Imperial vs Metric in the Brewing World

[Blackmuse]

Hey folks. I noticed that a lot of you use the Metric system for brewing - assuming in most cases that you all aren't from the US. In helping folks out and reviewing recipes I have been noticing that the metric system just seems - easier?

I guess my question is to those in the US - Do any of you other US folks use the metric system for your brewing needs? If so why? - because you find it easier or more simple/streamlined?

I have starting rewriting a few recipes into metric and I think I am liking the results! I haven't actually brewed yet using only metric though... So maybe that will be the real test.

Anyway, I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter. - Have any of you folks outside of the US tried brewing using our system? Have you tried converting recipes? - Is it easy to convert?

BREW ON! BREW STRONG!

 

[Yooper]

I can't answer the poll, because I use a mix of metric and US measurements in my brewing.
for example, I measure brewing salts (and sometimes hops) in grams. I measure grain in pounds, usually. I use US gallons, but add my acid additions in mls.
Americans are weirdly addicted to our imperial liquid measurements, but I have 34 years of medical work where I used kgs and mls and grams (and micrograms) routinely so I "think" in those terms usually. I also think in percentages instead of actual weight.

And when I make soap, it's grams and ounces and pounds. Weird.

 

[Blackmuse]

I can't answer the poll, because I use a mix of metric and US measurements in my brewing.
for example, I measure brewing salts (and sometimes hops) in grams. I measure grain in pounds, usually. I use US gallons, but add my acid additions in mls.
Americans are weirdly addicted to our imperial liquid measurements, but I have 34 years of medical work where I used kgs and mls and grams (and micrograms) routinely so I "think" in those terms usually. I also think in percentages instead of actual weight.

And when I make soap, it's grams and ounces and pounds. Weird.

Funny. I currently do the same thing! I guess I should have added that to the poll. I moved over to grams on hops because it became easier to weigh more accurately. This eventually led me to wonder if it would be easier with malts as well.

 

[Zambi]

I use and like metric.
I find the imperial system confusing. A cup is not necessarily a cup as I first need to know if you are British or American (Canadian). Or from elsewhere, because then it is 250 ml.
Measurements like 3 tablespoon and a teaspoon actually make me shake my had in wonder.
Obviously I am biased as all my schooling and upbringing was metric

I have tried working with imperial, but I just seem to calculate everything back to metric

So I choose: both but prefer metric

 

[Bubba Wade]

Imperial units. Although if I want to divide a packet of dry yeast in half, I set the scale to grams because the yeast packets are all 11 grams.

 

[Blackmuse]

Thanks folks for reminding me that what we use here in the US is called Imperial. It was constantly escaping me. Probably should have asked the Googs!

EDIT: The US uses the United States Customary Units - based on the English Units.... Which are similar to Imperial Units.... (Thanks Google?) - It sounds like defining it is just as difficult as using it!

---- Hawkbox said it best.... Everything is divisible by 10 in Metric. Enough said... Math uses a base 10 system. That MUST be what makes it easier.

 

[Blackmuse]

I use and like metric.
I find the imperial system confusing. A cup is not necessarily a cup as I first need to know if you are British or American (Canadian). Or from elsewhere, because then it is 250 ml.
Measurements like 3 tablespoon and a teaspoon actually make me shake my had in wonder.
Obviously I am biased as all my schooling and upbringing was metric

I have tried working with imperial, but I just seem to calculate everything back to metric

So I choose: both but prefer metric

Funny thing is, I figured I too would be biased because I grew up using the imperial system but as I get older I am beginning to wish we just used Metric as it seems to be easier to scale or use (lost for words here again). I don't want to call it simple but when crunching numbers it has recently felt that way to me. Simple. I would like to know it well enough that I don't feel the need to "convert" what I want to do to it... If that makes sense.

- I could change the thread title but not the title of the poll. - sorry.

 

[BrewPatgonia]

Funny!
I was born in the US, and spent most of my life there... grew up in Germany (army brat, German was my first language) for my first 14 years.
My work in the last 10 years was almost exclusively out of the US, therefore, I have adopted the metric system.
My recipes are always built on the imperial system, then I convert everything to metric as it is easier to work with for me.... as well as I like the added precision of grams versus ounces... considering the scales that I use.
I use both I guess, but convert to metric for working/brewing, and speak in imperial (out of habit) when speaking with english speakers, and speak metric when speaking to spanish speakers.

 

[Hawkbox]

I use and like metric.
I find the imperial system confusing. A cup is not necessarily a cup as I first need to know if you are British or American (Canadian). Or from elsewhere, because then it is 250 ml.
Measurements like 3 tablespoon and a teaspoon actually make me shake my had in wonder.
Obviously I am biased as all my schooling and upbringing was metric

I have tried working with imperial, but I just seem to calculate everything back to metric

So I choose: both but prefer metric

A cup in Canada is 250ml. Not sure why it would be different.

I interchange them largely because all the equipment and recipes are in US measurements. I tend to round them off though 1oz=30g 1gallon=4litres kind of math cause it's easier to do in my head quickly.

Also your bloody base 16 measurements cause me all kinds of problems.

 

[Hawkbox]

Funny thing is, I figured I too would be biased because I grew up using the imperial system but as I get older I am beginning to wish we just used Metric as it seems to be easier to scale or use (lost for words here again). I don't want to call it simple but when crunching numbers it has recently felt that way to me. Simple. I would like to know it well enough that I don't feel the need to "convert" what I want to do to it... If that makes sense.

- I could change the thread title but not the title of the poll. - sorry.

Everything is dividable by 10 regardless of what you're doing in Metric, which vastly simplifies the math.

 

[Zambi]

Sorry Hawkbox.
I thought Canada was using the same system as the USA. My bad.
'nother thing learned

 

[oliver]

Starter - liters
Water volume - quarts
Salts - grams
Grains - lbs and oz
Hops - mostly oz, but also grams when i'm doing an experiment and need more accuracy.

even beyond weight and volume, I always record OG in Plato through a refrac and FG in specific gravity on a hydrometer.

 

[Hawkbox]

Sorry Hawkbox.
I thought Canada was using the same system as the USA. My bad.
'nother thing learned

We're metric but so close to the US that we have a weird interchange of units. I am 5'11" and 218lbs but I drive 17km one way to get to work. 12mm and 1/2" wrench can be used interchangeably most of the time. Etc...

 

[Blackmuse]

Added this as an edit above....

"EDIT: The US uses the United States Customary Units - based on the English Units.... Which are similar to Imperial Units.... (Thanks Google?) - It sounds like defining it is just as difficult as using it!

---- Hawkbox said it best.... Everything is divisible by 10 in Metric. Enough said... Math uses a base 10 system. That MUST be what makes it easier."


I look forward to trying to brew in Metric and will let you all know what I find.

 

[Hawkbox]

I also tend to ahve a bunch of tabs open with various calculators while I brew.

 

[Nosybear]

I can't answer the poll, because I use a mix of metric and US measurements in my brewing.
for example, I measure brewing salts (and sometimes hops) in grams. I measure grain in pounds, usually. I use US gallons, but add my acid additions in mls.
Americans are weirdly addicted to our imperial liquid measurements, but I have 34 years of medical work where I used kgs and mls and grams (and micrograms) routinely so I "think" in those terms usually. I also think in percentages instead of actual weight.

And when I make soap, it's grams and ounces and pounds. Weird.

I lived in Europe for a while. Definitely a fan of metric! I bake in grams and ml, for example. For some weird reason I calibrated all my equipment in US Conventional units so brew in pounds, ounces, gallons, etc. except for water adjustments, I do those in grams and ml.

 

[Bubba Wade]

12 inches = 1 ft
3 ft = 1 yards
5.5 yards = 1 rod
40 rods = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile

Easy as pie and never a need to divide by 10.

 

[Blackmuse]

12 inches = 1 ft
3 ft = 1 yards
5.5 yards = 1 rod
40 rods = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile

Easy as pie and never a need to divide by 10.

Hahaha - But I don't use any of those for brewing. - But I get your point.

 

[Nosybear]

I'd go easy as pi - completely irrational!

 

[Hawkbox]

12 inches = 1 ft
3 ft = 1 yards
5.5 yards = 1 rod
40 rods = 1 furlong
8 furlongs = 1 mile

Easy as pie and never a need to divide by 10.

40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way he likes it!