Mash pH meter

[FirebladeAdam]

Morning ladies and gentlemen,
Has anyone bought a cheap PH meter from eBay or Amazon? I see some are about £6, I wondered if anyone had one and would advise buying one, or advise against it!
I really wonder whether the £120 are worth the difference, but I have decided my mash pH is my next 'thing' to fix.
TIA!

 

[foxy]

Morning ladies and gentlemen,
Has anyone bought a cheap PH meter from eBay or Amazon? I see some are about £6, I wondered if anyone had one and would advise buying one, or advise against it!
I really wonder whether the £120 are worth the difference, but I have decided my mash pH is my next 'thing' to fix.
TIA!

Depends how accurate they are I have one as a backup to my Hanna but never had to use it yet. Be aware the electrodes don't have a long life.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Ok, I don't know how accurate they are... do you fancy doing a quick test with a glass of water?
Thanks!

 

[foxy]

Ok, I don't know how accurate they are... do you fancy doing a quick test with a glass of water?
Thanks!

Not at this time of night.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Sorry to not realise where on the globe you are. I'm in the UK and it 0930. I didn't mean now anyway, bit perhaps when you have the chance?

 

[BlackRegent]

I've had the cheap pH meters and they are a load of crap to be honest. I've now got the Apera PH60 and I feel like I have something that will last me a long time, provided I look after it. There is a bit more faff in that you have to make sure the sensor bulb doesn't dry out by storing it in a special solution, but it's not exactly difficult.

Amazon had them at a reasonable price and you could pay in instalments interest free. Unfortunately, I can't currently find it on the website.

If you wanted a more economical solution, I would use test strips rather than a cheap pH meter - something like this...

https://brew2bottle.co.uk/products/...EN-Z41xpSFOIIRi0guNY8TQ7oXmuwM9QaArorEALw_wcB

 

[Ben034]

They can be fairly accurate, but the issue is they have to be calibrated all the time and don't seem to hold the calibration. I found that the 4.8-5.8 pH strips are cheap (when you take into account the ph calibration solutions etc) and work well for most purposes.

 

[Ben034]

I've had the cheap pH meters and they are a load of crap to be honest. I've now got the Apera PH60 and I feel like I have something that will last me a long time, provided I look after it. There is a bit more faff in that you have to make sure the sensor bulb doesn't dry out by storing it in a special solution, but it's not exactly difficult.

Amazon had them at a reasonable price and you could pay in instalments interest free. Unfortunately, I can't currently find it on the website.

If you wanted a more economical solution, I would use test strips rather than a cheap pH meter - something like this...

https://www.balliihoo.co.uk/beer-ac...k1py-yzUXWyJ50KNdssYSFwqen1-6v6IaArX3EALw_wcB

These are the ones I meant

 

[FirebladeAdam]

I've had the cheap PH meters and they are a load of crap to be honest. I've now got the Apera PH60 and I feel like I have something that will last me a long time, provided I look after it. There is a bit more faff in that you have to make sure the sensor bulb doesn't dry out by storing it in a special solution, but it's not exactly difficult.

Amazon had them at a reasonable price and you could pay in instalments interest free. Unfortunately, I can't currently find it on the website.

If you wanted a more economical solution, I would use test strips rather than a cheap pH meter - something like this...

https://www.balliihoo.co.uk/beer-ac...k1py-yzUXWyJ50KNdssYSFwqen1-6v6IaArX3EALw_wcB

That's a nice idea! It'll get me in the zone nice and cheaply. I'm all about the best beer I can make as cheap as I can make it!

 

[phildo79]

They can be fairly accurate, but the issue is they have to be calibrated all the time and don't seem to hold the calibration. I found that the 4.8-5.8 pH strips are cheap (when you take into account the ph calibration solutions etc) and work well for most purposes.

Does your tap water stay at a fairly constant pH? I bought a cheap-ish pen not that long ago and calibrated it. It said my tap water was 7.1 and in the subsequent two times I have used it, the pH has remained at 7.1. Would I really only need to calibrate it again if my tap water started giving significantly different readings?

 

[matt76]

I'll second the use of pH test strips like the ones above or these:
JOHNSON BEER pH INDICATOR STRIPS (pH 4.6-6.2) HOMEBREW JOHNSON BEER pH INDICATOR STRIPS (pH 4.6-6.2) HOMEBREW : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

I bought some to replace my cheap pH meter which went out of whack pretty quickly (so I'll also agree cheap meters aren't worth it). They also do a set of lower pH "wine" test strips which is useful if you want to check finished pH or if you're making a sour beer.

The strips do the job nicely though to be honest I barely ever use them now - similar to water calcium and hardness test kits, once you've got your process dialled in it's not really necessary to keep testing everything all the time.

 

[Galena]

The strips do the job nicely though to be honest I barely ever use them now - similar to water calcium and hardness test kits, once you've got your process dialled in it's not really necessary to keep testing everything all the time.

Although i do test every time, that is probably a very good point, I was at a local brewery buying some malt and asked them about their water profile, the head brewer told me that they only test for pH every now and again, they get a lab report every 6 months and otherwise use the Severn Trent Water report that is not that useful in my opinion. However the water is very neutral here and pretty stable, so as you say once you have it dialled in you don't need to test every time. A pro brewery of course has a set range of beers, but homebrewers tend to experiment and chop and change brews, in which case pH testing is recommended.

 

[The Baron]

I have one of the cheaper PH meters from China@ £10 and it has and still does give me a good service.
It may not be absolutely as accurate as the mega expensive ones but is well good enough for the majority of brewers.
I found mine does not need calibrating all the time and in 2 years have on had to do it once and then it was only a couple of points out. I use the calibration solution now and again to check it but it always is the same and it is virtually always bang on but only to one decimal point. Storage wise I rinse it under the tap and then put the cap on it so I must be doing something right as it is pretty accurate enough for me.
So there you go that's my experience with them

 

[Druncan]

I'm the same as @the baron. I use 4/7 calibration solutions and storage + cleaner. Still works after 3 years. Like most things take care of them and read instructions and it'll last,,,,,
Unless it's a glass hydrometer they have an inbuilt death wish,,,,, Terrified I break my posh HMRC ones out here

 

[Braufather]

i had one that cost about £60 but didnt last a year. MY cheap yellow one ( about £10) is still going after 2. I cant confirm how accurate it is but seems to be on the money.

 

[The Baron]

Thats what mine is Braufather a yellow one about a tenner if I remember

 

[hoppyscotty]

I've got a cheap one and it seems to work OK...seems accurate enough when compared to strips. Not expecting it to last particularly long with it being cheap but cheap enough for me to give it a go. Think I will upgrade at some point and get one with a replaceable tip but so far its going fine. Think the compromise you make with cheap ones are in how long they last rather than how accurate they are. Cheap ones, like expensive ones, are only as good so long as you look after them...calibrate routinely, look after the tip as per instructions. Don't follow these rules and even expensive ones will give you sub-optimal results.

 

[Braufather]

Bump

Just looking at this again as my yellow one lasted well but its days are now over and its no longer available from the company I used last time. Looking to source elsewhere, reviews wise, they seem to be hit and miss - are there different manufacturers of these cheapy yellows or just different retailers?

can anyone link to a cheapy yellow that's worked well for them?

Alternatively, i don't mind spending a bit more for longevity. Hanna do one for about £50 which could be an option but the voltcraft one ( discussed here My new toy! ) i cant find for less than £100.

ive been using differing scale papers that over lap but often give contradictory results.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

I also have the Apera pH60. Been using it for several years now. The only thing I have ever needed to do is replace the calibration solutions. The calibration doesn't seem to shift too much so as long as the pH 7.0 measure is close, you don't need to make the second pH 4.0 calibration.

 

[Braufather]

Apera ph60 looks to come about £120. Thete ate other ones from same brand half the price.

What’s the compromise?