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Author Topic: Readable volume marks in a cooler  (Read 1662 times)

Offline Tfwebster

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Readable volume marks in a cooler
« on: October 03, 2020, 11:17:32 am »
I use an an Igloo-style cooler for a mash tun, and I have a hard time reading the gallon marks inside it. Has anyone found a good way to mark these that doesn't come off into the beer?
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Offline Bob357

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2020, 03:50:22 pm »
Make up a dip stick or use another means of measuring as you add water the cooler. The markings in the cooler are likely to be inaccurate, as are most factory markings in fermenters and kettles.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2020, 06:14:04 pm »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline pete b

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2020, 06:41:53 pm »
My 15 gallon boil kettle isn’t marked and I actually use a tape measure and pi x R squared x height. Its fun!
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline joe_meadmaker

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2020, 07:01:01 pm »
Another option is to do the measuring before adding water to the cooler.  When I'm filling my mash tun with water, I gather it in a brew bucket first so I can see how much there is.  Then pour it in the tun.

Offline jeffy

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2020, 09:15:21 pm »
I have always found it curious when doing a collaboration at a commercial brewery that the standard measurement of volume is a marked stick of some kind.  Very low tech. Very effective. I finally marked a stick for my home brewery this year.
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Offline Tfwebster

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2020, 12:02:40 pm »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?
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Offline Tfwebster

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2020, 12:03:23 pm »
Make up a dip stick or use another means of measuring as you add water the cooler. The markings in the cooler are likely to be inaccurate, as are most factory markings in fermenters and kettles.

This is a great idea.  Thank you.
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Offline EnkAMania

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2020, 12:12:43 pm »
I use a yard stick.  A long time ago, I found a site where it calculated gallons to inches. 
Some day we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny

Offline denny

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2020, 12:25:52 pm »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?

I mark mine with a Sharpie
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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Offline mainebrewer

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2020, 02:39:52 pm »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?

I mark mine with a Sharpie

Using a sharp knife, I cut some small notches to mark the gallons on the side of my plastic mash paddle.   
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2020, 05:35:29 am »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?

A Sharpie. I tune it up when the marks fade, but I don’t stir with it much, just save it for measuring....
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline goose

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2020, 08:39:40 am »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?

I mark mine with a Sharpie

I was going to suggest something similar to that.  Although the markings on the inside of the cooler might not be 100% accurate, they will get you close enough.  I would take the Sharpie and color the inside graduations on the cooler with it to make them easier to read.  You may have to re-color them after a while, but you will be able to read them more easily.  I use this on the outside of my wash buckets (which are old bucket fermenters that the ink has rubbed off of) when measuring out cleaning water to use in my conicals and it works great.  I also used a sharpie mark on the inside of the fermentation bucket so that I could measure 6 gallons of wort into the bucket.
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Offline denny

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2020, 08:43:17 am »
Agreed - this is what I have:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/mash-paddle-plastic-24.html

I just have each gallon from 5-15 gallons marked for my 18 gallon boil kettle.

What did you mark the paddle with?

I mark mine with a Sharpie

I was going to suggest something similar to that.  Although the markings on the inside of the cooler might not be 100% accurate, they will get you close enough.  I would take the Sharpie and color the inside graduations on the cooler with it to make them easier to read.  You may have to re-color them after a while, but you will be able to read them more easily.  I use this on the outside of my wash buckets (which are old bucket fermenters that the ink has rubbed off of) when measuring out cleaning water to use in my conicals and it works great.  I also used a sharpie mark on the inside of the fermentation bucket so that I could measure 6 gallons of wort into the bucket.

Guess I didn't explain well enough.  I use a wooden mash paddle and I mark volume measurements in 1/2 gal. increments using a Sharpie.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Drewch

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Re: Readable volume marks in a cooler
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2020, 07:41:28 am »
My 15 gallon boil kettle isn’t marked and I actually use a tape measure and pi x R squared x height. Its fun!

🤯🤦‍♂️ I can't believe this never occurred to me.
The Other Drew

Home fermentations since 2019.

Member at large of the Central Alabama Brewers Society and the League of Drews.