Outdoors 2.

How many brewers here deal with liquid transfers without the aid of a sight glass? How do you accomplish this? Answers here will determine what equipment I end up buying.

Let me try again. Most AG recipes have specific volumes of water for strike water and sparge water. If you don't have sight glasses on your pots how do you measure the volumes of water needed?

 

I use a long piece of cpvc and have measured out gallon marks on it. Cheap and easy dip stick. I know others do the same with their mash paddle or spoon

 

I used to do the dip stick method, I was all over the place on my volumes. I redid my system last year and added 2 of Bobby's sight glasses (one to HLT, one to BK). What a difference. Instead of having to keep sticking a dipstick into whatever vessel I can just stand back and watch the liquid level change constantly. Much easier to be consistent this way. They're pretty inexpensive, totally worth it IMO.

 

Aluminum measuring cup.
It has quart and liter lines on the inside. I use it for everything from measuring strike water, sparge water, vorlauf, and it makes a killer beer mug
My wife assures me that it can be bought cheaper at various restaurant supply stores, but being the dirty brewer I am...I bought it without consulting the chef haha. If you have a prime account, it's free 2 day shipping so I guess that makes up for some of the cost. The non-prime ones are cheaper, and I'm sure you can get them cheaper at a number of places.

 

CPVC dipstick marked by qts. Accurate, simple, & easy.

 

I use a graduated, food safe, bucket from the local restaurant supply store. Markings up to 22 quarts on it. Simply fill to the amount I need, then dump either into the mash tun, or into the HLT. For the BK, I have sight glasses on them to tell me the level inside without sticking anything in there.

 

I add water until the grain floats and it "feels right" with my mash paddle.

 

I use a wooden dowel. Cheap and easy. I marked it off on 1 gallon increments for my 52 quart pot.

 

Mash/Sparge Water: Gallon Jugs and 2qt. plastic pitcher with 1cup markings

Pre-Boil Volume: Tape measure from the top of the wort to top of the pot. I have a 10gal. brewpot with straight walls (1.2"/gallon).

Post-Boil Volume into Fermenter: Volume stickers to the 1/2gal.

Beersmith does a pretty good job with my volumes and gravities. If I'm off, it's no more than a quart low at the end of the day. Good enough for me.