andy6026
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- Jan 16, 2013
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I'm soon to brew my first batch and have a few questions that don't seem to be typically asked. They kinda seem like dumb questions, but I'll go by the old adage that there's so such thing. I guess I'm trying to anticipate a few 'what to do's and don'ts' and some minor equipment questions. I'm going to do full-boil 5-gallon batches outdoors with a burner in a 15 gallon kettle.
1) I've got a plastic measuring cup that measures 2 quarts, and a small glass one that measures 2 cups. Are these enough? I was thinking ideally I should have at least one large glass measuring cup. What do others use and find remarkably handy?
2) Following from the above: once the wort is boiled and cooled, is there a need to measure it's volume and then 'top it off' if I'm doing full boil 5-gallon batches? If so... what's the handiest way to measure how much wort I've ended up with after the boil and how much water I ought to add?
3) I have a 15 gallon s.s. kettle and I bought a ball valve for it. However, ought I buy some sort of spigot or other way to better direct the wort into the fermenter? Judging by the looks of the ball valve, it doesn't look like it would be hard to aim the wort coming out into the bucket... but err, yeah, spigot better? If so do I need a metal one, or can a plastic one easily screw on once the pot is cooled? Are these things typically standard size?
Sorry if these questions are embarrassingly dumb, but I just want to be prepared. Thanks!
1) I've got a plastic measuring cup that measures 2 quarts, and a small glass one that measures 2 cups. Are these enough? I was thinking ideally I should have at least one large glass measuring cup. What do others use and find remarkably handy?
2) Following from the above: once the wort is boiled and cooled, is there a need to measure it's volume and then 'top it off' if I'm doing full boil 5-gallon batches? If so... what's the handiest way to measure how much wort I've ended up with after the boil and how much water I ought to add?
3) I have a 15 gallon s.s. kettle and I bought a ball valve for it. However, ought I buy some sort of spigot or other way to better direct the wort into the fermenter? Judging by the looks of the ball valve, it doesn't look like it would be hard to aim the wort coming out into the bucket... but err, yeah, spigot better? If so do I need a metal one, or can a plastic one easily screw on once the pot is cooled? Are these things typically standard size?
Sorry if these questions are embarrassingly dumb, but I just want to be prepared. Thanks!