I’ve been measuring out my brewing water with a plastic fermenter that came with my original starter kit. It just seems more convenient than trying to use measuring cups. I seemed to always be over a quart or two on the runnings when batch sparging which is a pain when you have to boil that extra off. So I decided to use a Pyrex 2 quart measuring cup to see how accurate those plastic fermenter volume markings were. Assuming the measuring cup is more accurate, I realized the markings are at least a quart off. Anyone else notice this? I’m wondering if my bottling bucket is the same way. I am going to be bottling 2 beers tomorrow and planning on basing my priming sugar quantity on exact volume of racked beer, style, etc based on recent forum discussions. I might want to calibrate that as well.
As precisely as I could, no splashing or drips, marked a one-half gallon jug and then proceeded to fill a fermentor to the five gallon mark without splashing or drips. Perfect tedium. I just siphoned the first five gallons into the next fermentor and then using a funnel to pour the last few ounces. About an hours tedium, but all fermentors are permanently marked with gorilla tape.
Bucket markings are way off.
We used a 2-quart pitcher, we marked it with measured volumes, then used it to re-mark the bucket. It was at least a quart off.
It all helps in keeping yer volumes in check. I use to use a stick that was marked. Now that I switched to a keggles I fabbed, I have a sight glass and has made my brew day a tad easier, measuring volumes that is. There just can’t be enough said to KNOWING yer volumes. Even only as accurate down to a cup when working with 5 plus gallons. Sneezles61
I realized this morning that the bottling bucket is the exact same brand of bucket as the plastic fermenter (they both came in the same starter kit) with just a hole in it. So I made my more accurate markings with a Sharpie on both buckets. Thanks for all the responses.
If anyone is looking for a 2 gallon bucket for measuring water I found one at the Home Depot. I also measured with a one quart pyrex to check the accuracy and it seemed right on. Go to the paint department. The bucket is semi transparent with graduated marks in quarts, gallons, and liters and has the letters HDX on the side. The only thing I wish it had was a molded pour spout but it works pretty good. Just happened to come across it when I bought a bucket for my carboy washer.
I did this today with 1g distilled water jugs and was quite surprised how off my NB bottling bucket was 
carboys are next.
