Testing gear

[Chris]

Finally bit the bullet and bought a digital pH meter and refractometer.

No more bloody paper and boiling hydrometer readings! Thanks Ross.

[rwh]

I've got both of those. Next big Ross purchase will be a water filter.

[Chris]

I was going to go the beer filter before the water filter, but I still haven't decided.

[gregb]

Could you use the same basic kit with different cartridges?

Cheers,
Greg

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Could you use the same basic kit with different cartridges?

Cheers,
Greg

I do. I soldered a hose tail onto a brass garden hose connector and now BEVA-hose water through the filter into the kettle on brewday.

On bottling day, the filter lives on the end of a longer piece of BEVA-hose from the fermenter. It's all very civilised and easy.

Different filters, of course.

[James L]

Alot of the pH meters that you can buy have an operating temp between 0 -50C, Does this effect the pH value when you are checking the pH of your mash at 60C+? or do you set aside and cool a small amount before measuring?

[Chris]

Nice one Ross! Ordered yesterday morning, paid for yesterday arvo, received this morning.

I'm impressed.

[Ed]

Alot of the pH meters that you can buy have an operating temp between 0 -50C, Does this effect the pH value when you are checking the pH of your mash at 60C+? or do you set aside and cool a small amount before measuring?

There are meters that compensate for temperature and ones that don't. If getting one that doesn't, then just add about 0.35 at mash temperature and don't forget the meters should be calibrated every time before use with 2 buffer solutions (that need replacing well before you use the bottles) if you want accuracy, because they do get out of whack. This is why I prefer my pH ranged papers to my meter. Ross sells the papers too. Oh and don't forget, the pH will drop over the course of the mash

Cheers, Ed

[James L]

I have a sheep load of pH papers at work... i might give them a go before i think about getting a meter... i think i should invest in a refractometer soon, but it looks like Chris has bought the last one from Ross....

[Chris]

Too slow...

Wasn't going to buy one initially, but I wanted to get my money's worth out of the postage Seriously.

I'm glad that I have though. AG Okt in the works now

[James L]

is testing the pH only really necessary unless you have either acidic or alkaline water to begin with?

i have been reading that most malted base grains will eventually bring the pH or the liquor down to the desired pH of 5.2-5.7.. so if I have relatively neutral water to begin with, is it ok not to really worry (unless you trying to make a specific style of beer that requires hard or sorf water)?

[rwh]

Oh sure, you can get away without any water chemistry. It's just another factor, and measuring it will allow you to understand/control it better. There are situations when things may get a bit out of the ideal range, such as brewing a very light beer with hard water, or brewing a dark beer with very soft water.

But yeah, 90% of the time you probably don't need to worry.

[James L]

i think i'll look into a bit of water chemistry when the time comes to make a stout or a beer that requires the addition of gypsum or other minerals, but for the time being, i'll probably just try and work on the fundamentals, with simple beer styles...

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Everything I brew gets a half dose of 5point2 buffered pH stuff. Makes life much more boring...

[James L]

I managed to pick up a Carl Zeiss refractometer off Ebay... it cost 70 bucks, but i considered it to be a relatively good brand. Its made in germania and has a 3yr warranty and the same mob make microscopes (that cost 100K).

all the other refractometers seemed to be from hong kong, and i'd rather splash out and get something from a brand i've at least heard of.