Sight glass install on brew kettle

S.O.B. · 03-28-2006, 03:18 AM

This is my first post on this site, but I'm not new to homebrewing. I do all-grain and have been very successful for the last 3 - 4 years. I recently have moved into a new home and subsequently moved the homebrew equipment out to the new garage. I have converted a couple of AB kegs into a mash tun and boiling pot, and I use my 40 qt. Polarware pot for my HLT. I brewed my first batch this past weekend and found that I need some method to measure the level/amount of wort that I am collecting during the sparge. Any ideas on installing a sight glass tube and what material works best for that. Also is it possible to get the material to make a sight glass tube at Lowes or Home Depot. Any insight is much appreciative. Thanks all...

wild · 03-28-2006, 07:04 AM

You can use regular 1/2" OD tubing that fits inside of a 1/2" copper pipe. Cut a window in the copper pipe and the tubing will fit right inside it. The best tubing to use is glass or polycarbonate. Take a look at these DIY'ers:
http://home.aol.com/bfbrewing/TheHLTPage1.htm
http://home.swbell.net/bufkin/mill_&_hlt.htm
Also BYO had an article:
Adding a Sight Glass: Projects (Jan, 2003)

Good luck,
Wild

**Pumbaa** · 03-28-2006, 07:30 AM

I just got myself a sightglass from Northern Brewer. Cost me about $26 after shipping and got it in about 3 days. I think if I made one myself it would have cost me about that much in gas and parts and I guarentee it would have taken longer then 3 days . . . but then again I'm a bit retarded

If ya dont feel like buying one you can atleast take a peek over there and get an idea of what ya might need. I'd list the parts but like I said . . . I'ma Deee De dee

El Pistolero · 03-28-2006, 12:06 PM

One of the vendors here (tnlandsailor) sells a sight glass kit...you can see it here.

Kaiser · 03-28-2006, 02:02 PM

Is there any concern that the wort in the sight glass will not be boiled as well and may still harbor bacteria?

Kai

**Pumbaa** · 03-28-2006, 02:54 PM

The wort in the sight glass boils, trust me. I had my half barrel going with about 7 -8 gallons in it and when the boil was really rolling nice there was a few times I was worried about screaming hot wort would come flying out the top of the site glass.

To actually get a reading I had to take the half barrel/kettle off the burner

Kaiser · 03-28-2006, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pumbaa

The wort in the sight glass boils, trust me. I had my half barrel going with about 7 -8 gallons in it and when the boil was really rolling nice there was a few times I was worried about screaming hot wort would come flying out the top of the site glass.

To actually get a reading I had to take the half barrel/kettle off the burner

Thanks, good to know.

Now I want to have such a sight gauge too

Kai