I read about brewers using S/S yardsticks to measure depth and compute volume. Will an enamel-coated ruler withstand near-boliling temps if I measure volume post-boil?
is it painted with lead paint?
the enamel can handle it I’m sure, your brain on the other hand…
wort temps are only ~212 so yeah, it can handle it but I would be concerned with what else might be on the yardstick.
Big plastic or Stainless spoon. Take a Dremel and add tick marks. You are over thinking this.
…or an unfinished dowel rod from a hardware store.
+1. What I use.
Thanks guys.
One does not have to immerse the ruler that is being used measure the fluid column height. I have never measured that way. I compute the fluid column height by measuring the distance from the top of the fluid column to the top of the kettle and subtracting that value from the depth of the kettle. That way, I can use any ruler that I have on hand because it does not actually touch the wort. Plus, if one is not using an over-sized kettle, one can usually get away with using an easy to acquire low-cost 12" photo-etched stainless steel ruler.
I use a coated, yellow ruler bought at one of the big box stores. I don’t know what the coating is, but it doesn’t come off.
I find measuring from the bottom to be better than measuring from the top for accuracy but I haven’t changed any of the calibrations I have done where I measured from the top.
I’m really lazy and efficient. I use my plastic stir paddle to measure. I etched volume marks in it so it serves two purposes.