pH Meter is Making Me Think I'm Crazy

[Boatboy24]

I did a quick pH check this morning and got a 3.99 reading. I added my Lallzyme EX and Opti Red and gave the must a stir. Temp was at 57F. I planned to run another test, and adjust with Tartaric Acid as necessary later. 8 hours later, at 64F I read 7.02 with my 7.01 reagent. Perfect. So I did a TA test and came up with .72. pH was measured at 3.56. I set the meter in some distilled water for a few minutes while I started to clean up. Then decided to take another pH measurement just to be sure. It read 4.61. Back into the 7.01 reagent and it read 6.57. So I double checked with the 4.01 and it was reading 4.6. I just calibrated on Friday and couldn't get it to calibrate again today after this exercise. I'm tempted to let things ride, based on the 3.56 and .73 TA. But the readings being all over the place has me worried. The juice tastes good not too flat, not too acidic.

Any advice? For now at least, the 26 month old CC LR Red Mountain Trio I just opened is making me feel better. Maybe I should just stick with that.

 

[NYCWINO]

First of all, most meters advise against soaking in distilled H2O. besides their reasons, Dist Deionized H2O has absolutely zero buffering capacity, so whatever was on the probe is the direction the pH will drift. To calibrate, the probe should be rinsed, shaken dry then submersed with buffer. Then the second point on the calibration needs to have the rinse, and re submersed. The buffers work, but will show a trending toward the last buffer that was used unless rinsed off. Rinsing quickly with DH2O is OK, as it is easily negated with the reference buffer, since DH2O has no stable buffering capacity. Rinsing is OK, not soaking in DH2O.
Besides all above it is possible that the probe is needing replacement if it is not consistent.
Dont make any additions based on readings unless they are reliable.

After crush, the pH often rises, as the acid is buffered by the K+ in the skins. so the measurements are questionable in that aspect as well.

 

[ibglowin]

Jim,

Only use distilled water to rinse the probe between samples. Also if you take a reading (wine) etc and then rinse and take another reading your really should allow about 5 minutes for the reading to stabilize. If you swirl the probe around the must for 15-20 seconds, then stop and hold (repeat) you can get the reading to stabilize in 2-3 min.

 

[geek]

I've seen that behavior maybe 1 or 2 times but always use spring water. I went away after re-calibrating with 4.01 and 7.01 and waiting a few between readings like Mike said.

 

[Boatboy24]

I'm letting it ride and keeping my fingers crossed. The numbers on this batch are crazy. SG through the roof, acid all over the place. At this rate, I think it'll finish as a beer!

Once fermentation is complete, I'll measure and adjust from there. I did add acidulated water to bring the SG down. Thanks to geek's issue and ibglowin's responses, I had the info I needed for that easily.

 

[geek]

Yeah, I learned a lot from it...


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[geek]

What brix and grapes?


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[Boatboy24]

Amador Gold Old Vine Zin. I was over 1.120 to start. Took it down to 1.100.

 

[geek]

Jim,

Except for the varietal, we are on the same "boat". Lol

Joke aside, I got Amador too and high brix.


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[sdelli]

I am having the same type of problem with my sc-300 testing.... Always need to calibrate and test before using it or it is off...... Not sure why... Not real impressed with this tester. Been sent back twice for calibration problems too.


Sam

 

[Treeman]

Any advice? For now at least, the 26 month old CC LR Red Mountain Trio I just opened is making me feel better. Maybe I should just stick with that.

There are some procedures for reconditioning probes depending upon the type. What type of pH probe do you have? How old is it?


Cheers!

 

[Boatboy24]

It's a pHep 5. I've had it for about 18 months.

When things settle down next week, I'll try calibrating again and retesting. Fingers crossed...

 

[nicklausjames]

Same issue for me scdelli. Sc 300 purchased in spring 2014. I spent all this money on grapes this fall and when I went to use it on the must it gave reading of like 9 ph and wouldn't calibrate. Called them, they express mailed me a new electrode. I paid for shipping. Still didn't work. So I express mailed them the whole unit and paid to have it expressed mailed back to me. Really pissed me off I spent all this money had all these problems and they just ignored my requests to pay my shipping. By the time I got it back my grapes were finishing primary and I had no idea what their ph was. My cab franc turned out pretty high and now I'm trying to bring that down after the fact.

Anyways it seems better now but my ta measurements were all over the place the other day. Still not sure I can trust it. Also it's only under warranty a year. If I'm having problems after 6 months not sure how long it will last.

 

[geek]

Same issue for me scdelli. Sc 300 purchased in spring 2014. I spent all this money on grapes this fall and when I went to use it on the must it gave reading of like 9 ph and wouldn't calibrate. Called them, they express mailed me a new electrode. I paid for shipping. Still didn't work. So I express mailed them the whole unit and paid to have it expressed mailed back to me. Really pissed me off I spent all this money had all these problems and they just ignored my requests to pay my shipping. By the time I got it back my grapes were finishing primary and I had no idea what their ph was. My cab franc turned out pretty high and now I'm trying to bring that down after the fact.

Anyways it seems better now but my ta measurements were all over the place the other day. Still not sure I can trust it. Also it's only under warranty a year. If I'm having problems after 6 months not sure how long it will last.

WOW, you'd think they should pay ANY shipping cost associated with sending replacement stuff supposedly under warranty....

 

[nicklausjames]

Yea cost me another 50 bucks. In there defense I think they offered to send the electrode but wouldn't express it. I couldn't wait for shipping from ca to ny.