Got my 7.5 gallon pot, no gallon markings, a work-around?

[DizzyPants]

I got my 7.5 gallon pot from Bayou today (with burner) and the first thing I saw is it didn't have gallon markings; but then again why would it, it is a turkey frying pot.

I am toying with Beersmith and noting the near exact boiling volumes.........could I measure out gallons and score the side of the pot in the interior??

I know that scratches are bad in buckets and the like, but this is my boil pot.

~Diz

 

[samc]

Easy way is a wooden stick or plastic mixing spoon. Mark the levels on either of those with notches.

 

[DizzyPants]

SAMC,

A wooden dowel it is. Great idea. God I love this forum, always great answers.

Have a good one.

~Diz

 

[wildwest450]

You can't lose sharpie lines.

 

[Pommy]

I thought the stick was slightly more ingenious but I have to admire the angles and calculations involved in drawing those lines

 

[SOB]

I guesstimate. When the wort reaches the bottom to middle of the top rivet on the handle then it's time to start my boil...

 

[Yooper]

I marked the outside of my pot at the gallon and half gallon levels. I used pink nail polish, and it's been there for years.

 

[backsaw13]

I do the stick method. I just poured my water into the pot one gallon at a time - then put a mark at the line the water made. Close enough for me.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I use a yardstick. I used a gallon jug and water to figure out how many inches per gallon in each of my pots. Some of the pots are dished on the bottom, (like my keggle), so the 1st gallon is more inches than all the others, (i.e. 2.25"/gal for the first gal, then 1.75" per gal after that). I have all this in a spreadsheet so I can either type in inches and get gallons, or type in gallons/quarts and get inches...This way 1 yardstick does multiple vessels.

 

[Blindguardian]

I use a yardstick. I used a gallon jug and water to figure out how many inches per gallon in each of my pots. Some of the pots are dished on the bottom, (like my keggle), so the 1st gallon is more inches than all the others, (i.e. 2.25"/gal for the first gal, then 1.75" per gal after that). I have all this in a spreadsheet so I can either type in inches and get gallons, or type in gallons/quarts and get inches...This way 1 yardstick does multiple vessels.

That is a great idea. Mind sharing the spreadsheet with the rest of us .

One more question is your keggle the standard 15.5 gal?

 

[wildwest450]

I thought the stick was slightly more ingenious but I have to admire the angles and calculations involved in drawing those lines

It may look cheesy, but their dead on accurate.

And i'm not looking for a moldy, wort covered stick all the time. Yuck.

 

[springer]

My new kettle ended up being 1 inch per gallon I use a yard stick.

 

[springer]

It may look cheesy, but their dead on accurate.

And i'm not looking for a moldy, wort covered stick all the time. Yuck.

I use an aluminum yard stick no mold

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

I marked my plastic mash paddle.

 

[wildwest450]

I use an aluminum yard stick no mold

Bollocks on your aluminum yard stick.

 

[DavidSteel]

I get my runnings into my bucket and use that as a reference. I know the lines are not accurate, but I've figured out how much more I need to make up for it. The 5 gallon mark on the 6.5 gallon buckets is really only 4.6-4.7 gallons. Just add about an inch to that and I'm good.

 

[shortyjacobs]

That is a great idea. Mind sharing the spreadsheet with the rest of us .

One more question is your keggle the standard 15.5 gal?

Sure, I'll post it up when I get home.

Yes, 15.5 gal keg.

 

[nebben]

My aluminum measuring device. It was leftover from some project way back when. No mold, easily cleaned and sanitized, nearly indestructable, and the lines are etched onto the stick with a hacksaw blade. Effective and cheap.

 

[shortyjacobs]

That is a great idea. Mind sharing the spreadsheet with the rest of us .

One more question is your keggle the standard 15.5 gal?

Here is the ods version, (this is the original).
http://filesave.me/file/2502/pot-volumes-beer-brewing-ods.html

Here is the Excel version (converted from the ods version):
http://filesave.me/file/2501/pot-volumes-beer-brewing-xls.html

 

[BakerStreetBeers]

I do the stick method. I just poured my water into the pot one gallon at a time - then put a mark at the line the water made. Close enough for me.

I like the method of marking the stick "backwards" so that you put the stick at or near the top of the surface of the liquid in the container. That way you don't have to dip the measurer in the liquid if contamination is a concern.

 

[backsaw13]

I like the method of marking the stick "backwards" so that you put the stick at or near the top of the surface of the liquid in the container. That way you don't have to dip the measurer in the liquid if contamination is a concern.

I only use the stick for preboil volume. As soon as the wort chiller goes in the pot, the stick would no longer be accurate. So far, I consistently boil a gallon over an hour.

 

[Blindguardian]

Here is the ods version, (this is the original).
http://filesave.me/file/2502/pot-volumes-beer-brewing-ods.html

Here is the Excel version (converted from the ods version):
http://filesave.me/file/2501/pot-volumes-beer-brewing-xls.html

thanks, I use the ods (linux and Mac user here ) I will take a look at it thanks again for posting it.

 

[danculwell]

I like the method of marking the stick "backwards" so that you put the stick at or near the top of the surface of the liquid in the container. That way you don't have to dip the measurer in the liquid if contamination is a concern.

Now that's clever. I'm going to have to do that.

 

[DizzyPants]

That is VERY clever.

 

[Doc Robinson]

I use a T-Square.

 

[sirsloop]

is this a trick question??? measure the wort BEFORE you put the chiller in.

 

[shortyjacobs]

is this a trick question??? measure the wort BEFORE you put the chiller in.

I put the chiller in during the last 5 minutes of the boil, so it's tougher with the surface still moving.

It's still doable though, as long as you remember to account for shrinkage, (beersmith says 4%, my calculations put it at 2% from 100C to 20C).

 

[azscoob]

I measured out 5.5 gallons into my keggle and adjusted my overall chiller height so the top coil is just breaking the surface, this takes care of 5 gallon batches, I also marked the chiller uprights coming out of the pot to the 10.5 gallon mark. I have also noted that my keggle has the ribs in the sides right at the 5 and 10 gallon points, so I have my boil-to points marked and noted without needing an extra tool to loose

 

[Cliff897]

Wood, poly, stick or copper pipe with an end cap sweated on each end. Don't put any finish on it or a length of SST.
I like Maple Oak will work too.

I like the metal best 'cause
**you can clean it with anything ranging from a flame to chemicals
**it won't soften if you leave it in the boil.
** it hasn't got pores.



Put a gallon in at a time and mark the stick with a knife or corner of a file as you work your way up the stick

I have pretty much discarded my stick because I know what my gallon quantum is by referencing the handle rivets.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I get my runnings into my bucket and use that as a reference. I know the lines are not accurate, but I've figured out how much more I need to make up for it. The 5 gallon mark on the 6.5 gallon buckets is really only 4.6-4.7 gallons. Just add about an inch to that and I'm good.

WHAT?! I haven't checked this and just assumed it was accurate. I used my Ale Pail to measure for my marking in my keggle. I used the dip tube and marked it with a sharpie.

 

[sirsloop]

IDK... just plan all of your brews for 5.5 gallons... get in the vicinity of 5.5 when you are done boiling, drop in the chiller, turn on the water. I think leaving the chiller in for any amount of time in boiling wort is just silly. Everything is 212F within 1 minute... copper transfers heat great! So much of brewing (at least at this scale) is about going with the flow and not sweating the small stuff. Don't worry if you are a little high or low on volumes, etc. Temp control is more important than 5.25 vs 5.5 gallons.

 

[shortyjacobs]

WHAT?! I haven't checked this and just assumed it was accurate. I used my Ale Pail to measure for my marking in my keggle. I used the dip tube and marked it with a sharpie.

It's not a hard and fast rule. One guy's 5 gal mark may be at 4.6 gallons, the others at 5.4 gallons. The point is those markings are quite often nothing close to accurate.

 

[Jknapp]

My solution.. Set to desired amount and fill until it touches the bottom line.

 

[shortyjacobs]

My solution.. Set to desired amount and fill until it touches the bottom line.

That's very slick.

 

[BrewBeemer]

My solution.. Set to desired amount and fill until it touches the bottom line.

Simple even a "Caveman can do it".
I have a 1" x 3/16" stainless strip with stamped lines and gallon numbers on each side one for the MLT fill marks plus the BK at hot level marks corrected for the cold net wort gallonage. A small hole hangs it on the brewstand stud when stored.

 

[woopig]

Wildwest, have those Sharpie marks lasted through a good number of boils? I would have thought even a Sharpie couldn't withstand the inside of a brew kettle.