HLT water measurement

[eppo]

currently i have my water coming from my hose and goes though one of those GE filters. right now, i have copper tubing and a ball valve on the out side of the filter. i've been dumping the water into a gallon container, and then pouring that into my HLT. is there an inline tool that i could use to measure the water coming out of the filter? similar to the gauge that the water company uses to keep track of how much water you use? i would like to just be able to pour right into my HLT instead of having to pour into a container, and then into the HTL.
what do you guys do?

 

[BendBrewer]

Get a sight glass from Bobby.

http://www.brewhardware.com/index.p...ss-sight-glass-kit&catid=36:weldess&Itemid=60

 

[Snafu]

I use a large wooden dowel, a 1 1/2" round "oak" rod thats about 4' long. I poured water into my keggel in 1/2 gallon increments and then used a woodburner to mark a line on the dowel. I did this all the way up to 12 gallons. just dip it in and read the water line. easy peasy

 

[Catt22]

I never bother to measure the volume in my HLT. I brew either 6 or 12 gallon batches. My HLT capacity is 12 gallons, so I either fill it half way or all the way. It's easy to do this visually. I do like to have a surplus of hot sparge water available. Any excess is used for cleanup and I never worry about running short.

 

[Hammy71]

Get a sight glass from Bobby.

http://www.brewhardware.com/index.p...ss-sight-glass-kit&catid=36:weldess&Itemid=60

Bingo. I use my sight glass in my HLT to measure my strike water as I pump to the MLT.

 

[tolip_ck1]

I would really like an inline flow meter also. I have sight guages but I SUCK at reading them. If anyone comes up with something I would like to know also.

 

[tolip_ck1]

http://www.instrumart.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=22926

Something like this?

 

[I_B_Mongo]

http://www.instrumart.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=22926

Something like this?

Cool idea, but the cost STARTS at $256 and only rate to 140*.

I'll keep pouring from HLT to a 2L pitcher to MT. Only takes a couple minutes and I like the hands on aspect of my brew days.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Definitely a sight glass. They're simple, inexpensive and they are a great display.

 

[Espi]

I too use a "stick" that I marked off on the half and full gallon... @Catt22, do you just measure your mash water then I am guessing fly sparge till you get the pre boil volume you want?

I batch sparge and use the stick method for it all.

 

[Catt22]

I too use a "stick" that I marked off on the half and full gallon... @Catt22, do you just measure your mash water then I am guessing fly sparge till you get the pre boil volume you want?

I batch sparge and use the stick method for it all.

Yes, I measure my strike water in the MT and fly sparge until I reach the desired pre-boil volume. I use an aluminum yardstick to measure the strike water and BK volumes using an inches to gallons conversion factor. My HLT is a 50 qt Igloo Ice Cube heated with a bucket heater operated with a timer. I heat the strike water in the MT on a propane burner. Often I will use some of the heated water from the HLT blended with tap water to get my strike water temp and still have plenty remaining for the sparge.

 

[Bobby_M]

I would really like an inline flow meter also. I have sight guages but I SUCK at reading them. If anyone comes up with something I would like to know also.

Can you elaborate on how one might suck at reading a sight glass?

 

[HeyNoPie]

I was thinking the same....Bobby has a great video on calibrating the sightglass. Perhaps give that a look. Once you have that, you're in the clear. Being off by a little shouldn't hurt significantly. I put one on my boil kettle too though and when the liquid is boiling, it is difficult to read so I could see it there.

 

[tolip_ck1]

Prob my lack of having a very strict procedure down, I am using a pump but it is a little different pump than a "March" pump. I can pump at any rate/destination/temp or height. I do not have a sight glass in my Cooler so I have a hard time figuring out how much water/grain I have in the mash.

What I really need is someone to stop by when i brew and give there ideas on what I am doing!

I guess I know, or did just enough to get myself into trouble

 

[tolip_ck1]

Cool idea, but the cost STARTS at $256 and only rate to 140*.

I'll keep pouring from HLT to a 2L pitcher to MT. Only takes a couple minutes and I like the hands on aspect of my brew days.

That was just a quick search for this type of device, yes that one is to expensive and I am not sure about it's food grade qualities at high temps. The next big problem with these is the calibration for different temps and types of fluids, (wort, high temp water etc.) would prob change the actual amount being measured.

Doesn't mean I don't want one

 

[IrregularPulse]

I do not have a sight glass in my Cooler so I have a hard time figuring out how much water/grain I have in the mash.

I see you have one in your HLT? Read the level the water is at, then start transferring water to the Mash Tun. You'll know how much is there by how much less is on the HLT sight glass. To get a calibration you'll first have to read the sight glass then transfer right before water gets into the mash tun to find out how much fills your plumbing, but once you have that number, it won't change.

 

[tolip_ck1]

Yes I have one in the HLT and in the Brew kettle. I usually pre-heat the mash tun so volume in pipes may not matter to much.

Today I am going to do calibration testing on pump (rate*time=volume stuff), I like the floating stick idea, however I think I need to have the cap on my sight glasses to provide pressure to seal the bottom o-ring? So I am not sure that will work. I tried to add 1/2 gallon increments to the HLT and brew kettle but the stickers I used did not like the close proximity to the 185,000 BTU propane burners. Also bending down and burning my eyebrows off to check the water level starts to make me look like I fell asleep in a frat house!

Thanks for the info guys,

I love this place!

 

[eppo]

I did a Google search and all of the water meters that i saw were a lot more than i wanted to spend. i think i'll have to pick up a sight glass and then make sure i calibrate it correctly.