Calibrate my Scale

Chris_Dog · May 31, 2008

I fear my scale is off. I weighed up my pellet hops for tomorrows brew. All of the 1 oz packages weighed .9 oz. Is there anything around the house that I can use for a 1 oz standard?

Cheers!!! :mug:

Chris

(My 1st inclination was the HBS shorted me but it is more likely that my scale is off).

Funkenjaeger · May 31, 2008

Well, this might get you close: 1 fluid ounce of water weighs about 1.0425 oz by weight.

Vatechtigger · May 31, 2008

hrm, you could use water but then you would need something that could measure out water in mL fairly accurately.

1 Gallons = 3785.4118 Grams

/128 oz

= 29.57 g per oz of water

1 g water = 1 ml water

so if you can measure out 29.57 ml that'll do it

Vatechtigger · May 31, 2008

Funkenjaeger said:
Well, this might get you close: 1 fluid ounce of water weighs about 1.0425 oz by weight.

and 2 tablespoons = 1 fl oz.

theses might be a good ways to check your scale. I wouldnt use them to calibrate it though

Chris_Dog · May 31, 2008

The smallest container I have for measuring water is the little cap that comes on Nyquil, it has a 30ml mark. It looks right but I have doubts that I measured 29.5 accurately. I have to go to the LHBS later, I will take the scale with me, maybe they can check it.

mr x · May 31, 2008

What is the accuracy of your scale?

HenryHill · May 31, 2008

Scales are only accurate to abut 1/10 of their main reading.

You really need a 'standard' to check the accuracy of a scale. Since you are reading in ounces, you will want a 1 ounce standard. But doesn't this thing weigh in grams, too?

It could also be that the LBS isn't calibrated either....

Bobby_M · May 31, 2008

My 32lb max scale was supposed to be accurate to +/- .1oz but you can see how that's not quite good enough for hops, especially high alphas. If it's really 1oz, it could read .9 or 1.1. If adding or removing 2 pellets or so isn't enough to change the reading, I'd be suspect. That's why I bought a 500g scale somewhere online for about $12 shipped. It's good for .01 oz accuracy.

david_42 · May 31, 2008

Coins - freshly minted nickels are 5.000 grams.

http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=coin_specifications

Chris_Dog · May 31, 2008

It never fails you guys always come up with an idea. Thanks David.

My test was was to add nickels 1 at a time until I got to 100g. It was perfect up to 95g 1 more would read 99g.

salzar · May 31, 2008

Reading 99 out of 100 is not bad if that is the limit of readability on the scale. I find that most of the cheap balances I have used work better in the grams unit, espicaly if you only have the readout of a tenth of an oz, but can display single grams.

Go metric!

Calibrate my Scale

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