APERA INSTRUMENTS / PH8500-MT / AI5558

A blade-protected probe.
A consistent meat-testing method.

PH8500-MT pairs the PH8500 portable meter with the LabSen 763 titanium blade-spear pH/temperature electrode for meat and fish. Its protective blade supports direct sample insertion, while the built-in temperature sensor supplies automatic temperature compensation. Choose a prepared test portion that respects the probe’s temperature and mechanical limits.

This is the AI5558 configuration with LabSen 763, catalog AI3202. It is not the PH60-MT configuration with LabSen 765. The blade is a preparation aid, not permission to force a probe into rock-hard frozen food.

Reference contact for food samples

Ceramic and open junction contact works with a sealed polymer reference electrolyte. The Long-Life reference uses silver and silver chloride. Blue gel inside the sensing system is a different material; neither is replaced by pouring storage solution into the electrode.

Temperature travels with the reading

LabSen 763 includes an NTC 30 kΩ temperature sensor. Connect blue BNC to pH and black RCA to temperature. Automatic compensation adjusts electrode response; it does not make samples measured at different temperatures chemically identical.

Portable controls, readable results

A backlit LCD shows pH, temperature, calibration indicators and stability status. The silicone sleeve supports handling, and an integrated fold-out stand supports bench use. The IP57 meter housing does not remove the need to keep electrical connectors clean and dry.

Know what this configuration supplies.

Meat and fish portions

Use a consistent sampling location and a portion that permits straight insertion. Allow the sample and temperature reading to settle before recording.

Chilled or previously frozen samples

Prepare or temper the test portion within the probe’s 0 to 80 °C range. Record preparation and temperature so chilled and thawed results are not treated as interchangeable.

Repeated process measurements

Use the same preparation, calibration and stabilization rules across runs. If your procedure requires a homogenate or slurry, follow that method instead of assuming direct-insertion results are equivalent.

Prepare the portion before the probe enters.

Connect both LabSen 763 plugs, remove the storage bottle and rinse with distilled or deionized water. Perform at least a two-point calibration when first connecting the electrode, using fresh portions of appropriate buffers. Rinse between buffers and samples; do not return used buffer to its original bottle.

Insert the blade-spear straight without bending or levering the tip. The LabSen 763 manual includes raw and frozen meat, but its specified operating range starts at 0 °C. Do not interpret “frozen” as unrestricted subzero operation. Prepare or temper hard portions before measurement; stop if insertion would require excessive force.

Wait for a stable pH indication and settled temperature, then save the reading with the sample identity in your working record. Use a sacrificial test portion and discard it after testing rather than returning it to food for consumption. A pH reading alone does not establish food safety or pathogen control.

Clean the contact surfaces. Keep the tip wet.

After meat testing, wash the electrode and titanium sheath with soapy water, then rinse thoroughly. The LabSen 763 blade can be unscrewed for separate cleaning when necessary. Avoid bending the spear during handling and follow your laboratory’s contamination-control procedure between samples.

For stubborn contamination, the probe manual specifies Apera AI1166 cleaning solution for 30 minutes, followed by gentle brushing. Then soak in 3M KCl for at least one hour, rinse and recalibrate. Cleaning and storage are separate steps; neither replaces checking calibration after treatment.

Store the electrode in its bottle with 3M KCl, never distilled or deionized water. Replace contaminated storage solution. This is a non-refillable polymer-reference electrode. A small amount of polymer may swell at the junction during KCl soaking; the manual permits wiping that excess with clean tissue.

A stable reading is the start of the record.

Use the physical meter controls for measurement and calibration, then record or save a stable result. A held display and a stored record are different functions. Screen values in photographs are illustrative, not measurements of your sample.

Choose the correct buffer family and calibration points for the intended work. Temperature compensation addresses electrode response; it does not make different sample temperatures, preparation methods or chemistry equivalent. Follow the exact probe instructions before extending the method to a new sample.

Record locally.
Transfer deliberately.

The PH8500 can retain up to 500 sets with date, time, measurement value, unit, temperature and the last calibration record. Manual saving follows a stable indication. Timed logging can be configured from one minute to 99 hours 59 minutes. Keep the clock and sample identification procedure consistent; deleting stored values cannot be undone.

The current Web PC-Link workflow uses USB with a compatible desktop Chrome or Edge browser on Windows or Mac. It supports CSV output and browser-print reporting. Check the exact instructions and connection before relying on a field data workflow; do not assume Firefox, Bluetooth or ZenTest support.

When connected to PC-Link, new records go to software rather than meter memory. Export and back up important records before closing the tool. This does not establish automatic permanent backup, an immutable audit trail, electronic signatures, regulatory compliance or guaranteed background operation.