What is the best way to weigh your grains?

[jay075j]

For the past year or so that I have been doing AG, I have been buying my grains from my LHBS shop and having them weigh out the amount of grains that I ask for, and have them crush them for me and all is good in my life.

But I just found out that I will be getting a Barley Crusher for Christmas. This is great, I have been wanting one for a while now because I was getting wacky efficiencies from the crush at the shop.

My question is though, once I have my bulk grain, how do I measure out the specific amounts that I need? Is it really as simple as a bathroom scale and a kitchen scale?

What other methods does everyone else do?

I am also interested in what the most common bulk grains to keep around are? How does everyone work their grain inventory?

 

[aaronwillen]

I have a kitchen scale that goes up to 11 pounds. I usually put a big bowl on top...tare it and then weigh out my grains. As for an inventory...I usually keep nothing around. If I have a spur of the moment urge to brew I head down to the LHBS in CC Philly

 

[MTBREWDOG]

I don't have a scale or grain crusher yet but I would think an easy way to measure out grain accurately would be a simple kitchen scale that measures grams/ounces/pounds. I haven't gotten that far into AG yet so I haven't had to think of that.

As for grains on hand I would think a start would be American 2 Row and Carapils.. But what am I to know.

As for grain inventory... ProMash has an excellent inventory control option in it. It's also great for calcuating lots of other important points in your all grain brewing. I would highly reccomend it. But like I said what am I to know. I've only barely gotten one homebrew bottled. I say barely cause it's still in my secondary!

Just my two cents! Hope everything works with your grain crusher when you get it!

Cheers!

Joe

 

[DeathBrewer]

i'd definitely get some kind of kitchen scale, not a bathroom scale. something around 10 lbs so its made for the amount you'll be weighing (more accurate) and you won't have to weigh your grains more than twice for one batch.

 

[WBC]

I use 2 scales. A kitchen scale for grain and a gram and ounce scale for hops. The kitchen scale does not have enough range to way tiny weights like grams.

Search on google for kitchen scale or just go to a kitchen supply near you so no shipping cost is involved.

I use brewing buckets to contain my grain.

http://www.google.com/products?q=kitchen+scale&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en

 

[tgrier]

I got a pitcher or round cup and I measured out 1# of 2 row and marked the cup.

I now just scoop my 20# or whatever of 2 row for my batches. I still weigh my specialty grains because they tend to vary. Hell the 2 row probably does some as well.. but I am a little lazy and my method works good enough.

 

[Surly]

I went out and bought something like this at a big box store....then found this one at Northern Brewery for about the same money.


http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/escali-primo.jpg

 

[billtzk]

I use a kitchen scale that weighs amounts to 12 pounds to weigh out my grain. I put a bowl on it that holds about 5 pounds of grain, tare it, then weigh out my grain up in batches, dumping it into a big bucket until I'm done. Then I crush into another bucket.

I buy base malts at my LHBS by the bag, usually just one of each at a time. Right now I have two bags of US 2-row, and one each of Paul's 2-row, Maris Otter, and Belgian Pilsner malts. I store the grains in an assortment of 40 qt food storage bins and 6 gallon buckets with lids.

I buy other grains 6 pounds at a time, since I have a bunch of plastic containers that hold about six pounds. Crystal 20, 40, 60, 80, Special B, Cara Pils, two or three different Cara Munich, Biscuit, flaked corn, rice, etc. Just the ones I tend to use regularly.

Whenever I go to the LHBS, I just replenish whatever I'm out of.

I keep hops in the freezer. I use a 1 lb scale that is accurate to the hundredth gram (a bit of overkill, perhaps) to weigh out hops.

 

[Jeffro]

I got a pitcher or round cup and I measured out 1# of 2 row and marked the cup.

I now just scoop my 20# or whatever of 2 row for my batches. I still weigh my specialty grains because they tend to vary. Hell the 2 row probably does some as well.. but I am a little lazy and my method works good enough.

Also... If you fill a 3lb coffee can with grain it weighs pretty darn close to 3Lbs. Close enough for beer anyway....

Same with a 1Lb coffee can.

 

[dontman]

I say go 2 row , Maris Otter and German or Belgian Pils This way you'll have the base covered for American, British and European beers within reason.

 

[wildwest450]

This scale is accurate enough to be used for grains and hops. You can find them on ebay cheap. They are very accurate. Escali Primo Multifuntional Scale

 

[sirsloop]

even if your scale won't do a full 11+lbs of grain, you can still knock out smaller portions and dump it in a bag/bucket.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

Get one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/DIGITAL-35-LB-SHIPPING-POSTAL-SCALE-POSTAGE-LB-SCALES-W_W0QQitemZ350134137045QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Shipping_Scales?hash=item350134137045&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

They are accurate to 0.1 oz (which is Postal Service accurate) and it has a lifetime warranty. The best part is it is CHEAP-- under $20 and you have a great scale.

Make sure you don't pay more than 0.96 for it though before shipping; they always have multiple auctions going and seem to relist every couple hours.

Someone on here posted a link to this seller a while back and led me to purchase one. I love mine.

 

[springer]

I have the Salter kitchen scale reads in .05 once increments and was 39.99 with a 10 off coupon from bed bath & beyond.

scale

 

[Coastarine]

+1 on a cheap ebay postage scale. Mine is accurate to .2oz with a 76lb capacity.

 

[jay075j]

Get one of these:

DIGITAL 35 LB SHIPPING POSTAL SCALE POSTAGE LB SCALES W - eBay (item 350134137045 end time Dec-02-08 09:02:59 PST)

They are accurate to 0.1 oz (which is Postal Service accurate) and it has a lifetime warranty. The best part is it is CHEAP-- under $20 and you have a great scale.

Make sure you don't pay more than 0.96 for it though before shipping; they always have multiple auctions going and seem to relist every couple hours.

Someone on here posted a link to this seller a while back and led me to purchase one. I love mine.

This is great! I just put this as a watch item. This is exactly what I am looking for! Thanks!

 

[kirscp]

I use a postal scale, purchased off eBay for under $20. I've had it for years. I think it goes up to 40lbs.

I also have a small electronic scale I can use for hops.

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

I use a hanging scale for my base grains:


And an el chepo postal scale to weigh hops.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Been eyeballing a digital bath scale meself from the WalMarts. I just haven't taken the $20 plunge yet.

Neighbor friend has a similar we used one day. I measured a pound on the kitchen scale and set it on the bath scale, guess what? 1 pound, did the same with 5# and 10#. By that time I was convinced. I sets me bucket on the scale, records it's empties, and then goes to adding grains tils I reaches my target.

Cheapo and Eezy.

 

[jspence1]

I have a kitchen scale that reads .01 oz and weighs up to 7 lbs.

 

[Donasay]

Here is what I do, I put my grains in a sack and stand on my bathroom scale, I take that number, usually something like 265 or 270 or whatever and write it down. I then get back to my kitchen table and take out my driver's license and look up my weight, I believe it is around 215 or 220 i cant remember exactly, so I look it up. I then subtract my weight from the weight of me and the grains on the scale the equation looks like this:

weight of me and grains - weight of me = weight of grains.


Last week I made a light American lager with over 50 lbs of grain.

 

[Sizz]

+1 on small digital kitchen scale. Got mine at walmart for like $20 and it's accurate to 0.05oz. Good for both hops & grain. I also have some small plastic containers that have been cut down so they hold exactly 1 lb of grain. Wheat is more dense so the wheat cup is slightly smaller.

 

[radtek]

I find this hanging scale to be very effective and easy to use. I can hang a bucket and scoop grain into it until I hit the desired weight.

SPRING SCALE HANGING 110 LB WEIGHT FISHING KITCHEN DELI - eBay (item 390014416554 end time Dec-10-08 22:00:27 PST)

Cheap too!

For hops and small amounts of grain I use a digital scale that reads in grams and ounces.