I bought a fancy pH meter for my ferments and it was a total waste of $80

I got really into making sauerkraut and kimchi last year and read online that a good pH meter was key for safety. So I ordered this digital one that was supposed to be for food. It arrived, I calibrated it with the little packets, and it just never gave a steady reading. I'd test the same jar of fermenting carrots three times and get numbers jumping from 4.1 to 4.8. I spent more time fiddling with the thing and re-calibrating than actually making anything. After about two months of frustration, I went back to using the cheap pH test strips I got at the brew shop for like five bucks, and they work perfectly fine. I feel dumb for falling for the gear hype. Has anyone else had a pH meter just be more trouble than it's worth?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_miller241mo ago

My first batch of kombucha turned into vinegar because I trusted a jumpy meter reading over my own taste buds, lol. I had the same issue with a fancy pen-style one that needed constant babying with storage solution. Now my expensive paperweight lives in a drawer while the little strip of litmus paper from the pharmacy gets the job done. It's a special kind of frustration when the tool that's supposed to make things easier just adds more steps.

kai_park1mo ago

My friend Sarah spent eighty dollars on a digital pH meter for her sourdough starter last year. She was so sure it would solve her inconsistent rise problems. That thing gave her a different reading every time she touched it, even with the special storage fluid. She ended up throwing out two batches because the numbers said they were too acidic, but they smelled perfect. Now she just uses the float test in a glass of water and her bread is way better. Watching her fight with that gadget was a whole lesson in overcomplicating something simple.