Brewing and Distilling

Beers, wines and spirits all require to have their pH monitored at various stages of production to ensure quality and consistency. It is often not a simple matter to achieve quick, reliable and accurate results in this type of sample. Problems associated with measuring pH in alcohol containing solutions are due mainly to solubility differences of silver chloride in saline and alcohol based solutions. These differences allow the silver ions in a standard pH electrode to precipitate. This, in turn, causes junction blockage which leads to unstable and inaccurate readings and finally, total electrode failure.
Thermo Electron have addressed the needs of brewers and distillers with new K-Series range. These electrodes contain no silver ions in solution making them ideal for measurement in alcohol mixtures and similar samples without the junction blockage associated with standard electrodes.

K-series electrodes incorporate patented technology using a fully substituted cross-linked polymer as the elemental reference electrolyte.
All K-series electrodes include these fundamental advances which can be seen by fast speed of response, excellent stability and improved accuracy.

High junction potentials make stable pH readings difficult to achieve. These potentials are caused by the meeting of alcoholic samples and the non-alcoholic reference electrolyte. Measuring the pH in alcohol solutions often requires the reference electrolyte of the electrode to be changed to a more homogeneous solution. If measuring in 10% alcohol solution, then 5% alcohol, 95% 3M lithium chloride could be used as outer reference electrolyte. If measuring in 20% alcohol then the reference electrolyte could be 10% alcohol and 90% 3M lithium chloride, and so on for stronger solutions. Brewers may also find problems associated with proteinaceous deposits covering the pH glass membrane. In this case an enzyme cleaning solution should be used to digest proteins off the membrane.

Thermo Electron manufactures and supplies all electrodes with 1m cable terminating in BNC plug. Any other plug type or dimensional variation can be supplied on request. Please contact us on 01337 828871 and our technical team will be able to answer your questions.