I'm looking for a scale that can handle weights up to at least 22-25kg, that are still somewhat precise (within 2-10g would be fine), and has a large platform (16" x 16" if possible), however my searches don't yield much. I can find some good ones that are 8x8, or are like 16 times more expensive than the 8x8 ones, which doesn't make a lot of sense.
Can anyone recommend a good scale for bulk mixing? Also paging /u/queuetue for input and maybe a custom request since I know he dabbles with scales a bit.
So far we've got one that can measure up to 600g and 440lb with low resolution, and neither of these fit our specific needs. Thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments!
I dont know much about scales, but is there a reason you need a scale for mixing that large of a quantity? because measuring by volume is going to generally be quite accurate for large batches. Scales are super useful for 30ml bottles and stuff but if you are making gallons measuring by volume tends to be the way to go.
Sorry, but I have to disagree here. Volume isn't constant across temperature and pressure variants, where weight is (unless of course you are several miles below or above sea level). If you are capable of controlling your mixing environment sufficiently, it doesn't really matter, but the larger your batches, the more important this becomes. It would be particularly difficult to control for changes in air pressure without a specialized environment.
I could be wrong, but I think measuring by weight for large batches would prove to be more accurate than by volume. If you are using precise specific gravity for each flavoring (instead of 1ml = 1g), the size of the discrepancy will grow exponentially with the increased size of your batch. For small bottles, it's not such a big deal, but for large vessels, it could really change the taste.
I have a feeling that OP is using the precise specific weights of his concentrates, which is leading him to look for large scales.
This actually makes no difference as long as you are consistent. If you always set 1 g = 1 ml for all your concentrates, it scales up just fine. You're only concerned about maintaining the same ratio between concentrates. And the same ratio of concentrates to base. It may not be 100% accurate if someone else tries to replicate it using different specific gravities, but it will be consistent every time you mix it if you maintain 1 ml = 1 g.
As far as I know getting the specific gravity for all your flavorings isn't feasible. They usually aren't published so you'd have to do a bunch of measurements to a very accurate value that you could use. Either way if you measure out say 10 ml of a flavor and are .1ml off that's only a 1% error for the flavoring measurement and if the flavoring is say 5% of the total mix it would be a .05% error on the entire mix. So the volume should be accurate enough for large batches. I know when Wayne did the interview with the guy from Charlie Noble he said they use Volume to measure out batches.
http://www.awscales.com/high-capacity-balances/168-kg-20-high-capacity-precision-balance
It's pretty OK. A little slow on the refresh for my tastes, but 0.1g accuracy at 20kg is pretty sweet.
Are you sure you're not chained up in a basement lab being forced to make barrels of juice and needing someone to send help? Blink twice for yes.
Edit: paging /u/queuetue for you because paging doesn't work unless it's in the comments.
Over 1kg, use volume. Nothing is "more accurate" because you can achieve super high precision either way, it just depends on your equipment and dedication to protocol ... but you can get extreme accuracy with volumes over 1l for 20 dollars worth of glassware, where a scale as accurate would run you $300+ and wouldn't save you any time or effort.
Below 500ml, mass is the easiest, below 100ml, mass is probably the most accurate for layman. Between 500ml and 1L, it's a crap shoot depending on what scales you own, and big mixes, you want to go with volume, until you get over 50 gallons, and then you're usually into a mix of the two and a bunch of math.
Right on, thanks for the answer. I was kind of thinking that since I was having such a hard time finding a decent scale to work with. My biggest qualm is just the transfer of liquids is messier and kind of a pain in the arse; mixes have been pretty durn accurate though.