57 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

Sorta on topic. I have PH strips that I use occasionally. They are the plastic ones. I'd take a reading and it always appeared low. I just took a reading on some distilled water and it never changed color. Threw them in the trash. Anyone have a source for decent ones that actually at least sorta work?

RIGHT HERE. Use the pull-down to select the more narrow range (4.0 to 7.0 or whatever it is). $20 for 100 of them. Not exactly economical but this is the lowest price I have found and I have ordered from them numerous times. These are good strips if you decide to use strips. They have a built-in mash-temp correction factor kind of thing. When you read at mash temp (I dip the strip into the mash for about 10 seconds), it will show about 0.3 lower than actual mash temp so 5.0 translates to 5.3 or so. Very dependable and I have heard of people cutting the strips in half lengthwise to get 200 uses out of 100 strips.

Edited by KenLenard, 24 February 2013 - 10:10 AM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Cool thanks.

[Big Nake]

So I have concluded that I'm not very charged up about my meter. For the last 3 brewdays, I have just used my ColorpHast strips and left the meter in the basement sitting in its storage solution... which, btw, has some sort of crusted white stuff all over the glass that looks like a salt buildup or something. Not sure what it is. The other day I went down there and turned the meter on and placed it in the 7.0 solution and it read 7.3. I swirled it and it went to 7.0 momentarily but then back to 7.3 Oh well, time to order more ColorpHast strips, I do believe.

Edited by KenLenard, 11 March 2013 - 05:36 AM.

[HVB]

So I have concluded that I'm not very charged up about my meter. For the last 3 brewdays, I have just used my ColorpHast strips and left the meter in the basement sitting in its storage solution... which, btw, has some sort of crusted white stuff all over the glass that looks like a salt buildup or something. Not sure what it is. The other day I went down there and turned the meter on and placed it in the 7.0 solution and it read 7.3. I swirled it and it went to 7.0 momentarily but then back to 7.3 Oh well, time to order more ColorpHast strips, I do believe.

I still have not had a chance to try mine out and with a 7 day old infant and a toddler running around I am not sure when I will have time to brew let alone play with a new toy.

[positiveContact]

I still have not had a chance to try mine out and with a 7 day old infant and a toddler running around I am not sure when I will have time to brew let alone play with a new toy.

hey! congrats!

[HVB]

hey! congrats!

Thanks .. I was really excited to get a PH meter too ...

[Big Nake]

Congrats indeed. With a newborn and a toddler, I would not be thinking about a pH meter. When my kids were young, everything that my wife and I did was compromised and brewing was way, way down on the list of priorities for good reason. In a way, I miss those days (my kids are now 12, 14, 17) but it's nice to be at this point as well. Weekends used to be as crazy or crazier than weekdays. Now I can actually brew on the weekends! Cheers.

[HVB]

Congrats indeed. With a newborn and a toddler, I would not be thinking about a pH meter. When my kids were young, everything that my wife and I did was compromised and brewing was way, way down on the list of priorities for good reason. In a way, I miss those days (my kids are now 12, 14, 17) but it's nice to be at this point as well. Weekends used to be as crazy or crazier than weekdays. Now I can actually brew on the weekends! Cheers.

Thanks!For the next few brews I will be going back to 10G batches and tried and true recipes. Lucky for me I am all electric so I can be pretty hands off during most of the process. Sorry to derail the PH meter thread

[zymot]

I can see me buying some pH strips, not a pH meter, at least not until they make them easier to use and maintain.Are these strips worth it?https://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/product/0101690/acid-test-paper-beer-rangeAre the colorpHast the last word in PH strips? How long do they last in the box? 100 strips is a few years supply for me.

[positiveContact]

I can see me buying some pH strips, not a pH meter, at least not until they make them easier to use and maintain.Are these strips worth it?https://www.brewmast...aper-beer-rangeAre the colorpHast the last word in PH strips? How long do they last in the box? 100 strips is a few years supply for me.

if the ones you linked are what they think they are I would say don't bother. colorphast is the way to go in my opinion. I haven't run into them getting "old" yet. I cut all of mine in half to get 2x as much out of them.

[HVB]

if the ones you linked are what they think they are I would say don't bother. colorphast is the way to go in my opinion. I haven't run into them getting "old" yet. I cut all of mine in half to get 2x as much out of them.

I had the ones in the link .. they are in some landfill now.

[positiveContact]

I had the ones in the link .. they are in some landfill now.

i still have mine. if any of my enemies start brewing I'll give these strips to them

[zymot]

if the ones you linked are what they think they are I would say don't bother. colorphast is the way to go in my opinion. I haven't run into them getting "old" yet. I cut all of mine in half to get 2x as much out of them.

I had the ones in the link .. they are in some landfill now.

i still have mine. if any of my enemies start brewing I'll give these strips to them

Thanks guys. Glad I did not waste my money. colorpHast it is.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I had the ones in the link .. they are in some landfill now.

This.

i still have mine. if any of my enemies start brewing I'll give these strips to them

This too. They are complete junk.I'll have to order some of the colorPHast strips.

[zymot]

This too.They are complete junk.I'll have to order some of the colorPHast strips.

I like to save a few bucks. I hate wasting money on junk even more.

[Brauer]

...left the meter in the basement sitting in its storage solution... which, btw, has some sort of crusted white stuff all over the glass that looks like a salt buildup or something. Not sure what it is.

That is typical. The storage solution is usually a saturated potassium chloride, so it only takes a little evaporation to see salt deposits.

[neddles]

RIGHT HERE. Use the pull-down to select the more narrow range (4.0 to 7.0 or whatever it is). $20 for 100 of them. Not exactly economical but this is the lowest price I have found and I have ordered from them numerous times. These are good strips if you decide to use strips. They have a built-in mash-temp correction factor kind of thing. When you read at mash temp (I dip the strip into the mash for about 10 seconds), it will show about 0.3 lower than actual mash temp so 5.0 translates to 5.3 or so. Very dependable and I have heard of people cutting the strips in half lengthwise to get 200 uses out of 100 strips.

Purchased. Best price I have seen.

[Big Nake]

Purchased. Best price I have seen.

Yeah, I need to order some too.