I'm evaluating two different Alkaline beer line cleaners. The manufacturer suggested a good way to compare strength was to take a volume of water and add the cleaner to it and see how the pH changed. I'm trying to make sense of my results.
I started with 2 quarts of water, it measured pH of 7.52 (measured with MW102 that I just calibrated).
I added 10 ml of first cleaner pH = 12.61
+ 10 ml, pH = 12.92
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.11
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.32
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.42
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.53
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.55
I left the probe in the pitcher of water + cleaner continually as I added cleaner, and stirred it to mix in.
I rinsed out my plastic pitcher with water, and wiped it dry with a paper towel.
When I filled it back up with water again, my probe would only read pH > 10.
I kept rinsing with fresh water, but couldn't get the pH back into the 7.x range. I returned the probe to its vial of storage solution for a few minutes.
Eventually, I got the down to pH = 8.41 in 2 qts of water.
+ 10 ml of cleaner#2, pH = 13.52
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.87
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.01
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.12
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.22
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.20
My questions:
1. I'm wondering if the high pH reading on the second batch of water was because the alkaline cleaner was leeching into the pitcher, of if leaving the probe in my sample for several minutes while I gradually added more alkaline cleaner shifted my meter readings? If so, what would the proper process be- take it out and put it back in for new reading?
2. Should I be focused on the pH value when comparing these 2 cleaners, or just how much I added until the pH stabilized (60 ml for first cleaner, 50 ml for the second)?
I started with 2 quarts of water, it measured pH of 7.52 (measured with MW102 that I just calibrated).
I added 10 ml of first cleaner pH = 12.61
+ 10 ml, pH = 12.92
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.11
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.32
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.42
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.53
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.55
I left the probe in the pitcher of water + cleaner continually as I added cleaner, and stirred it to mix in.
I rinsed out my plastic pitcher with water, and wiped it dry with a paper towel.
When I filled it back up with water again, my probe would only read pH > 10.
I kept rinsing with fresh water, but couldn't get the pH back into the 7.x range. I returned the probe to its vial of storage solution for a few minutes.
Eventually, I got the down to pH = 8.41 in 2 qts of water.
+ 10 ml of cleaner#2, pH = 13.52
+ 10 ml, pH = 13.87
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.01
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.12
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.22
+ 10 ml, pH = 14.20
My questions:
1. I'm wondering if the high pH reading on the second batch of water was because the alkaline cleaner was leeching into the pitcher, of if leaving the probe in my sample for several minutes while I gradually added more alkaline cleaner shifted my meter readings? If so, what would the proper process be- take it out and put it back in for new reading?
2. Should I be focused on the pH value when comparing these 2 cleaners, or just how much I added until the pH stabilized (60 ml for first cleaner, 50 ml for the second)?
