Calibrate my keggle (how much is in there?)

Hey kids,

I'm a newbie but I've been lurking for awhile and brewing for a couple of years. I switched to all-grain a few months ago and have made some good beers.

However...I want to make GREAT beers, with relatively reproducible results. One issue I keep having is over- or under-shooting my target volumes in my keggle. What's the best way to measure the volume so I know what I've got after a sparge, or so that I can measure my post-boil volume and calculate how much I lost during the boil or how much I'm losing in the bottom of the keggle after draining?

I tried calibrating using a plastic spoon but it's gosh-darn hard to read. I'm hoping someone has a better solution.

Thanks in advance!

- Brendan in Tacoma, WA

Sight glass

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23002
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19098

sight guide?

you can get a weldless one from B3

In response, all I can say is:

Duh.

How did I not know that?
Thanks.

I made a measuring stick from some copper tubing. The stick has a hook at the top so it can hang in the kettle. Fill the kettle with 1 to 2 gallons of liquid at a time. Note the liquid line on the stick. I marked the stick using a tubing cutter - just make a light indent in the tubing.

Remember that the hot wort shrinks about 4% when cooled.

I filled my kegs one gallon at a time and, starting with three gallons, marked the inside with a sharpy at the water's surface; then I scored the sides at the marks for a permanent depth guage... I made longer marks at seven and twelve gallons. Pretty neanderthal, but it's foolproof and there's no dipping. -cheers, -p