermometers.

as i understand it, mash pH is always taken at room temperature. and any ranges you see should be given at room temperature as well.

saying a pH meter is worthless is pretty shortsighted in my opinion. Especially since the OP is using tap water with an incomplete report.

motobrewer said:

as i understand it, mash pH is always taken at room temperature. and any ranges you see should be given at room temperature as well.

saying a pH meter is worthless is pretty shortsighted in my opinion. Especially since the OP is using tap water with an incomplete report.

Click to expand...

The OP has been using RO water.

thermapen!

pH meter!

Thermapen is handy. You could also pick up some lactic acid and experiment if you think you have ph issues.


Though honestly, if your main concern is efficiency, then your grain crush and mash equipment/process should be looked at thoroughly.

No real opinion in ph testing...never had any issues using ozarka spring water yet in the N. Dallas area. If I had weird off flavors and everything else was consistent and dialed in, then I'd definitely look into it more.

I do strongly believe that in general, an accurate, reliable thermometer is critical to the brewing process (and has non-brewing uses too)!

I picked up a 24 inch digital from thermoworks -model (RT610B-24) (34.99 with shipping). Kind of pricey, and maybe a little overkill - but one of my favorite and most useful tools in my process. Plus it's fun to use at 24" and don't have to break your back using it. But there's plenty of good smaller and cheaper alternatives, and IMO necessary to rule out temp issues throughout the process as the culprit for off flavors.

Off flavors are the main issue. I am thinking lower efficiency on a few batches might be related, which has been steering me toward ph meter. Most of my off flavored batches are with tap water which is why I try to buy water. I did make a simple extract mosaic blonde a couple weeks ago that has no off flavors. But most lighter AG batches get this really strange plastic like flavor. Darker beers (black ale and milk stout) all turn out decent. Again, this is telling me mash ph is an issue. Even if my thermometer was off 3º and I was mashing at 147º or 153º it still wouldn't change much except the body of the beer right?

Are you filtering or treating your tap water in any way? Specifically to remove chlorine and/or chloramine?

I use camden tablets when I use tap water.

Sorry double post

A good pH meter that goes into the hundredths. One that just goes into the tenths is not accurate enough for brewing purposes.

There are good stick thermometers that cost less than $20.

Finding a good ph meter seems a bit overwhelming because of the price ranges and mixed reviews on every one. I'm leaning toward the Milwaukee mw101.

Maybe if I dig into the couch and return some empties I can also get that thermometer brewinBromanite uses. I like the idea of 24" length.

I own both the thermapen and the Milwaukee and if I had to choose one I'd pick the PH meter. More and more brewing publications are stressing the importance of proper PH. It's important from the mash to fermentation and has the biggest effect on flavor. PH strips are not accurate enough for brewing. With temperature, you can be off several degrees and not notice any difference in flavor. However the PH has to be within a very narrow range (depending on the style). I think you could get pretty close with mash temps using your current thermometers. The downside to the PH meter is having to frequently calibrate it (which means buying PH solution) and eventually replacing the probe every couple of years which costs almost as much as the meter.

You should be able to calibrate the thermometers. Since you've checked both in ice water and boiling water, you can work up a scale to correct the reading. Here's an article on calibrating a thermometer: http://byo.com/departments/item/412-calibrating-thermometers-techniques

Thanks for the link. I hadn't even thought of that as a solution. Just finished an amber of sorts and got 73%. Acceptable, but not the 83% I used to get (well water at my old house).