Bought a $35 pH meter for my kombucha and it's been a total game changer for getting the tang just right.
After three batches that were either too sweet or too vinegary, this little tool finally helped me nail the perfect 3.0 reading before bottling for the second ferment.
My buddy tried that and ended up with a crazy salty batch last month. He swears his taste was off from a cold. Sometimes a little backup check doesn't hurt.