What do you use to measure brew water?

[Vongo]

Ale pale ?
One gallon pitcher ?

 

[Joedub]

I have a 1 gallon pitcher I use. I have found the markings on the plastic pales to be off.

 

[Whut]

I have a yard stick that I use that is marked from 2 gallons to 13 gallons. I used a 1 quart measuring cup to determine the markings. Works perfect!

 

[mobly99]

I use this 4 quart aluminium measure

 

[rico567]

I gotta admit....I use two SS pots for heating liquor and doing the boil, one will hold about 4 gal, the other 7.5. When I'm measuring, I really just use the handle rivets to guesstimate. While it seems very inexact, no matter what I bottle, it usually comes out 50-52 bottles. That's close enough for me.

I should add....I marked a long-handled spoon and figured out how much water comes up to where.

 

[EricT]

I use my mash "spaddle" (paddle the size of a large spoon

 

[Mike_A]

Bobby_M's sight tube/thermo combo with vinyls

 

[Dok]

Great question.

 

[ryandlf]

I use a 5 gallon bucket that I poured 1 gallon at a time in and marked the lines. My bottling bucket with pre-marked lines also comes in a handy a lot.

 

[surferdrew]

Bobby_M's sight tube/thermo combo with vinyls

+ 1 on this. Just make sure you're super accurate when calibrating vinyl markers.

Before the sight tube, used to use a wood paint stirrer with calibrated marks on it.

 

[iaefebs]

I have a straight sided brew pot so I use ╥ × R² × H ÷231 = gallon in inches... I use a yardstick.

 

[MBasile]

I've used ale pale for everything. Marking my carboys, marking my "mash paddle," and filling my kettle. doesn't matter if it is off because everything is consistent.

 

[jafo28]

Bobby_M's sight tube/thermo combo with vinyls

Use the same thing, love it! I have the stickers for my carboys also, just haven't gotten around to installing them.

 

[bonsai4tim]

I use one of these:

Found it on line for about $50 over a year ago. has a hose fitting on one end.

t

 

[kpr121]

I'll admit that I just eyeball everything too. Maybe thats why I get such inconsistent efficiencies.

 

[Spartan1979]

I use one of these:

Found it on line for about $50 over a year ago. has a hose fitting on one end.

t

Have you got a link for that?

 

[eelpout]

I use the pail and eyeballing method. That close enough. Some days the grain will absorb more or less, or boil off will be different. I dont brew in a lab with perfect atmospheric conditions so I'd expect to be off a tad each time.

when you guys mark the lines on your site glass did you do it with cold water or at the temp you use it at?

 

[Catt22]

I use an aluminum yardstick and I have a conversion factor for each of my two kettles.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I use RO from the machine at the grocery and bottled spring water so it's already measured out. I just dump it in and at the end of the brew I'm magically* at my target volume within a 1/2 qt or so.

* - 'magically' meaning I've calculated exactly how much water I need to start with to hit my target volume.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Did you calibrate this? I weighed exactly one gallons and it came to the upper rivet. It's pretty hard to get it filled to that level without burning one's hand!

I ended up getting one of these (the 4-quart one):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VLZSK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

M_C

I use this 4 quart aluminium measure

 

[Whut]

Have you got a link for that?

Just Google DLJ Meier water meters. I did and found hundreds of links. This link shows an example of one similar to what was posted above.

 

[ndhoffma]

I use an aluminum yardstick and I have a conversion factor for each of my two kettles.

I use something similar... I have a 'calibrated' dowel rod for each of my kettles, & measure that way. Not entirely exact, but its good to 1/4gal or so... easy & cheap

 

[Spartan1979]

Just Google DLJ Meier water meters. I did and found hundreds of links. This link shows an example of one similar to what was posted above.

Found it. Thanks, but it's no longer $50. I've looking for something like that.

 

[bovineblitz]

A length of CPVC tubing I knicked with a knife at each gallon marker

 

[ReefkprZ]

I use a 2 quart pitcher with markings at each 1/4 quart. I have also brewed in my pot enough I can fill it by eye and be dead on my target amount give or take a cup. which is close enough because once I add about 6lbs of extract my pot is at maximum capacity. I usualyl wind up at the very bottom of the rivets for the handles, once in a while I'll wind up a quarter of the way up the rivets. ONce I get my new burner and my larger stock pot, I'll have to relearn the new pot. the partial mash I did yesterday made it evident that I need a larger pot. trying to mash 5lbs (roughly) of grains in a 3 gallon pot is a challenge, and I don't recommend it.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

I got the one I linked below in the mail yesterday. I immediately measured 1 gallon of water by weight (3.785kg) @70F, and it was DEAD ON the 4-quart mark. So far I give those plastic measures a big thumbs up.

M_C

Did you calibrate this? I weighed exactly one gallons and it came to the upper rivet. It's pretty hard to get it filled to that level without burning one's hand!

I ended up getting one of these (the 4-quart one):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VLZSK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

M_C

 

[heckels]

Bought of piece of 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum that was 3ft long from a local hardware store. Bent it so that it hangs over the edge of the brew pot and then to the bottom inside and cut the rest off. Drilled 1/8" holes every half gallon and used a punch set to engrave the number of gallons. Works well.

 

[Colby]

I used spring water in 1 and 2.5 gallon containers from the store. I use the dip tube from my sanke keg to measure volume after draining the MLT and after boiling. The dip tube is marked with gallon increments by means of a dremel tool.

 

[headfullahops]

I have a couple of 2 foot stainless spoons from the local restaurant supply shop. I set up a spreadsheet with the equation to find the volume of a cylinder (V=Pi*Radius squared *Height) and separate tables for each of my vessels where I input the diameter and height. Then all I have do do is input the volume I want in a particular vessel and it will output the fill height. I used that to make marks in 1/2 gallon increments on the side of the SS spoons with a Dremel (I also have a mark made at 7.25 gallons because that is my target volume for a 60 minute boil) so I don't have to search for a tape measure or measuring stick. I just lean the spoon up against the side of the vessel and fill.

 

[Acoma]

1 gallon water jug