I’m dialing in pâte de fruit consistency and need a pocket pH meter that reads fast in hot syrup without drifting. I’m targeting pH 3.2–3.4 at 106–108°C with apple pectin; I use a refractometer for 65–68° Brix, but the pH swings on me after the set — any models you trust that clean up easily and tolerate sticky mixes?
99161 + FC2023 reads fast in hot syrup; sample about 90°C, avoid direct 108°C dips. https://hannainst.com/hi99161.
I get steady reads by pulling 20–30 g into a preheated metal ramekin and whisking in an equal weight of boiling DI water to drop it to about 85–90°C, then measuring immediately with ATC — dilution barely shifts pH and the read tracks the final set. For sticky cleanup, a 60–90 sec soak in sugar-deposit cleaner helps keep the junction from gumming up: https://hannainst.com/hi70683l-cleaning-solution-for-sugar-deposits. Do you add your acid in one shot or in two stages near the end?
I’ve had good luck with the Extech PH100 flat-surface pocket meter; for pâte de fruit I pull about 15 g at 106–108°C and smear it thin on a preheated steel tray to drop it to about 80°C, then read immediately — hits ‘3.2–3.4’ without drifting and it rinses clean of sticky syrup (Extech Products | Flir)… Small caveat: it’s only rated to 80°C, so the quick-cool smear is key — would that sampling step fit your workflow?