I’ve been home brewing for about 20 years now, but I’ve always just used beakers for everything. After seeing some of the stuff readalot posted, I decided to pick up a set of volumetric flasks to try and be a bit more precise with my measurements.
The main thing I’m wondering about is how you guys actually handle the mixing part. Do you still do the initial mix in a beaker on the hot plate with a magnetic stirrer, then pour it into the flask and top it off with carrier oil until you hit the line? Or do you just do the whole process directly in the flask?
I know volumetric flasks are usually calibrated for room temperature, so I’m a little hesitant about putting one right on the hot plate. Plus, it would make it impossible to use my regular thermometer, so I'd have to switch to a temp gun instead. How are you guys managing the heat and mixing?
man 20 years with beakers is a long run - i honestly still use them for half my stuff because i'm lazy lol. but yeah for the flasks you definitely don't want to put them directly on the heat. they can shatter or just lose their calibration. i usually do the "pre-mix" in a beaker with the mag stirrer and then transfer it over to the flask once it's mostly dissolved. way easier than trying to get powder through that skinny neck anyway!
i’m with you on the temp gun thing - its a total game changer for homebrewing. i usually do the heat work in a beaker like you mentioned and then pour it into the volumetric flask once it cools down just a tiny bit. if you top it off while it's still piping hot the volume is gonna be slightly off once it hits room temp. it's probably not a huge deal for gear but if you're going for maximum precision that's the way to do it.
honestly i tried mixing directly in the flask once and it was a total disaster lol. trying to get a stir bar in and out of there is a pain and if the powder clumps up at the bottom you're basically stuck shaking it by hand like a martini. keep using the beaker for the heavy lifting and just use the flask for that final "top off" to make sure your mg/ml is perfect.
congrats on the upgrade man! readalot definitely knows his stuff and it makes the whole process feel way more professional. i wouldn't trust the glass on a volumetric flask for direct heat though - they aren't usually made of the same heavy duty pyrex as beakers. i do the warm water bath method sometimes if i need to keep the flask warm while it's sitting but thats about it.
20 years is a massive amount of experience dude! for the mixing part i find it’s best to dissolve the raws in the solvents (ba/bb) first in a beaker then pour that into the flask. then just rinse the beaker with a little bit of your carrier oil and pour that in too so you don't leave any active ingredient behind. top it off to the line and you're golden. super accurate and less mess.
the temp gun is actually way better anyway because you don't have to keep cleaning a probe thermometer every 5 minutes. i wouldn't put the flask on the plate though - it'll probably be fine but if it cracks you've got 200ml of oil all over your kitchen lol. plus like you said the calibration is for room temp so letting it cool a bit before hitting the line is the pro move. happy brewing!
