How are you measuring your water?

[freshhoarse]

This is kinda stupid question, but how do you measure your water volumes accurately? I have been using a large measuring cup and figured I'd mark a bigger container to make things easier. I am trying to set up for AG and plan on doing 10gal batches in the near future... there has to be a better, more accurate way.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I have a piece of stainless welding rod marked at every 2 gallons. My mash tun and boil kettle have the same dimensions, so the "dipstick" works in both vessels. I usually brew 1/2 bbl batches, so I'm dealing with 10-20 gallons at a time. I eyeball measurements less than 2 gallons.

 

[SC_Ryan]

I have old fermenting buckets that have markings on the side. I've tested them and they're pretty spot on

 

[Pappers_]

I use a half-gallon pitcher and have notches on my long spoon for 5, 6 and 7 gallons in my brew pot.

 

[unionrdr]

I've seen folks mark the keggle they use for boiling on the outside;others mark this plastic tube rigged to the valve on the outside. Since I'm just doing 5-6 gallon batches,I use a sanitized milk jug to measure for the brew kettle.
The fermenter I use has liter graduations on it. And I buy spring water in gallon jugs currently. So,I just top off to the right mark & stir like mad. Works well so far.

 

[SwampassJ]

I used a measuring cup to measure out gallon increments in my carboys and buckets. Then I got smart and used the measuring cup to mark a pitcher at 1 Gallon then used that to measure both of my kettles. Then I marked my spoon for both with notches for the 8 gallon and I used a long pipe to mark off my 15 gallon kettle.

 

[Hammy71]

Ale pails (they have gallon markings), site glasses, and a big wide sharpie line on my carboys.

 

[ajf]

I have a gallon jug (with qt markings) and a dip stick for the kettle. I also use the bathroom scale from time to time (especially if the water/wort is hot).

-a.

 

[tele_powder]

Sightglass, dipstick and sharpied up carboys

 

[bob1852]

Ale pails (they have gallon markings)

And the markings are usually way off - at least on all four of mine...

 

[Hammy71]

And the markings are usually way off - at least on all four of mine...

Measured mine with a gallon measuring cup...dead on. I got lucky....

 

[Chemkrafty]

If you want to verify any container, 1 gallon of water is 8.345 lbs. Just calibrated my stuff this weekend!

 

[Homebrewtastic]

I don't have a fancy brew kettle with a site glass. I just use a 1 gallon water jug to measure.

 

[dantose]

I don't. I'm a barrel o malt, bushel of hops, stir it with a stick kind of brewer. I go up to about the rivets on my kettle and it fits in a fermenter. I generally end up with extra in the keg and have to drink some unfermented so it fits.

 

[dfc]

I filter my tap water and store in 1 gallon water jugs. If I need 5 gallons I just use 5 jugs.

 

[BrewThruYou]

For measuring strike and sparge water, I use a 1 gallon diet green tea jug. It's heavy duty plastic compared to water jugs and the handle is pretty legit. Water jugs usually warp due to the temps of the water, so this thing is great.

 

[Conan]

Used cylinder volume for my BK, and marked 5 gallons' height on my stir spoon. Pre-boil or during boil I dip the spoon in and measure it with a tape measure. Next step may have to be a sight tube, but my method works cheaply. Also, for my kettle I know that a quarter-inch is a quart- easy to visually estimate how much above or below 5 gallons I am post-boil. Kyle

 

[munche]

I use a big wooden spoon. I bought a 1 gallon jug of water, poured it in 1g at a time and marked the spoon for every gallon.

 

[freshhoarse]

Wow great ideas! Thanks for the replies, guys!!!

 

[brewd00d]

Go to a walgreens or something similar near you, they sell 2.5 gallon water jugs. works perfect. one for the boil then one to add to the wort after it cools. and they are cheap.