Sight glass overflow

Hi,
I just heated up the strike water for my brew and am currently letting the mash tun pre-heat, so this isn't super urgent, but I need to know how to prevent my sight glass from overflowing as the water heats (this is my first time using it). I remember someone saying something in a previous thread of mine about installing a piece of flashing, but how would one do that and can it be done without removing the sight glass? Thanks a million.

EDIT: Amplifying information: This wasn't a huge problem while heating the strike water because I noticed most of the time it would approach the top of the sight glass and then go back down, I'm assuming due to some kind of pressure change and when it did overflow, it was just a few drops. But I can see this becoming a problem during the boil.

I don't understand how it's overflowing...? It should have the same level of water as your kettle does. Flashing is usually for keeping open flame heat away from the sight glass so as not to melt it.

I think he's saying the elbow (or tee, as the case may be) at the base of the sight glass catches enough heat from the burner that it starts boiling the liquid inside and percolates it up the sight glass. Should be something that any small amount of insulation--even a crumpled up sheet of aluminum foil--would prevent.

That's what I assumed would happen, but as it was heating I could see air bubbles in the sight glass and the water level was all over the place. I just don't want to get to the boil and have my precious wort going all over the place out of my sight glass.

SixFoFalcon said:

I think he's saying the elbow (or tee, as the case may be) at the base of the sight glass catches enough heat from the burner that it starts boiling the liquid inside and percolates it up the sight glass. Should be something that any small amount of insulation--even a crumpled up sheet of aluminum foil--would prevent.

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Thanks. I'll give that a shot and let you know how it works out.

I had this same problem. I now place a small (6" x 6") piece of flashing beneath the keggle to protect the valve, site glass and thermometer. For $1.50 at Home Depot it works like a charm.

I've had the same problem with mine. I have a 10gal aluminum kettle and mine always boils inside the sight glass. I have new 15gal 10 gal stainless kettles on the way for a new project I'm dreaming up in my cluttered head. I'm seriously considering doing away with the sight glass. If brew again on the old kettle, I'll try to shield the elbow/valve assembly with some flashing.

Mine overflows when I'm brewing 13 gallons in a 60 qt. aluminum stockpot. I just stick one of those white caps from an orange carboy cap over the top of the sight glass. It never gets too hot to touch bare-handed and I remove it towards the end of the boil so I can keep an eye on kettle volume. It fits tightly enough that I don't have to worry about it popping off.

No more overflowing sight glass.

So this is pretty much a gas-system-only problem, I'm guessing?

Taller sight gauge

I had problems with distorted water/bubbles in my sight glass and it turned out to be my water composition. I have since moved to RO water with the addition of salts and the problem is gone. I went to RO water because my water was too crappy to adjust myself without overloading the bicarbonates and this was a pleasant side effect.

I just added another elbow and returned the sight glass to the kettle. The first time I brewed with it, wort was just racing through the sight glass. I ended up adding an aluminum heat shield, attached to my burner.

Spartan1979 said:

.... I ended up adding an aluminum heat shield, attached to my burner.

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Same here.

The aluminum foil of thin gauge 12x12 sheet of steel usually works...does for me.