In the name of science, I'm starting to use my pH meter much more frequently, to do distilled water mashes with various malt types. Anyone know a cheap source of good (accurate) 4.0 and 7.0 buffer powders? I could keep buying the pre-mixed bottles, and they aren't insanely expensive, but I'm guessing there's a cheaper solution (pun intended). TIA!
I have never seen a standard come in powder form for anything. Not saying it does not happen. As far as the pH standards, I am not sure why you are going through them with any frequency. I always rinse the probe in distilled water and put it directly into the standard in its own bottle. Rinse and move to the next.
You can indeed obtain pH reference in powder form: http://www.amazon.com/Solution-Calibration-Portable-Distilled-Solution/dp/B00PG1RFLK I do not know whether this meets the criterion of "cheaper solution". Cheers!
Do not store the probe in pure water. Distilled, DI, etc. Use storage solution if you can, or even calibration solution. Pure water will suck salts out of the probe, and the bulb requires a salt solution to reference conductivity. Powders are easy but not necessarily better than liquid buffer standard. The buffer should last a long time. Be sure to rinse the bulb between uses. No pollution is the solution to buffer dilution. Cheers.
