This is kind of long because of the level of detail...
I use Brun water and in the beginning always tested the mash pH. After many batches I decided that Brun water was pretty darn close and the pH testing was not necessary.
Fast forward to my last couple of brews and I decided to check the mash pH again. I don't know why. Maybe the pH meter just looked lonely in the tub as I was brewing.
I always calibrate the pH meter with both 7.0 and 4.0 solution. I use RO water and use a diluted 20% solution of Phosphoric Acid to reduce the pH. Both of the the batches showed my pH low. One was supposed to be 5.4 and it measured 5.1. Today the pH was supposed to be 5.4 and it measured 5.04. Really low.
I went back and triple checked the grain bills and volumes in Brun water and they are all correct. I checked the Specific gravity of my Phosphoric acid 20% solution with my hydrometer and read 1.118 at 55 degrees which correlated to a 20% solution. I checked my RO water TDS and it reads 11 (ideal according to the meter). Which leads me to believe my pH probe may be the problem. I always store it in storage solution and it has never dried out. I bought the unit Milwaukee MW102 in July of last year so the probe and meter are only 9 months old.
So after all this, is there a way to confirm that the probe is the problem? I'm guessing it could be the probe or the meter.
I use Brun water and in the beginning always tested the mash pH. After many batches I decided that Brun water was pretty darn close and the pH testing was not necessary.
Fast forward to my last couple of brews and I decided to check the mash pH again. I don't know why. Maybe the pH meter just looked lonely in the tub as I was brewing.
I always calibrate the pH meter with both 7.0 and 4.0 solution. I use RO water and use a diluted 20% solution of Phosphoric Acid to reduce the pH. Both of the the batches showed my pH low. One was supposed to be 5.4 and it measured 5.1. Today the pH was supposed to be 5.4 and it measured 5.04. Really low.
I went back and triple checked the grain bills and volumes in Brun water and they are all correct. I checked the Specific gravity of my Phosphoric acid 20% solution with my hydrometer and read 1.118 at 55 degrees which correlated to a 20% solution. I checked my RO water TDS and it reads 11 (ideal according to the meter). Which leads me to believe my pH probe may be the problem. I always store it in storage solution and it has never dried out. I bought the unit Milwaukee MW102 in July of last year so the probe and meter are only 9 months old.
So after all this, is there a way to confirm that the probe is the problem? I'm guessing it could be the probe or the meter.