[EnkAMania]

Maybe a dumb question but can you calibrate ph meters with any buffer solution? Like Milwaukee doesn’t have to be used with Milwaukee?

I mix and match all the time.

[Village Taphouse]

Maybe a dumb question but can you calibrate ph meters with any buffer solution? Like Milwaukee doesn’t have to be used with Milwaukee?

I mix and match all the time.

Right.  Any brand solution with any brand meter seems fine. 

[RC]

Hey all, lookin to retire my Milwaukee ph meter for one of those cool pH pens, anyone have good suggestions for one?

The Milwaukee pH56 pen worked great when I used to regularly took pH readings, it's very reliable and accurate. Highly recommend. I most definitely do NOT recommend the Thermoworks 8689 pen. Mine was a piece of junk right out of the box. And their customer service was dreadful. I literally threw the meter in the trash. They owe me $90 as far as I'm concerned.

Devil's advocate: do you really need to buy a new one? Constantly calibrating and maintaining pH meters is a PITA. I realized after brewing some batches with various grists that I was always within the normal mash range. And I doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference in the final beer between a mash pH of 5.4 and 5.6.

[BrewBama]

… I most definitely do NOT recommend the Thermoworks 8689 pen. Mine was a piece of junk right out of the box. And their customer service was dreadful. I literally threw the meter in the trash. They owe me $90 as far as I'm concerned.

…

I agree with this wholeheartedly. POS never did work right as far as I can tell.



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[goose]

Although the small hand held ones are nice, I still prefer my Milwaukee SM-102.  Bought it from a guy going out of homebrewing for like $80 and he had never used it.  Works great.  Had to replace the probe when I got it because it sat for a long time with no storage solution but it has been really reliable for me.

[waltsmalt]

… I most definitely do NOT recommend the Thermoworks 8689 pen. Mine was a piece of junk right out of the box. And their customer service was dreadful. I literally threw the meter in the trash. They owe me $90 as far as I'm concerned.

…

I agree with this wholeheartedly. POS never did work right as far as I can tell.



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Yep, similar experiences.  I haven't been measuring my ph as of late, but this thread has a ph meter on my Amazon wish list and I'll probably pull the trigger on one of the meters before my next brew day (after my upcoming fishing trip).

[tommymorris]

… I most definitely do NOT recommend the Thermoworks 8689 pen. Mine was a piece of junk right out of the box. And their customer service was dreadful. I literally threw the meter in the trash. They owe me $90 as far as I'm concerned.

…

I agree with this wholeheartedly. POS never did work right as far as I can tell.



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Maybe that’s my problem. I have that one and it’s all over the map. I assumed it was me and stopped measuring PH. As far as I can tell my beer hasn’t suffered. I just use Brunwater to predict the salts and Lactic acid additions and then assume all is well in the mash.

[KellerBrauer]

I can definitely recommend AGAINST the Hannah brand meters.  Mine worked well.  However, I got serious sticker shock when I  went to replace the sensing element.

Hannah wants $50 for a replacement element.  In itself, that’s probably doable.  But then they want to ship the element via FedEx!  So the shipping is nearly half the cost of the new element!  Now the replacement element is about $75!  No thanks!

[mabrungard]

I can definitely recommend AGAINST the Hannah brand meters.  Mine worked well.

That’s an odd anti-endorsement!?  I’ve learned that quality and reliability often come with a cost. Having an instrument that’s accurate and durable is worthwhile.

I’ve owned Hanna and Milwaukee instruments and have found many to be quality instruments. But that ‘get what you pay for’ adage holds true. If you buy something cheap, it’s more likely that you’ll be disappointed. Buy once, cry once.

One important factoid for pH equipment is that the probes are ‘consumable’. They do have to be occasionally replaced. Fifty bucks for a replacement probe is pretty good, especially if it’s an industry-standard probe that fits hundreds of meters.

[MNWayne]

Buy nice, or buy twice.

[KellerBrauer]

I can definitely recommend AGAINST the Hannah brand meters.  Mine worked well.

That’s an odd anti-endorsement!?  I’ve learned that quality and reliability often come with a cost. Having an instrument that’s accurate and durable is worthwhile.

I’ve owned Hanna and Milwaukee instruments and have found many to be quality instruments. But that ‘get what you pay for’ adage holds true. If you buy something cheap, it’s more likely that you’ll be disappointed. Buy once, cry once.

One important factoid for pH equipment is that the probes are ‘consumable’. They do have to be occasionally replaced. Fifty bucks for a replacement probe is pretty good, especially if it’s an industry-standard probe that fits hundreds of meters.

I could not agree with you more.  I also think $50 for a replacement probe is doable.  My disappointment was with shipping.  The probe can’t weigh more than a couple ounces with packaging.  It could easily be mailed using USPS for a fraction of the cost to ship FedEx.  Instead, Hanna has chosen to use a more expensive carrier.

[fredthecat]

I currently own this one

https://www.amazon.com/Apera-Instruments-AI311-Replaceable-2-00-16-00/dp/B01ENFOIQE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2EJEKX99XG2YK&dchild=1&keywords=apera+ph+meter&qid=1621273909&sprefix=Apera+pH+meter%2Caps%2C501&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE2WFdZV0pMMFFZSUkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzNTkzNTQyQlgyVUNFQjlLS01TJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAwMjU2NDUxM1A5SFE5RkRLUkVUJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

It has a few really nice features. The probe has the best protector out of any of the ones I have used. It came in a nice carry case with small vials for storing pH calibration solutions -- and it came with all the necessary calibration and storage solutions. It is extremely easy to calibrate.

sorry major, super old bump but im looking at this one you bought since its also on sale right now.

i should buy this and then a 7pH and 4pH calibration solution?

[goose]

FWIW, I had a hand held Hanna pH meter and it worked pretty well as long as you kept the probe wet.

I picked up a Milwaukee SM-102 pH meter from a local homebrewer that was getting out of  the hobby an now use that.  It is not a hand held meter per se but I am very happy with it.  Unfortunately, they don't make that model anymore but I can still get probes for it.  It appears they have replaced it with the MW-102 which is available for a little over $100 on Amazon.

[fredthecat]

FWIW, I had a hand held Hanna pH meter and it worked pretty well as long as you kept the probe wet.

I picked up a Milwaukee SM-102 pH meter from a local homebrewer that was getting out of  the hobby an now use that.  It is not a hand held meter per se but I am very happy with it.  Unfortunately, they don't make that model anymore but I can still get probes for it.  It appears they have replaced it with the MW-102 which is available for a little over $100 on Amazon.

thank you, i saw  a hanna on amazon(.ca) for a good price and then after i closed the tab i saw someone recommending it here, maybe it was you. not looking for hyper accurate, i just want to start getting some gauges on my pH