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Main
Date: 22 Aug 2007 21:27:22
From: Randall Nortman
Subject: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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(1) Can I drink stuff I've just stuck a digital pH meter into, or does
it leech nasty chemicals (e.g., from the calibration/storage
solution) into whatever you're measuring? Is the same true of pH
test strips?
(2) Are the meters difficult to keep clean? Can they be dipped into
sanitizing solution without damaging the elctrodes?
(3) I can get a cheapo digital pH meter with 0.1 resolution for about
$25. Spending more seems to get me more resolution, more robust
housing, auto-calibration, etc. But does any of that really
matter for light usage? I don't see needing to know pH to better
than +/-0.2 even.
TIA,
--
Randall
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 22:04:29
From: Vladimir
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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On Aug 23, 3:19 pm, Denny Conn <denny.g.c...@ci.eugene.or.us > wrote:
> Scott Sellers wrote:
> > I've tried pH strips. They must not have been very good ones,
> > because I never got anywhere in terms of resolution.
>
> I've gotten good results from the plastic ColorpHast strips.
>
> ---------->Denny
> --
> Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.
I'll second the narrow range colorphast strips. I've found that the
economy test strips just don't work well. I've even had signifigantly
conflicting results using wide range economy strips vs. narrow range.
Besides the colorphast strips I've had good luck with the Hydrion ph
papers. These come in a roll, kind of like tape and you can cut off
whatever length you need. I get the same results with the Hydrion
papers as with the colorphast strips +/-.2 ph and I think they're less
expensive.
-Vlad
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 16:06:24
From: John Krehbiel
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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On Aug 22, 6:22 pm, Randall Nortman <usenet8...@wonderclown.com >
wrote:
> On 2007-08-22, The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty <mikey...@666swampgas.666com> wrote:
>
> > You may just want to spend your money on good, narrow range pH papers.
> > Cheaper and less maintenance. There are test strips out there
> > specifically for beer.
>
> And can I dip them straight into my fermenting brew without leeching
> any nasty chemicals into it that would harm either the yeasts or,
> ultimately, the poor sap who drinks whatever swill I manage to make?
>
> (Nevermind bacterial contamination -- what I'm brewing right now
> includes lactic acid bacteria on purpose.)
>
> --
> Randall
You should remove a small amount to sample, not put either the meter
or the paper in the wort.
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 03:31:39
From: Joe Sallustio
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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> (Nevermind bacterial contamination -- what I'm brewing right now
> includes lactic acid bacteria on purpose.)
It's not good practice to place either in your final product. I don't
have good experiences with cheap pH meters. The probe is what you
really need for this to work right and it needs calibrated no matter
what. If you only need to know it to 0.2 than a narrow range stip may
work.
If you decide you want to know it for sure to 0.1 you normally need
to spend at least $50 on the meter and then something on buffers to
calibrate it. The cheapest way to get buffers is to but Hydrion
capsules and add them to 100 ml of distilled water; they last 2 months
if sealed well. They make a 3 pack of 4, 7 and 10 pH with 10 capsules
each and it sells for around $20. The best cheap meter I know of is
the Hanna phEP3. The Checker can have probe issues but I know of
people who are happy with it. The probe on any pH mater is
semipermeable; you are trading ions, not chemicals. That isn't the
issue, it's next to impossible to sanitize so I wouldn't put it in a
batch of beer. Lactic is only one type of bacteria, there are others
that might make for a bad day. You only need a few ml for a sample
either way, it's only an ounce or so to get a measurement.
Joe
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 14:25:17
From: Randall Nortman
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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On 2007-08-23, Joe Sallustio <joe_sallo@hotmail.com > wrote:
>
>> (Nevermind bacterial contamination -- what I'm brewing right now
>> includes lactic acid bacteria on purpose.)
>
> It's not good practice to place either in your final product. I don't
> have good experiences with cheap pH meters. The probe is what you
> really need for this to work right and it needs calibrated no matter
> what. If you only need to know it to 0.2 than a narrow range stip may
> work.
[...]
Thanks for your advice. I think I will start with some narrow range
strips, and graduate to a mid-range ($50+) tester if I find I need
something better.
--
Randall
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 18:47:14
From: Scott Sellers
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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Randall Nortman <usenet8189@wonderclown.com >:
>On 2007-08-23, Joe Sallustio <joe_sallo@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> (Nevermind bacterial contamination -- what I'm brewing right now
>>> includes lactic acid bacteria on purpose.)
>>
>> It's not good practice to place either in your final product. I don't
>> have good experiences with cheap pH meters. The probe is what you
>> really need for this to work right and it needs calibrated no matter
>> what. If you only need to know it to 0.2 than a narrow range stip may
>> work.
>[...]
>Thanks for your advice. I think I will start with some narrow range
>strips, and graduate to a mid-range ($50+) tester if I find I need
>something better.
I've tried pH strips. They must not have been very good ones,
because I never got anywhere in terms of resolution.
Then I realized, mostly from studying Palmer's "How to Brew",
that you can predict / control mash pH pretty well based on water
chemistry and grainbill. From there, you can surmise any
chemical additions necessary.
If you have a water report and a basic knowledge of brewing
chemistry, pH readings become kind of superfluous.
cheers,
Scott S
--
Scott Sellers
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Date: 23 Aug 2007 12:19:09
From: Denny Conn
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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Scott Sellers wrote:
> I've tried pH strips. They must not have been very good ones,
> because I never got anywhere in terms of resolution.
I've gotten good results from the plastic ColorpHast strips.
---------- >Denny
--
Life begins at 60...1.060, that is.
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Date: 22 Aug 2007 16:51:48
From: The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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You may just want to spend your money on good, narrow range pH papers.
Cheaper and less maintenance. There are test strips out there
specifically for beer.
Randall Nortman wrote:
> (1) Can I drink stuff I've just stuck a digital pH meter into, or does
> it leech nasty chemicals (e.g., from the calibration/storage
> solution) into whatever you're measuring? Is the same true of pH
> test strips?
>
> (2) Are the meters difficult to keep clean? Can they be dipped into
> sanitizing solution without damaging the elctrodes?
>
> (3) I can get a cheapo digital pH meter with 0.1 resolution for about
> $25. Spending more seems to get me more resolution, more robust
> housing, auto-calibration, etc. But does any of that really
> matter for light usage? I don't see needing to know pH to better
> than +/-0.2 even.
>
> TIA,
>
--
(Replies: cleanse my address of the Mark of the Beast!)
Teleoperate a roving mobile robot from the web:
http://www.swampgas.com/robotics/rover.html
Coauthor with Dennis Clark of "Building Robot Drive Trains".
Buy several copies today!
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Date: 22 Aug 2007 22:22:00
From: Randall Nortman
Subject: Re: Newbie pH meter and strip questions
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On 2007-08-22, The Artist Formerly Known as Kap'n Salty <mikey666@666swampgas.666com > wrote:
> You may just want to spend your money on good, narrow range pH papers.
> Cheaper and less maintenance. There are test strips out there
> specifically for beer.
And can I dip them straight into my fermenting brew without leeching
any nasty chemicals into it that would harm either the yeasts or,
ultimately, the poor sap who drinks whatever swill I manage to make?
(Nevermind bacterial contamination -- what I'm brewing right now
includes lactic acid bacteria on purpose.)
--
Randall
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