Gluten Free Home Brewing Blog
How to weigh hops (or anything) without a scale!
Starting with a one ounce packet of hops, open packet and pour contents onto a work area such as a large plate or cutting board. Divide contents into exactly half. Now you have two half portions of hops, or 0.50 oz. If needed, divide contents again into exactly half. Now you have four quarter portions of hops, or 0.25 oz. Repeat as needed to achieve the desired amounts.
Below is a chart that will help you get to the amount of hops your recipe calls for:
1 = 1.00
1/2 = 0.50
1/4 = 0.25
1/8 = 0.125
1/16 = 0.0625
So if your recipe calls for 0.35 to 0.40 oz of hops you can add 1/4 and 1/8 to get 0.375 oz. That is pretty close with not using a scale. If you wanted to get even closer you could divide into 1/32, or just buy a scale!
Here is a bonus cooking tip; if you ever need to cut something into equal portions…just cut it in half. And cut it in half again, and again, and again until you have the number of portions you need. They will all be the same size as long as you keep cutting everything into halves.
Cheers!