SAM-1 pH meter

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ick. two week lead time, apparently.....

well it won't be here for my next beer. which is sad as it's a Munich Helles and it could be useful. Oh well, soon enough.....
 
That is a lot of money for a pH unit. It might be good, though. The main concern is the durability of the pH probe. It needs to be a double-junction type for it to have good resistance against fouling. I didn't see the probe type mentioned in the documentation.
 
You're paying more for the communication electronics and the software, than you are for a good PH meter.

Milwaukee PH-55
Milwaukee PH-56
Milwaukee MW-101
Milwaukee MW-102

HM Digital PH-200

Are some good meters to check out.

More Info:

http://www.eutechinst.com/products/testers/wpphscan3pls.htm

Even that's overstated. You're paying for the novelty of wireless linking to an app, since that's all the fashion lately.

I'd rather spend $300 on a quality pH meter (the probe is the money) if I were laying out that kind of money.
 
It needs to be a double-junction type for it to have good resistance against fouling. I didn't see the probe type mentioned in the documentation.

There was a time when that might have been true but it no longer is. There have been some revolutionary improvements in electrode technology in a relatively short time and one of them is in junctions. When I first started answering questions about pH meters 20 - 30 years ago (or however long it was) the answer was, 95 % of the time "check the junction". Junction fouling is almost never the problem these days (unless a husk particle has lodged over it or somesuch) and thus double junctions are no longer needed nor supplied by most manufacturers. They are certainly still made and you can buy them (and not necessarily at a price premium or much of one) but there doesn't seem to be a need for them in brewing any more. I think it must relate to the flow characteristics of the new frit type designs. Fill solutions still contain silver chloride and this can form a precipitate with protein for sure but it seems the new designs shed that and perhaps block migration of protein molecules into the electrode (so there is no precipitation inside).

I have several electrodes in house and none of them is double junction, including the one I use for brewing. These typically last for 3 - 5 years (that's a dramatic improvement over just a few years back) and they never foul.
 
Even that's overstated. You're paying for the novelty of wireless linking to an app, since that's all the fashion lately.

I'd rather spend $300 on a quality pH meter (the probe is the money) if I were laying out that kind of money.

....what?
 
I've got a similar one made by Hach and it is definitely way cool. Send me you e-mail addresses and next time I use it I'll e-mail you a reading. Actually, the electrode seems pretty good for general purpose use but I haven't tried it in wort (beer, yes).

Since you have gotten me thinking about the double junction thing another point came to mind. Test solutions are, generally, less than saturated with KCl as the fill solution is. Thus water will try to move through the junction diluting the fill solution (and changing the diffusion potential picture for the reference). This is the main reason that one should not store an electrode in DI water but rather in a solution of KCl of the same strength as the fill. A double junction gives additional protection against dilution from water incursion during measurements but obviously if the electrolyte flows out of the body (as it should) faster than water migrates in you are OK. I think the flow mechanisms in these newer electrodes must have also been improved.

Another thought is that we may get away without junction clogging because of relatively infrequent use. In daily use in a commercial operation...? Those concerned with junction fouling, from whatever cause, should buy electrodes with renewable junctions rather than double junctions. This option will cost you.
 
Bam. Here's a reading from my junky overpriced meter. ImageUploadedByHome Brew1398393429.806793.jpg
 
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