# pH Meter Recommendations



## jbo_c (Mar 19, 2021)

What’s a good affordable pH meter y’all are liking?  

I want to dip my toe into fermented sausages, but not sold on accuracy of paper for something that could kill me.  On the other side, hate to spend $200 on the Apera one for a hobby that may be short lived or maybe infrequent.

Where’s the good middle ground?

Thanks.

    Jbo


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## bregent (Mar 19, 2021)

I got this a few months ago for hydroponics and winemaking, to replace an old Hanna that was no longer working:  
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ENFOIKA

Could not be happier. Easy to calibrate and holds calibration really well.

If you don't need TDS and lower resolution is ok, then this is probably a good one:  www.amazon.com/Apera-Instruments-AI209-Waterproof-Accuracy/dp/B01ENFOHN8

The probe is meant for testing liquids. How is a pH meter used in fermented sausage making?


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## zippy12 (Mar 19, 2021)

https://www.testo.com/en-US/products/ph-measuring-instrument

it has several heads for the same meter


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## BGKYSmoker (Mar 19, 2021)

You need on that works with meat.
Check out ThesausagemakerDOTcom


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## indaswamp (Mar 19, 2021)

Yep. Need the spear tip....


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## jbo_c (Mar 19, 2021)

Yes the Apera is the main one I see with the spear tip, but it’s speedy.  I’ll check out these others. 

Thanks.

    Jbo


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## pushok2018 (Mar 19, 2021)

I remember someone suggested test strips for measuring pH... I have Milwaukee MW102 portable meter but not exactly happy with this device: calibration is kind of PITA for me....


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## indaswamp (Mar 19, 2021)

jbo_c said:


> Yes the Apera is the main one I see with the spear tip, but it’s speedy.  I’ll check out these others.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Jbo


Apera or Milwaukee...either one will run about $200. The Apera will show the slope each time you use it so you know if it is within margin of error...and know when it needs a new tip.



pushok2018 said:


> I remember someone suggested test strips for measuring pH... I have Milwaukee MW102 portable meter but not exactly happy with this device: calibration is kind of PITA for me....


The Milwaukee 102 is one of the easier models to calibrate. All pH meters require calibration prior to testing. You can calculate the slope by: (actual 7.01 cal. reading - actual 4.01 cal reading) / 7.01 - 4.01 (which is 3) = ________ X 100 = slope value.

example: 6.98-4.03 / 3 = 0.98333 X 100 = 98.333 slope value.

As long as the slope is between 115% - 85% then the probe is good and within tolerances.

Note: replace the probe tip solution at least monthly to keep the tip saturated with KCl solution....


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## Mmmm Meat (Mar 19, 2021)

jbo_c said:


> What’s a good affordable pH meter y’all are liking?
> 
> I want to dip my toe into fermented sausages, but not sold on accuracy of paper for something that could kill me.  On the other side, hate to spend $200 on the Apera one for a hobby that may be short lived or maybe infrequent.
> 
> ...


I was feeling the same as you.  Hard to kick in a couple hundred bucks on a pH meter that your experience level, to this point, cannot really justify.  I, like you, found the litmus paper questionable enough that  I was not so willing to take a chance that my tests were accurate enough to risk severe illness (or life) on.  A bit like buying a used car for your kids but questioning whether you need pay the extra money to find one with airbags.  Kind of a no brainer. 

My guess is that you will get your money's worth out of it.  If for some reason, you change your mind, and quit curing meat in the near future, I'm betting you could get more than 50% of your money back by selling it on ebay - at least within the first year or so.  Not much damage done.

I got the $200 Apera a week ago.  Simple to calibrate and use.  Easy to clean up.  It is easy for me to recommend this one after dealing with a Hanna model several years ago.   Comparing this to less expensive models manufactured by other companies, those others seem to require additional purchases in order to keep you going for more than just a couple tests, or in the case of the Milwaukie meter, the price of the meat probe in addition to the price of the meter.  Sixty to  one hundred plus dollars on top of the price of other units quickly brings all the choices in a fairly close price range, 

Also, if you purchase an Apera from Amazon, you have a month to return it if is malfunctioning (or for some other flimsy excuse).  Not the case when purchasing elsewhere. 

Many people use the test strips without problem.   If you're following the correct measurements/percentages for both curing and other salts, using good (not expired) starter culture, keeping a sanitary work environment, keeping your meats very cold, and perhaps using additional dextrose/sucrose (.3 %) or wine to kickstart the initial pH drop, then the chances of having things go very wrong are pretty low.  The pH meter just makes it easier to sleep at night, and when the cure is done, feed your charcuterie to your family and friends.  If you're still not sure, perhaps just do some whole muscle cures for awhile (which are not pH based) and get a feel for your desire to expand in the future.  (live long and prosper)


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## bregent (Mar 22, 2021)

indaswamp said:


> Yep. Need the spear tip....



OK, good to know. The one's I suggested were for working with liquid and would not work for this application.


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## SmokinEdge (Mar 22, 2021)

I currently have a Hanna
https://www.hannainst.com/meat-ph-tester.html
but the tip is not replaceable. So when it goes bad I have to toss the whole thing.
My next one will likely be the Milwaukee from TSM as it has a replaceable tip, about the same cost as my Hanna instrument for the tip, but I don’t have to throw the instrument away.


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## Mmmm Meat (Mar 22, 2021)

FYI - The Apera ph600S has a replaceable probe tip as well, and it also calculates the slope of the probe when you want to check it and make sure you're still in the acceptable range of accuracy.

From my understanding, it is time to replace any probe or unit when the offset falls outside the +/- 25 mV or the slope of the unit falls outside 85- 105 mEv.  It's a bit of a headscratcher, but if you read it several times, you begin to understand the values of slope and offset.   Way too much information now, but it is worthwhile understanding the concept since at some point a pH meter is no longer reliable and providing accurate numbers that we base meat safety on.   If your unit doesn't provide the mV numbers in some manner then you have no idea if your numbers are correct after a year of use or so.

Here's an excerpt from      https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/conten...h/General_Information/1/labwarenotes_v1_6.pdf

..........That is, when the meter is calibrated it is done to compensate for the changes that have taken place to the electrode since the previous calibration. There are many influences, including aging, temperature, coatings and chemicals used, that will affect the probe characteristic. So the question becomes, what is typical and how do you check it? A pH meter is a very sensitive voltmeter. When a pH probe is placed into a solution, an mV potential is generated in response to the hydrogen ion concentration [H+]. The theoretical voltage generated can be determined by the Next equation. Theoretically at 25 degrees C, a pH 7.0 solution will generate 0 mV and there will be a 59.16 mV change for each pH unit. So at pH 4.0, +177.48 mV will be generated while at pH 10.0, with a lower H+ concentration relative to pH 7.0, a potential of -177.48 mV will be generated. Again, this is theoretical and does not represent the real world behavior. In fact, a new pH electrode will generate between +/- 10 mV in pH 7.0 and will have a slope percentage between 95 and 105%. The slope percentage is determined by dividing the actual voltage generated by the theoretical and then multiplied by 100. The following two examples show electrodes with different characteristics, where the voltage generated was measured with a pH meter.

Example 1: An electrode in pH 7.0 buffer generates +15 mV. When placed in pH 4.0 buffer it generates +175 mV. The net difference between the two buffers is +160 mV, which is then divided by +177.48 mV. The result, 0.901, is then multiplied by 100 to give a slope percentage of 90.1%. Example 2: An electrode in pH 7.0 buffer generated -45 mV while in pH 4.0 it generated +115 mV. The net difference is 160 mV and, as seen from example 1, equates to a 90.1% slope.

Example 2 is a prime example of how a probe can be calibrated but not be operating with an acceptable probe characteristic. That is, a slope of 90% is acceptable but the offset of -45mV is not. An offset shift can be the result of a build-up of dirt on the probe. This will affect the response time. Also, if the coating comes off with use then the characteristic will change and the calibration will no longer be valid. Typically, the offset should fall within +/-25 mV and the slope should be between 85 and 105%.


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