APERA INSTRUMENTS / PH8500-SS / AI5557

Direct food pH.
Start with the right sample texture.

PH8500-SS pairs the PH8500 portable meter with the LabSen 753 titanium-body spear pH/temperature electrode for moist, penetrable food samples. Test cheese, fruit, dough, sushi rice and suitable meat products directly when your method allows. Integrated temperature sensing and dated records help keep repeated measurements comparable.

This is the AI5557 configuration with LabSen 753, catalog AI3201. It is a wet-solid and semi-solid tool, not an unrestricted piercing instrument. The food’s texture and your sampling procedure matter as much as the meter display.

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 753 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.

Cheese and dough

Use direct insertion in moist, penetrable samples when the established procedure permits it. Hard rinds or dry material need appropriate preparation rather than extra force.

Fruit and sushi rice

Choose representative material and consistent insertion locations. A single reading from one piece or pocket does not characterize an entire mixed batch.

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 753 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.

LabSen 753 is intended for wet solids and semi-solids. Insert gently so the sensing tip and junction contact the sample. If the material is too hard, make a small opening with a knife before inserting, as its manual directs. Never use the glass spear to pry, lever or break up food.

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.

Rinse the LabSen 753 thoroughly before and after each measurement. Remove food residue promptly rather than letting it dry around the junction. Keep the BNC and RCA connectors dry, and inspect the spear before insertion so visible damage is not overlooked.

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.