I’m running a pocket pH meter against an aliquot jar this week to time bulk. Best flavor for me — rounded lactic with a light acetic snap — lands when I stop around pH 4.2 and about 40% rise at 24°C/75°F. For those using meters, which models stay calibrated in sticky dough and read fast without burning through probes?
Apera PH60F flat tip handles sticky dough; stable near your ‘4.2’. Store in KCl between runs?
I’ve had good luck with the Horiba LAQUAtwin for fast dough checks at 4.2; ISFETs hate KCl, so keep the cap sponge just damp with tap water and do a quick 1:5 dough:distilled-water smear for stable reads without killing the sensor — @nfoster2015, does that line up with your storage routine?