Kettle Sight Glass

[bignath]

Hi brewers,

Today was my first brewday with my newly fitted sight glass/sight guage on my hlt.

What a time and energy saver it was. Old process was to stand on a step ladder while filling strike water, and read a long metal ruler. So much better and safer without having to stand on the ladder.

Now, im still using a metal ruler to get my volume for my kettle, but am thinking of installing a sight glass into that aswell.

Am wondering, who of you have sight glasses in their kettles?

Pros vs cons?

Have been reading about infection risks, broken tubes (gonna put a ball valve at bottom of tube to shut off in case of a leak),
Heat coming up the side etc....

Would love to be able to ditch the metal ruler and use a sight glass.

Are they worth installing?

Also, are they easy to clean out after use?

 

[manticle]

I always thought infection risk and bugger all point but at least some US brewers swear by them. Check out sight guage/glass and thermometers at homebrewtalk.com for some discussion.

 

[white.grant]

Yes, I can't see anything but trouble with a sight glass in the kettle, it will get full of trub and hops easily enough, if you don't screen it with something, and will be a pita to clean.

It also won't be very accurate as thermal expansion will impact on the reading at different times during the boil. I find a measuring stick works well enough and keeps everything simple and easy to clean.

 

[Wolfy]

Are they worth installing?

Also, are they easy to clean out after use?

No.

No.

Since you'll be boiling the kettle for 1hr+ they are probably not a (large) infection risk, however they are a bitch to clean, and easily blocked with hop, break and other debris and don't always end up working as well as they should.

What would be the reason and advantage for installing one on your kettle anyway?

 

[bignath]

What would be the reason and advantage for installing one on your kettle anyway?

Cause im a lazymsook wolfy, and im sick of trying to read my metal ruler measuring stick.

Would much rather just have preboil and post boil volume markers on the sight glass as i assume the wort will be less vigorous and easier to read and therefore be better able to determine my boiloff progress for repeatability etc. at the moment trying to,determine my boiloff using metal ruler is sketchy as the boil jumps all up and down over my ruler.

But if it really is a big pain in the ringit, then ill just keep doing whats working. Just trying to get it better though...

 

[kelbygreen]

I wouldnt bother. I never have measured my kettle volumes. Just fill 2 cubes close to the same each and I usually aim for 21 lts some times get 1lt here or there and gravity is always withing 1-2 points so never bothered

 

[mxd]

Cause im a lazymsook wolfy, and im sick of trying to read my metal ruler measuring stick.

Would much rather just have preboil and post boil volume markers on the sight glass as i assume the wort will be less vigorous and easier to read and therefore be better able to determine my boiloff progress for repeatability etc. at the moment trying to,determine my boiloff using metal ruler is sketchy as the boil jumps all up and down over my ruler.

But if it really is a big pain in the ringit, then ill just keep doing whats working. Just trying to get it better though...

just get an engraver (or if like mine it has ridges that I know) and do the maker on the inside of the pot, assuming you don't need the ladder and it wont cause other issues.