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I have since replaced the Hanna Checker mentioned in my original post with a ThermoWorks pH meter, # 8689. The ThermoWorks meter is more accurate than the Hanna (+/- 0.05 vs. +/- 0.2 pH), and the ThermoWorks also allows for 3-point calibration. I paid $80 (US) for the ThermoWorks #8689 (on sale)...

Maybe some people are born knowing the definition of "a good pH meter" and how to use one, but I wasn't. Sorry to bother you.

I agree. I bought this meter at a brick and mortar brew shop about 15-20 miles from where I live. Before buying the meter I had checked the specs online, and their website said the accuracy was +/- 0.02 pH. After I got it home and discovered the discrepancy in specs, I emailed them about it...

Yes, it was his post that prompted me to start this thread. If I understand his post correctly, he seems to be saying that a single point calibration is actually better than a 2-point calibration (?) Yet literature offered by the manufacturers of these instruments all say a 2 point calibration...

When you say your pH 3.0 sometimes reads "too high or low" I would be curious know by how much - pH 0.05? 0.5? 1.5? And if you decide to recalibrate again, is one repeat usually enough to get the accuracy you want at pH 3.0 - or do you sometimes have to recalibrate multiple times?

Agreed. I worked in a clinical laboratory for 20 years, but I was never comfortable with the concept of a single point calibration. A very few assays were based on a one-point calibration, but those we reported as positive or negative and not as a number. Yet Hanna offers the option of a single...

To mainshipfred, thanks for tip about using cream of tartar to check pH at 3.56! To all; RE: the quote by ibglowin in my opening post "Your better off with a single point 4.0 since your samples is usually so close to the 4.0 anyway." (his words, not mine) Can anyone link to a source that...

I recently bought my first pH meter - a Hanna Checker, Model HI98103 <details here> Mine is the newer model, and accuracy is +/- 0.2 pH. I am using it for both juice/must/wine and TA (total acid) titrations. My model is capable of either one-point or two-point calibration. Hanna provides...

I recently bought a pH meter, and I am finding it to be very useful! But one quick question about using it on actively fermenting wine: Do I need to worry about CO2 affecting my reading? I seems like I remember reading somewhere that CO2 should be removed by heating/agitation before trying to...

I have been making wine for years, but this my first-ever wine from my Cynthiana grapes, and also my first attempt at malolactic fermenation (MLF). After 3 days fermentation on the pulp, I pressed, then added Wyeast Malolactic culture Blend 4007. That was almost 9 days ago. Today there is...

Thanks, that does help - or it would if I was less careless. I pressed today, and put the juice in a glass carboy which does not have marks on it for gallons nor do I know how much the carboy weighs. So, bottom line, I don't really know how much juice I got. Just to eyeball it, I'm guessing my 5...

Thanks again! Very helpful people on this forum! I have added some generic "pectic enzymes" I got from my semi-local wine & beer making store. It's too late for me get the Scott Lallzyme brand this year (I will probably crush tomorrow), but I will keep in mind for next year.

Thanks! I am guessing the rule of thumb is based on wine grapes in general? And from what I've read, this is another area where Norton/Cynthiana probably falls a bit outside the norm? Sadly, many of my berries were quite small, full of seeds, and not-at-all juicy. I would be thrilled to get 3...

RE: "multiply by number of liters" When making these kinds of calculations, I know the volume of the must, including a considerable volume of skins and seeds - but, of course, I won't know the exact volume of liquid until after pressing. Is it better to use the known number of liters (including...

Yes, treating with tartaric to reduce the pH is exactly what is recommended by Dr. Main, as well. I have decided to treat my must with tartaric to bring the pH down; so now I need to figure out how much to add. Dr. Main gives an example in the paper, but does not go in much detail about what...

In the article, which you can read at the link provided in post #1 (scroll down to page 77), Dr. Main says: "Tartaric acid is used to keep the pH below 3.6. [...] it is a necessary procedure as off flavors can form, and color will be lost if the wine is fermented at high pH."

Today I did some testing on my Norton/Cynthiana must, both straight and pre-heated. My results: --- Juice before heat treatment was pink, but not really red SG (refractometer) 1.082; Brix: 19.6 pH by Accutest strips 3.8 pH by Hanna pH meter 3.5...

Thanks to all for your replies. I need the pH meter today - so I bought the Hanna "Checker 1" model at my semi-local Home Brewery store in Ozark, MO. It's about a 30 minute drive for me, but after a painfully long and unsatisfying telephone conversation with staff at a nearby pool supply store...

I have decided I need a pH meter asap. It would be great if I could buy one locally rather than waiting for an online order. I live in a medium size city in SW Missouri (population is about 160,000) - but I don't know what kind of local business might sell pH meters. Are pH meters used to...

Other than as a metric when deciding if the Nortons are ripe, what else is the pH good for? If it's a little too high, do you actually try to adjust it? It's been many years since I've tried to make wine from grapes, but as I recall I never had much luck when trying to adjust pH.