For Those Who Need To Make A Measuring Stick!

[Jimmeh]

Instead of poking the stick in the water and trying to mark it with a pen... poke a tape measure in to the water and take a reading then transfer that measurement to your stick.

I've found it to be much easier reading the tape measure against the water level than stuffing around with a pen and trying mark the water level accurately.

Hope that helps anyone.

Jim

 

[Josh]

Thanks for the tip. I might actually look into something like this. I'll probably just mark the closest fridge to where I boil. So I could calibrate the fridge door to my pot by adding 1L at a time to my kettle and measuring with the tape each time. Then transferring that measurement to my fridge door. Will suffice until I have more space and can actually plan a brewhouse.

 

[Pumpy]

excellent idea Jim i will try that one

pumpy

 

[Rodolphe01]

My measuirng stick is a 600mm stainless steel ruler, 1.0147xheight in cm = litres

 

[Mitchjazz]

My measuirng stick is a 600mm stainless steel ruler, 1.0147xheight in cm = litres

Hey Rudi,

what about the width of your boiler. Woudlnt take vary the result??

 

[asis]

Hey Rudi,

what about the width of your boiler. Woudlnt take vary the result??

Like Rudi I use a stainless steel rule, so simple.

The width does matter but I have a straight sided 98 litre pot so it doesn't change. (except for the first 25mm or so, there is a radius where the sides meet the base)

:beer:

 

[stef]

Hey Rudi,

what about the width of your boiler. Woudlnt take vary the result??

Think hes just talking about himself, on his system.

 

[argon]

Stainless steel ruler for me in the kettle... Too simple. Eg I know that 43cm = 42L. You really only need to know a couple of levels after doing a few batches.

Sight tube on the hlt makes life very easy though... I think it was $36 delivered from the states.

 

[Phoney]

I sit my kettle on a set of shipping scales. Accuracy within 100mL.

 

[Pollux]

I have a sight glass on the HLT and use a stainless steel ruler on the kettle.

I have a spreadsheet set up on the same laptop I take to the brewery to run beersmith and have it preset to calculate volume based upon height.

 

[Rodolphe01]

Hey Rudi,

what about the width of your boiler. Woudlnt take vary the result??

Straight sides and flat bottom so it is true the whole depth, well except for the volume taken up by the electric element, which would only be 2 times nothing anyway.

 

[crozdog]

My measuirng stick is a 600mm stainless steel ruler, 1.0147xheight in cm = litres

I use the same technique, but use a 1m rule.

NOTE: The "factor" of 1.0147 is correct for Rudi's kettle, yours will vary unless your kettle diameter is the same as Rudi's - do not blindly use that number - unless you like inconsistency ;-) !!!

Eg I have 3 vessles which have the following "factors" 1.452 = HLT, 1.661 = small Kettle, 2.464 = monster kettle

It's easy enough to work out, just measure the vessle diameter in cm then use the following formula:
litres / cm = (pi x (half diameter)^2 )/1000

Even better, punch it into a spreadsheet & print off a table to use as a quick look up each brew day - no thinking required.

 

[Hatchy]

Sight tube on the hlt makes life very easy though... I think it was $36 delivered from the states.

Where did you get the sight tube?

I sit my kettle on a set of shipping scales. Accuracy within 100mL.

Where did you get those scales?

Why do I seem to always need more home brew gear?

 

[Kieren]

I use the same technique, but use a 1m rule.

NOTE: The "factor" of 1.0147 is correct for Rudi's kettle, yours will vary unless your kettle diameter is the same as Rudi's - do not blindly use that number - unless you like inconsistency ;-) !!!

Your inconsistency would be nice and consistent though

 

[crozdog]

Your inconsistency would be nice and consistent though

too true lol

 

[raven19]

Where did you get the sight tube?

Coz its a slippery slope Hatch!

My HLT sightglass is some polycarbonate tubing with a SS compression fitting & SS elbow and a bulkhead fitting. Works a treat.

 

[Silo Ted]

Im also a stainless steel ruler user, and factor that roughly speaking for my kettle/tun that 1cm=1L. If it's out slightly it makes no difference between brews because it's always the same gear used.

As with what Keiren says - As a general rule (pun) this can't be a recommendation for everyone, it all depends on your own kettle dimensions.

 

[Silo Ted]

Where did you get those scales?

Maybe no good for weighing your kettle, but I scored some shop scales a while on Ebay for about $30 from memory. They go up to 30k with 10g increments. Indespensible for measuring grain, and I share them with a mate who sometimes also weighs his gas bottle to determine how much is left. Can also be used for kegs.

 

[drsmurto]

Where did you get the sight tube?



Where did you get those scales?

Why do I seem to always need more home brew gear?

They aren't needed Hatchy.

I measure volumes using a 99c blue plastic bucket.

It has to be blue though, the other colours are far too inaccurate......

 

[QldKev]

They aren't needed Hatchy.

I measure volumes using a 99c blue plastic bucket.

It has to be blue though, the other colours are far too inaccurate......

Are the blue 59c Bunnings ones ok; or do I need to shop around for a 99c one :lol:



Also I have marked one kettle with an engraver inside the kettle to show the volumes. My other one I have just used a niko and marked it. As long as you don't hit it with the scourer too hard it lasts a long time.


QldKev