How do you weigh your grains.

[iamwhatiseem]

Finally maybe 7-8 brews ago I purchased a Barley Crusher and have been very happy with it. It is nice to buy grains ahead of time and crush/brew when you want.
So last week for the first time I purchased bulk grains. Cheaper and now I can truly brew when I want.
Problem. How to accurately measure grains.
So bought this scale... https://www.amazon.com/Nicewell-Dig...rds=taylor+baking+scale&qid=1598112592&sr=8-5
It had good reviews and can go up to 22 lbs.
I am using it today... and it friggin sucks.
I measured out my specialty grains I bought, crushed them...and then i needed 8lbs. of 2 row.
I have a large metal mixing bowl. set the tare and pour in till I actually had 8.12 lbs.
Crushed that... now I have everything crushed, I pick up the grain bag and immediately i just knew this doesn't feel substantial enough. Been brewing for years and this does not feel like 11lbs of grain. SO I measure it.... WTF - 9.1 lbs??? So I go into the restroom, weigh myself... weigh myself carrying the bag... 9 lbs. difference. How can this thing be 2 lbs off??
So I add 2 lbs. more.... but I really don;t know which grain was short.

What scale do you use and are confident with?


Cheers!

 

[marc1]

I have this that works fine:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SMHWZ42/
I put a plastic rack on top of it to make the weighing surface bigger, then put a 5 gallon bucket on that and fill with my grains.

Although if I were to get one again I'd get something that can weigh more than 50 lbs and is easier to read with something on it.

i've been considering getting a refrigerant scale like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HM71YWG/

The refrigerant scale would allow doing mash and sparge water volumes by weight, be a lot easier to monitor closed transfer keg fills, and be easier to see the numbers when weighing out buckets of grain.

 

[eric19312]

I use this guy
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078BDJWRF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I had a bunch of problems but they seem fixed after replacing the cord with a Monster brand handset cord.

I use it for grain and for weighing kegs as they are filled. Works well for both.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Am I understanding correctly? " I measured out my specialty grains I bought, crushed them...and then i needed 8lbs. of 2 row. "

Grains are NOT crushed before weighing them.

Is the scale balanced?

 

[rsquared]

I've been quite happy with this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYA0RC2/

It weighs up to 110 lbs, and the display is separate from the scale, so it doesn't get hidden under the bucket or whatever you're weighting into.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Am I understanding correctly? " I measured out my specialty grains I bought, crushed them...and then i needed 8lbs. of 2 row. "

Grains are NOT crushed before weighing them.

Is the scale balanced?

No I was weighing them prior to crushing

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Interesting, so I test this thing and it is actually very accurate unless you add a little at a time.
In other words, if you set 8 lbs. on it at once, it will say 8 lbs. But f you pour a little at a time it doesn't change enough. So if you add 7 lb.s, and then slowly add another 1 lb. - you might get say 7.4 lbs. But if you add it all at once it will say 8lbs.
:/

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

No I was weighing them prior to crushing

OK. What about balanced scale?

Is there something of a known weight to measure? (for example 1 lb of honey, etc)?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

OK. What about balanced scale?

Is there something of a known weight to measure? (for example 1 lb of honey, etc)?

yes... and it is accurate.
I think I have solved the problem, above where I mention it does not weigh small increments worth a damn. But it weighs "sudden" larger amounts well.
So yes, if I place a 1 lb. weight on it, it will say 1lb. But if I place a 1/2 lb., then slowly add the other half it will weigh lite.
So for now, I will add the grains, take it off the scale and reweigh to get correct weight.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Oh, geez. At least this was good to discover. You're now making me think of my grain scale...

 

[rsquared]

So for now, I will add the grains, take it off the scale and reweigh to get correct weight.

If you bought that scale recently, I'd return it. The one I linked is much better for weighing grains and has been accurate for me down to +/- a few grams (not bad on a 50 kg range), and is the same prices as yours.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

If you bought that scale recently, I'd return it. The one I linked is much better for weighing grains and has been accurate for me down to +/- a few grams (not bad on a 50 kg range), and is the same prices as yours.

That is a nice scale and less expensive than the commerical grade scale I purchased in, what?, 1996?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

That is a nice scale and less expensive than the commerical grade scale I purchased in, what?, 1996?

I do like that one for the "remote" display, also for the higher weight.
So it does pretty good when just adding a small amount to reach what you want?

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I do like that one for the "remote" display, also for the higher weight.
So it does pretty good when just adding a small amount to reach what you want?

If asking about the commercial verified scale... breathe on the scale and it will change

 

[Sammy86]

I've been quite happy with this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KYA0RC2/

It weighs up to 110 lbs, and the display is separate from the scale, so it doesn't get hidden under the bucket or whatever you're weighting into.

I have the same one! Love it!

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If asking about the commercial verified scale... breathe on the scale and it will change

I would love to have what we have at work. In the printing business, they are accurate within 0.001, you can place 1,000 post it note size pieces of paper on it, take one off and it will say 999. But, they are also about $700

 

[rsquared]

I do like that one for the "remote" display, also for the higher weight.
So it does pretty good when just adding a small amount to reach what you want?

Yeah, the one I linked in particular only changes in 2 gram increments (which to be fair is 0.004% of its range, and less than 0.1oz) but it will change when I drop just a small handful of grains at a time.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If you bought that scale recently, I'd return it. The one I linked is much better for weighing grains and has been accurate for me down to +/- a few grams (not bad on a 50 kg range), and is the same prices as yours.

Appreciate it... ordering one now.