Do you mark your brew kettle?

I am doing my first biab and want to be able to calculate efficacy but I don't know how to tell what my ending water volume was after mash in. Should I mark my brew pot? Is there a better way to figure out the volume?

 

I marked mine with a dremel after I weighed out a gallon of water.

You can either mark the kettle somehow, or install and calibrate a sight glass.

 

Thank you. I thought for sure I was missing something obvious and would look like an idiot for asking. So glad to know I will have to actually mark the kettle.

 

Easiest thing to do is get a length of plastic pipe and mark that. Just dip the pipe in the water to get a volume reading. Site-glass is a better option though, but a little expensive.

 

Also smart and easy solution. Thanks

 

Mine is an inch a gallon, makes math easier

 

I have a 12 inch thermometer that I measured out as I added water when I first got my kettle. Nice and accurate measuring system

 

Pre-boil? Use a tape measure. You're going to boil that wort for an hour to kill any bugs you might add.

 

Do bugs affect volume?

 

Keep in mind that calculating the volume by measuring the height of the liquid works quite well as long as your vessel is cylindrical. If you use a keggle or any other vessel that isn't a perfect cylinder, the calculations will be off.

I have a 15.5 gal Bayou Classic pot and I use an aluminum yard stick ($3.50 at HD). Knowing the diameter of the pot and measuring the height of the wort, I can very accurately calculate the volume.

V = pi * r^2 * h

Which would give you cubic inches (assuming you measured in inches) and then you can convert it to gallons:

Gallons = 0.004329 * cubic inches

You can then account for heat expansion.

 

Weldless sight glass kit ($24): http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=116

Weldless thermometer sight glass kit ($26): http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=46&product_id=83

Well worth the investment.

 

I do it like this. Drill a 1/2" hole at the bottom and a 1/4" hole at the top and you're in business.

 

I marked my mash paddle, quick and easy. I had a really hard time seeing the mark inside the pot with the steam.

 

<Off-topic>
Sorry Bobby.. didn't mean to exclude you when I posted the links above... was just using them as a reference.

 

It's all good man, I take no offense.

 

One consideration that took me a long time to figure out: hot water takes up more room than cold water! I know it may not matter for most applications, but it used to make me a little (more) nuts to have 6 1/4 gallons at the end of the boil, only to get 6 gallons post boil! Turns out 4% cooling loss is typical. Didn't realize it until I got a site glass from BobbyM.

 

I pre-mark my sight glass before I start a brew. You can also measure headspace.


6/28/2013 by Mad Scientist Brewhaus, on Flickr

 

Same here. But I changed pots so I had to make a gauge stick for the new pot.

Pour in a gallon make a mark, pour in another gallon make a mark etc. I double marked my target volume mark.

 

How do you mark it? Do you just use a basic sharpie or something else?

I'm probably just overthinking the not wanting Sharpie ink in my beer and should just make a gauge stick with a hunk of PVC and a Sharpie.

 

I did not mark my kettle, I use a 24" Stainless Steel ruler

 

Sharpie here. No ill effects, but then again two of my toes just fell off for no apparent reason. So...

 

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm nervous about drilling a hole in my brew pot somehow I'd manage to mess it up. If I weren't such a wimp I love the idea of the no weld gauge. Until then I think i'll mark my mash paddle. Thanks.

 

The first hole or two are terrifying, but with a decent step-bit, appropriate lubricant and patience, it's pretty hard to screw up the hole.

Wow, yeah, taken out of context that sounds pretty bad.. lol

 

I bought a thick oak dowel and sawed thin lines in it for a gauge. I have 2 pots and 2 different stocks. Easy breezy

 

Another vote for Bobby's sight glass.

 

if you have plastic fermenter... fill up to the 20 liter mark (5.2 gallons) mark there with a hard piece of metal that can scratch deep or etch it. and then fill up to 6 gallons and mark there... its really easy...

 

Long stainless steal spoon. Marked it with a Dremel. Same spoon I use to stir. One less thing to clean.