How to maintain pH meters for brewing

Maintaining your pH meter for beer is an essential step for achieving consistently accurate results when measuring pH in brewing. Ensuring you follow best practices for instrument care can increase the lifespan of your electrodes and ensure your meter remains in good condition for years following purchase.

In this article, we cover how to maintain the HI-98167 Professional Portable Beer pH Meter. These general steps for care and maintenance apply to all pH meters, with the specifics of individual care listed in the manual for your specific pH meter. These manuals are included in the box upon purchase and are also available directly on our website via individual product pages.

Storage

Storage is important for maintaining the quality and condition of your pH meter. The HI-98167 is equipped with a hard carrying case, where all parts of this pH meter can be safely stored between measurements. This prevents accidental damage to the body of the pH meter and provides additional protection if the meter is dropped during transport.

The electrode of your pH meter should also be stored appropriately, preventing the glass bulb and junction of the pH electrode from drying out. This is achieved by adding storage solution to the protective cap included for the HI-98167 and all other Hanna pH meters. Using storage solution keeps the electrode moist, assures a quick response time and minimises the risk of clogging. You should never store the electrode in distilled or DI water.

Cleaning 

Properly cleaning the electrode on your beer pH meter between uses is key for continually accurate testing. Hanna stocks a wide range of cleaning solutions for different applications, including HI-70682L Cleaning Solution for Brewing Deposits in bottles and HI-700682P Electrode Cleaning Solution for Beer and Wort in sachets.

After soaking the electrode between 5-15 minutes in the cleaning solution, with some stirring, you can rinse the electrode thoroughly with DI water to remove traces of the cleaning solution. You can then store the electrode in an electrolyte solution for about one hour before repeating the rinsing process. This cleaning procedure removes any debris from the electrode, which may cause inaccuracies in testing.

Calibration

Calibrating regularly is a required part of your maintenance routine to achieve accurate results when measuring pH in wort and beer over time. The HI-98167 pH beer meter supports five-point calibration with your choice of buffer solutions from our range such as pH 4.01, 7.01 and 10.01 buffer solutions to suit your requirements. Pressing the CAL button on the meter allows you to select the buffer value and then begin the calibration process. More details on the complete calibration process can be found in the manual.

General maintenance

Alongside calibration, cleaning and storage, it’s important to check your pH meter for signs of wear and tear and any other damage. Inspect both the electrode and the cable used for connection, ensuring there are no cracks or visible points of broken insulation. 

For refillable electrodes, keeping an eye on the reference chamber volume is also vital. You can refill this reference chamber with a suitable fresh electrolyte and then follow the standard storage procedure so your electrode is ready for use.

Buy the HI-98167 portable beer pH meter and solutions today

Hanna Instruments holds full stock of all cleaning, storage and electrolyte solutions required to keep your meter in top condition. Free next-day delivery is available on all in-stock products with an order value of above £50. Shop our beer products online here.

Interested in the HI-98167? Buy it online now, or contact our experts directly to book a demonstration or discuss your requirement for brewing pH meters and other instrumentation. 

Call 01525 850 855 or email our in-house specialists at sales@hannainstruments.co.uk to discuss your specific requirements for testing in breweries.