[bo]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

[tomsawyer]

Right now I'm just relying on a quick calc of expected preboil volume and the rough knowledge of what boils off in a given amount of time.  But you've given me some food for thought.

[TrippleRippleBrewer]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

+1

Plus the wort bubbles out the top of it and makes a mess all over the kettle and the brew stand during the boil. I like the idea for the HLT and MLT but on the boil kettle, it's one more thing to take apart and clean.

I'll stick with eyeballing it in the kettle and my trusty calibration strip on my HLT, complete with "messy" sharpie marker and dremeled numerals. I should post a pic I suppose.

[TrippleRippleBrewer]

All this scribing, dremeling, bolting, slicing, diceing, buying stuff. All I did was pour in a gallon of water, put my wood mash paddel in and pull it out, notched the wet/dry line with my pocket knife, and made 1/2 & 1/4 notches, repeat up to 6 gallons. 3 minutes and free since I already had the mash paddle and pocket knife.

 But that's just me...

A pocket knife...that's awfully fancy. You could have used your teeth instead : )

[ccfoo242]

Would it be difficult to stamp indentations into a stainless steel pot? Mine is already marked each 2 gallons with indentations.

[euge]

I'm inclined to agree with bo and that it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. We want to be in control of the process to be true; but I only really became obsessed with kettle volume when I started with grain and was trying to get the best efficiency and account for it accurately.

[punatic]

All this scribing, dremeling, bolting, slicing, diceing, buying stuff. All I did was pour in a gallon of water, put my wood mash paddel in and pull it out, notched the wet/dry line with my pocket knife, and made 1/2 & 1/4 notches, repeat up to 6 gallons. 3 minutes and free since I already had the mash paddle and pocket knife.

 But that's just me...

A pocket knife...that's awfully fancy. You could have used your teeth instead : )

I cut my notches with my Hatorri Hanzo.  "Haiyah!"

[denny]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

I have never disassembled mine and I can't see why I'd need to.  I just rinse it out when I clean my kettle.

[denny]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

+1

Plus the wort bubbles out the top of it and makes a mess all over the kettle and the brew stand during the boil.

Not if you put a little piece of paper towel in the top of it.

[punatic]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

+1

Plus the wort bubbles out the top of it and makes a mess all over the kettle and the brew stand during the boil.

Not if you put a little piece of paper towel in the top of it.

Ever the pragmatist! 

[bluesman]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

+1

Plus the wort bubbles out the top of it and makes a mess all over the kettle and the brew stand during the boil.

Not if you put a little piece of paper towel in the top of it.

Ever the pragmatist!

+1

Great idea Denny...I'll try that method

[denny]

I just tear off a piece of paper towel maybe an inch wide and 2-3 inches long, roll it up, and stuff it in the end of the sight glass.

[Pinski]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

I have never disassembled mine and I can't see why I'd need to.  I just rinse it out when I clean my kettle.

My boil kettle is a Blichmann with the sight glass attached at the top and bottom so wort can actually flow through it. Makes a reading during the boil virtually impossible. But I digress.  I decided a couple batches ago that I ought to disassemble the tube and clean it out. Wow. I'll just say I clean it out after every boil now.

[bo]

A sight glasses is something else that has to be disassembled and cleaned and can cause a leak. A marked dip stick, spoon, mash paddle, etc. is just so easy and an exact volume measurement isn't really that important anyway.

I have never disassembled mine and I can't see why I'd need to.  I just rinse it out when I clean my kettle.

My boil kettle is a Blichmann with the sight glass attached at the top and bottom so wort can actually flow through it. Makes a reading during the boil virtually impossible. But I digress.  I decided a couple batches ago that I ought to disassemble the tube and clean it out. Wow. I'll just say I clean it out after every boil now.

They can get pretty nasty inside and eventually have no "sight" at all. That and they fog up. Waste of money, IMO.

[denny]

We'll see.