HI-99151 Portable pH Meter for Beer Analysis

The HI-99151 measures pH from -2.00 to 16.00 pH and temperature from -5.0 to 105.0°C. Automatic calibration is done at one or two points with two sets of buffers and all readings are automatically compensated for temperature variations. Indicators for stability, battery percentage and calibration instructions are viewed on the primary display. The HI-99151 uses three 1.5V AAA batteries for an exceptional battery life of 1400 hours of continuous use.

Ideal for brewing operations such as mashing and wort separations, measuring the pH of the cooled wort boil, checking the fermentation pH and checking the finished or conditioned beer.

There are no crevices in the electrode to collect solids and the pH and temperature specifications are pertinent to most brewing operations.

The Effects of pH in Brewing

In the brewing process, the enzymes required to convert starch into sugar are pH sensitive, with an optimal pH of 5.2 to 5.6. Different compounds are used to adjust the pH including phosphoric acid, lactic acid and gypsum.

Wort clarity, and break formation are also affected by pH. Protein coagulation occurs during wort boiling, where the optimum pH is around pH 4.9, through a common boil pH is pH 5.2. A pH that is too high will not only inhibit coagulation, but also promote browning due to the interaction of amino acids and reducing sugars.

Hop utilisation during the wort boil is also effected by pH; as pH increases, the solubility of hop resins increase. A high pH also increases the release of tannins, resulting in a harsher taste, and tends to favour elevated microbial activity.