Ph Meter

[sltm1]

Are those cheapie on Ebay worth the $12.00 or should I by a better one? I'm only ever going to need it for my wash, no plants or swimming pools.

[nerdybrewer]

Are those cheapie on Ebay worth the $12.00 or should I by a better one? I'm only ever going to need it for my wash, no plants or swimming pools.

Its what I got, it needed new batteries because it was shipped turned on however the seller knocked off $5 after hearing about it.
Good feedback was worth it to him.

[bearriver]

I'm qualified for this one. If you want cheap, then buy pH drops and check the color over a white background (such as a sheet of paper) in natural light. That will give you repeatable results within our room for error tolerances. If you cannot justify spending $100 on a meter and supplies, then I think they are not the right tool for your job. Remember pH meters are only necessary for people that either use them daily or people that have poor vision (color detection). I fall into both of those groups, otherwise I would use pH indicator drops.

Cheap meters are unreliable, more so over time. I've owned a dozen or so pH meters of varying quality and thrown good money after bad on them. A cheap one can be accurate enough at least for awhile if you take care of it. With all meters, you need to verify it's accuracy from time to time. They are unimaginably fragile.

Here is a few things to know about pH meters.

1. Meters that can be calibrated are worth the extra money (this involves buying a calibration kit)
2. Get and use a PH probe cleaning kit (followed by calibration)
3. Consider a meter with replaceable probes
4. Keep the probe wet at all times. If it dries, it dies. (Put KCI storage solution on the sponge in the cap)
5. Don't drop it
6. NEVER let it touch distilled or super soft water.
7. Verify your pen is accurate with either a known solution from a calibration kit, against another meter, or pH drops which are cheaper than strips.
8. Everything else I forgot. Still on my first cup of coffee...
9. Supplies can be found at hydroponics supply shops and indoor lighting supply.

I've used Bluelab brand meters for a few years now. One of which has outlasted three $80 Hanna meters, and a handful of el cheapos, while remaining dead nuts accurate. Of course I follow the manufacture cleaning and calibration regime which includes a kit a storage solution.

Here are a few products that I highly recommend.

pH Drops http://www.amazon.com/GH-Test-Kit-1oz-7 ... +indicator" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Bluelab Pen http://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-pH-Pen-Me ... B005POOJHG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
KCI Storage solution http://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-STSOL100- ... e+solution" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Small kit http://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-Probe-Cle ... lab+pH+kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Big kit (much cheaper elsewhere) http://www.amazon.com/Bluelab-pH-Probe- ... lab+pH+kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[kiwi Bruce]

Bearriver:- excellent post dude!

[sltm1]

Bearriver, $100 right now would be stretching my "hobby" budget a bit, it's always a toss up for me between stillin' and BP revolvers, last month revolver's won. I can't get these damned ph papers to show any appreciable difference in any light and I never heard of the drops before so that's what I'll do. Personally I'll take a "mechanical" test over an "electronic" one every day of the week! Thanks for the tip on the drops.

[bearriver]

Bearriver, $100 right now would be stretching my "hobby" budget a bit, it's always a toss up for me between stillin' and BP revolvers, last month revolver's won. I can't get these damned ph papers to show any appreciable difference in any light and I never heard of the drops before so that's what I'll do. Personally I'll take a "mechanical" test over an "electronic" one every day of the week! Thanks for the tip on the drops.

Pens are not practical for most people here IMO due to quality over cost value. Different strokes for different folks as it were. Some folks are happy as can be with cheap meters. I personally just think they aren't aware of their inaccuracies.

Drops work much better than strips do. You can for around $9 buy an 8 ounce bottle from General Hydroponics that will refill the dropper bottle I linked you many of times. That will last years, and is worth having even if you get a pen in the future. Sunlight on clean white paper gives the best background for identifying the color in your testing cup.

[sltm1]

Got one of those kit's off Ebay and saved the $12.00 shipping charge Amazon wanted to include. Thanx again.

[Ferment_It]

Great idea with the drops bear.

Bought a cheapo pen(~$25) from Amazon that had good reviews. Figured all those people can't be wrong. Calibrated it off my lab's 4, 7, and 10 pH solutions. Crap. Calibrated off the 4 and 7. It's a little better but only marginally better than paper... Pretty much a +/- pH of 1. Useless for trying to nail down pH for enzymes.

Guessing all those good reviews were from folks who figured since it has a digital readout that it must be right.

I have the Etekcity yellow random number generator.

[woodshed]

My cheapo pen is spot on and has been for a few years now. Keep it clean and calibrate often. No problem.

[bearriver]

Which brand? I'll definitely buy one.

[woodshed]

I don't remember off hand and am at Wolfe Brewery right now. Headed to the distillery in a few so I'll look and post up.
Got a mash to transfer over to ferment and two to transfer to the boiler sisters for tomorrows runs.

[woodshed]

Oakton Ecotester. Think it was around 40 bucks.

[bearriver]

$50. I wouldn't necessarily call it a cheapo but it does seem like a fantastic entry level meter on paper. It has replaceable probes plus you can use generic calibration fluid from anywhere... Nice. I'll try it.

http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-W ... B004G8PWAU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[woodshed]

Costs 50 bucks around here for a cheap night out with the wife. I consider that cheap for a ph meter.
Honestly, if your serious about checking ph why even consider a $12 dollar meter?

Drops are the next best for sure but cannot match the accuracy of a clean, calibrated meter.
Gotta have fresh batteries as well. I have learned over the years that low batteries will easily work the display but screw with your readings.

[stilldistillin]

The cheap pH meters are not the greatest. I purchased a $30 one which died in about 1 month. It doesn't work any more at all. Best would be to use pH paper and a dropper.

If you want to spend $200+, then get a proper meter from a reputable US-based company.

[woodshed]

$200 plus? Been there. No better than what I am using now. I hate to say it but American made doesn't make it better.
Most of the people who assemble these things in the US are working for minimum wage which is way below the poverty level in this country. Unless you have like 5 kids the taxes will put you at 4 bucks an hour take home?

Show me papers or drops that can take you to an exact number and I may switch. Doubt it.

Exact numbers provide exact results. Anything less is exactly that. Less than repeatable.

[stilldistillin]

https://prolabscientific.com/Hanna-Educ ... 24315.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[woodshed]

$330 for a kit? Someone needs a new boat.

[bearriver]

Made in Honduras junk. I never had a Hanna probe last over 6 months. Considering replacements are $150 just for the probe, that is shooting for the moon.

At the $300 dollar price range you should be getting into mid range laboratory grade equipment. Here's my baby. It's not the one I use for brewing because it's wall mounted.) http://hydrobuilder.com/bluelab-guardia ... oCKvjw_wcB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[sltm1]

The price spectrum is huge for these things. Amazing to think a cheap one will work at all considering what top of the line is !! It's like a McDonalds 1/4 pounder vs. a Kobe beef burger. Not to hijack my own thread, but has anyone ever tried Kobe beef and what's your opinion?

[nerdybrewer]

The price spectrum is huge for these things. Amazing to think a cheap one will work at all considering what top of the line is !! It's like a McDonalds 1/4 pounder vs. a Kobe beef burger. Not to hijack my own thread, but has anyone ever tried Kobe beef and what's your opinion?

My guess it's probably about 5.4 on the PH meter...

[Jesse]

I've got a Milwaukee MW 101 that I've been using for about the last 2 years or so, mostly for brewing beer. They go for about $80 on Amazon. I calibrate it occasionally, and it's never been off by more than about .05, usually less. I always keep the probe in the storage solution when I'm not using it, and always cool liquids to 40º or less before using it. I'm pretty happy.

[frunobulax]

I've got a Milwaukee MW 101 that I've been using for about the last 2 years or so, mostly for brewing beer. They go for about $80 on Amazon. I calibrate it occasionally, and it's never been off by more than about .05, usually less. I always keep the probe in the storage solution when I'm not using it, and always cool liquids to 40º or less before using it. I'm pretty happy.

I've got the MW 102. I definitely keep it in storage solution and calibrate it before use. For probe longevity isn't optimum testing temperature 70-80 f? (room temperature).

[skow69]

I've got an Oakton EcoTestR, 2 or 3 years old. worked perfect for a year. But I'm hard on em. It dried out and now it won't calibrate. But it reads 7.01 buffer as 9.3, and 4.01 buffer as 6.2 +/- 0.1 every time. I take a reading and subtract 2.3. Plenty accurate for enzyme mashing. I won't be surprised when it dies, but I'll use it as long as it is consistent.

I can't knock Hanna. I had a $200 triple tester that worked great for like 5 years. Still working when I retired it.

[Jesse]

For probe longevity isn't optimum testing temperature 70-80 f? (room temperature).

Yes. I should have mentioned I meant 40ºC (104ºF). Being in the US I do everything else in ºF, but since the meter's scale is Celsius that's my one measurement in ºC.

I try to get everything to 25C (77ºF) when I can. 90% of my measurements are between 20ºC (68ºF) and 30ºC (86ºF).

[bearriver]

Skow, that's because Hanna was once made in the USA. Go figure...

[skow69]

Riteon. It sucks but everybody has to compete with Asian slave labor rates.

[woodshed]

Sad but true.

[thecroweater]

I bought a pH pen that can be re-calibrated and tested. it cost me $6, free postage

[skow69]

Incredible. Let us know how long it lasts