pH paper and meter comparison

[BigDaveK]

Well, I did it - bought the Apera PH60 meter. I thought some, especially new winemakers, might be interested in a comparison.
I've been using kombucha pH paper for at least 10 years, originally for my kombucha. (Link for my paper below.) Sometimes the number with the paper is obvious, sometimes I have to guess. I have 2 country wines in primary right now and I estimated starting the fermentation for both around pH 3.3. Got my meter and had to compare current measurements.

Wine #1: paper, 3.0 estimate; meter 3.1.
Wine #2: paper, 2.9 guess; meter 3.1.

I was very happy they were so close! For a home wine maker the paper is certainly adequate - and a part of me wishes I would have saved my money. Paper is definitely much more convenient and faster. Though I'm really interested in some high phenolic country wines. It was difficult a couple times last year when my dark musts stained the paper!

I'll be using both out of curiosity for a while. And this is the paper I've been using:

https://www.amazon.com/Kombucha-Ins...1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e&th=1

 

[Rice_Guy]

pH paper is close to useless with highly pigmented wines. Red grape,, blackberry,, mulberry,, aronia . . .etc
pH paper is good enough to get chemical stability with clear juices. Apple,, white grape,,

 

[BigDaveK]

pH paper is close to useless with highly pigmented wines. Red grape,, blackberry,, mulberry,, aronia . . .etc
pH paper is good enough to get chemical stability with clear juices. Apple,, white grape,,

That was my conclusion. It will probably be months before I finally say "Boy, I'm glad I bought this!"

 

[Rice_Guy]

That was my conclusion. It will probably be months before I finally say "Boy, I'm glad I bought this!"

you should come to that conclusion in a week, the difference between 0.01 unit and +/- 0.5 units is big
your next question should be cleaning, storage, speed the probe responds

 

[wineview]

Well, I did it - bought the Apera PH60 meter. I thought some, especially new winemakers, might be interested in a comparison.
I've been using kombucha pH paper for at least 10 years, originally for my kombucha. (Link for my paper below.) Sometimes the number with the paper is obvious, sometimes I have to guess. I have 2 country wines in primary right now and I estimated starting the fermentation for both around pH 3.3. Got my meter and had to compare current measurements.

Wine #1: paper, 3.0 estimate; meter 3.1.
Wine #2: paper, 2.9 guess; meter 3.1.

I was very happy they were so close! For a home wine maker the paper is certainly adequate - and a part of me wishes I would have saved my money. Paper is definitely much more convenient and faster. Though I'm really interested in some high phenolic country wines. It was difficult a couple times last year when my dark musts stained the paper!

I'll be using both out of curiosity for a while. And this is the paper I've been using:

https://www.amazon.com/Kombucha-Ins...1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e&th=1

Yea I have a roll of that paper in a drawer since I bought an Apera.

 

[BigDaveK]

Yea I have a roll of that paper in a drawer since I bought an Apera.

Yeah, mine will be there soon enough, I won't be able to truly enjoy the meter for months, no dark berries or vegetables in the queue till the end of summer.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

I won't be able to truly enjoy the meter for months, no dark berries or vegetables in the queue till the end of summer.

Plenty of time to get a burette, beaker and some NaOH so that you can use it to measure TA as well as pH!

 

[BigDaveK]

Plenty of time to get a burette, beaker and some NaOH so that you can use it to measure TA as well as pH!

Yikes, had a "DOH!" moment - guess I'll be upping my game!!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Plenty of time to get a burette, beaker and some NaOH so that you can use it to measure TA as well as pH!

You are also missing that with the Vinmetrica YAN chemicals kit your pH meter will also do ppm nitrogen.