Sight Glass Question

[Dgonza9]

I searched around but couldn't find an answer to this one.

I have a sight glass on my keggle. But it pretty much starts at 5 gallons. The other day I needed about 8.5 gallons total for my brewing. But I needed to strike with 6 gallons. So how could I measure off six gallons from 8.5 when my sight glass begins at five? I should mention, I'm doing a no sparge method here, just recirculating with the remaining 2.5 gallons and bringing the temp up to 168.

I wound up starting with 6 gallons, then filling it up about halfway to the sight glass. Worked out fine, I had almost a perfect 7.5 gallons for my boil. I added a bit of water to the keggle to make it perfect.

Does anyone have a creative solution to this issue?

Thanks.

 

[Walker]

Get a dowel rod or long plastic spoon and put markings on it for measurements lower than your sightglass can do. Just use it like a big dipstick.

or...

instead of running off the 6.5 at first, run the 2.5 gallons into a pot and sit it to the side, then run the remainder of the water to the MLT and finally put your 2.5 back into the kettle.

 

[stubbornman]

instead of running off the 6.5 at first, run the 2.5 gallons into a pot and sit it to the side, then run the remainder of the water to the MLT and finally put your 2.5 back into the kettle.

This is what came to mind for me as well.

 

[NoNothing]

Get a dowel rod or long plastic spoon and put markings on it for measurements lower than your sightglass can do. Just use it like a big dipstick.

or...

instead of running off the 6.5 at first, run the 2.5 gallons into a pot and sit it to the side, then run the remainder of the water to the MLT and finally put your 2.5 back into the kettle.

+1

I cut slots in the side of my mash paddle

 

[bendavanza]

That's the problem with 1/2" sight glass installs, esp. weldless ones and thermo combos. Mine is a 1/4" welded and it starts reading at 2g.

 

[Walker]

That's the problem with 1/2" sight glass installs, esp. weldless ones and thermo combos. Mine is a 1/4" welded and it starts reading at 2g.

The problem isn't that it's 1/2"... the problem is just that his glass is installed too high.

I have a 1/2" coupling welded onto my keggle for a sight glass and I can measure 2.5 gallons on it no problem.

 

[Bobby_M]

Um, excuse me... ;-) I'm sure this is a problem with some products but...

In a flat bottom pot, this reads at 1.5 gallons at the top of the fitting.

In a keg, it starts reading at 2.5 at the top of the fitting

The combo unit in a flat bottom pot may also have to be installed just a touch higher up to make room for the thermo but it would still be about 2.5 gallons.

 

[bull8042]

That is a sweet looking keg there Bobby. But it is a little disturbing that you would photograph it in the nude while wearing only a Batman cape.

 

[Walker]

Nonsense... I'm sure he also had on his utility belt.

 

[Dgonza9]

Anyone tried putting a kind of pickup tube or something on the site glass fitting inside the keg. Mine isn't installed especially high, I think I followed the recommendation from bargain fittings and measured and inch and a half from the apron.

Would a pick up tub to the bottom of the keg help with sight glass at all? I'm not much for physics.

 

[Walker]

A pickup tube isn't going to do anything. Those are good for draining kettles because they allow siphon action to pull as much out as possible, but the sightglass has no siphon action going on.

 

[Dgonza9]

Shot in the dark.

 

[bendavanza]

I stand corrected on the sight glass size. Mine is from BobbyM, btw.
Perhaps the instructions meant to measure to the center. Sounds like you drilled the hole too high. I don't get it because 5g is the first large ridge on my keggle. That's high up.