Newbies-don't trust the markings on your bucket!

[grem135]

I can't verify my buckets since they are full but i just measured them both and there is 1/2 inch difference between the 2. Both are BB ale pales.... I was wondering why I got 2 to 3 more bottles out of the new one

 

[Keith66]

I challenge anyone on this site to tell me the difference in a taste test between a 5-gal batch of beer brewed and fermented with exactly 5 gallons of water versus one with an extra quart. There are so many other variables involved that having your bucket markings off by a half inch is very unlikely to make a noticeable difference. After all, we're making this stuff to drink, not send to the lab.

 

[SilverZero]

I challenge anyone on this site to tell me the difference in a taste test between a 5-gal batch of beer brewed and fermented with exactly 5 gallons of water versus one with an extra quart.

Challenge accepted! Send me, say, 24 bottles of each. I'll report back with my conclusions.

(Sweet avatar.)

 

[Cathedral]

I challenge anyone on this site to tell me the difference in a taste test between a 5-gal batch of beer brewed and fermented with exactly 5 gallons of water versus one with an extra quart. There are so many other variables involved that having your bucket markings off by a half inch is very unlikely to make a noticeable difference. After all, we're making this stuff to drink, not send to the lab.

Agreed, sort of. I think it is important to have all of your equipment calibrated to each other, so you know that what goes in to one whirlygig is the same as what comes out the other thingamabob, but only for self sanity so your not looking for that missing half-gallon. But trying to get it down to an oz. seems a bit excessive. After all, an oz. over or under, I bet you're still going to drink all of it.

Although I am a math nerd so I can understand the appeal.

 

[backhousebrewer]

Many of you are right, my mistake. I got misled by the difference between the Imperial and US units.

So, it appears that my markings are slightly high, so my sharpie'd 5 gallon marking is actually about 5.2 US gallons.

This would explain why the difference between my measured line and the printed graduations on the bucket get bigger with each gallon. It looks like the difference between the graduations is correct, just offset almost 1/2 inch, like many of you, and I have pointed out. Oh well. Like you guys say, it doesn't matter much anyway, my first 4 batches still turned out awesome. The only difference is they got you more drunk faster, and there were a few less to drink overall.

Anyway, the purpose of my original post still stands. Make sure you check the calibration on your bucket markings (by volume, damn US vs. Imperial fluid oz!).

 

[Keith66]

Challenge accepted! Send me, say, 24 bottles of each. I'll report back with my conclusions.

(Sweet avatar.)

I knew that was coming! Glad you like the avatar!

 

[fluidmechanics]

Another point, OP said he had a flashlight in the bucket. Was it in the water? That would add volume to your measurements too.

 

[backhousebrewer]

The flashlight was just so I could see where the surface of the water was on the outside of my opaque bucket.

 

[tgmartin000]

I challenge anyone on this site to tell me the difference in a taste test between a 5-gal batch of beer brewed and fermented with exactly 5 gallons of water versus one with an extra quart. There are so many other variables involved that having your bucket markings off by a half inch is very unlikely to make a noticeable difference. After all, we're making this stuff to drink, not send to the lab.

A quart usually isn't an issue, but when my kegs hold 5.25 gal (or whatever), and I end up with 5.75 gal (or whatever), that's just wasted beer. Because I'm not going to prime and bottle 6 bottles. Or whatever.

 

[tgmartin000]

^^
Using what as the standard?

A calibrated 1-gal measuring bucket.

 

[SPR-GRN]

must... calibrate... buckets... nah I'll just keep making and drinking like I usually do good info though

 

[Keith66]

A quart usually isn't an issue, but when my kegs hold 5.25 gal (or whatever), and I end up with 5.75 gal (or whatever), that's just wasted beer. Because I'm not going to prime and bottle 6 bottles. Or whatever.

Fair enough, and good point. I don't keg so I hadn't thought of that. On our buckets though, a gallon is roughly 3 inches. So if you're off by a half gallon, that's 1.5 inches. It sounds to me like most of us are finding less error than that, like maybe a half inch, or 2 bottles. I guess that means the quart I mentioned would be about 3/4". I could probably dump 3 bottles of warm, uncarbed beer and not cry too much, or I could put it in a big mug, chill it and drink it, depending on the brew. "Or whatever." Good point about the kegging though.

 

[thadius856]

If you have a Carbonator lid or SodaStream, it becomes a nonissue.

 

[Keith66]

Many of you are right, my mistake. I got misled by the difference between the Imperial and US units.

So, it appears that my markings are slightly high, so my sharpie'd 5 gallon marking is actually about 5.2 US gallons.

This would explain why the difference between my measured line and the printed graduations on the bucket get bigger with each gallon. It looks like the difference between the graduations is correct, just offset almost 1/2 inch, like many of you, and I have pointed out. Oh well. Like you guys say, it doesn't matter much anyway, my first 4 batches still turned out awesome. The only difference is they got you more drunk faster, and there were a few less to drink overall.

Anyway, the purpose of my original post still stands. Make sure you check the calibration on your bucket markings (by volume, damn US vs. Imperial fluid oz!).

One more bit of insignificant minutia to note: many/most of these buckets flare upward, as in the diameter increases as you near the top, as in accurate gallon marks will be slightly closer together as you near the top. On mine, the difference between the bottom gallon (3.25") and the top gallon (2.75") is about 1/2". I mention this only so someone doesn't make the mistake of dumping 1 gallon of water into their bucket, measuring the vertical height, then repeating that vertical measurement for the 2nd - 5th gallons... not that anyone here would do that.

 

[Beernik]

I'm going to bump this thread.

I've been using the same 5 buckets for about 10 years. All the projects
I have been doing lately have been focused on improving brewing consistency. So, I decided to measure 3 of them as part of my bottling day today.

All three were off by about 1/2" on the 5 gallon mark. That works out to being about 4.8 gallons instead of 5 gallons.