Tilt Hydro/Thermometer - anyone use one?

[Hudson1984]

Hi all,

as the title implies, anyone used a "tilt"

I'm a bit of a nerd, and like the idea of playing with a raspberry Pi in the garage, and looking at having a display on the wall above the worktop where I make my brews, Perhaps link some other things in there too (sure I saw something that logs what's left in a keg)

So ones screen will show keg content in the kegerator, one will show conditions of the current brew batch. I like the look of the tilt, but of course, as with most things - you lot will no doubt have either tried it and found something better, or tried it and love it.

I need this ruddy lockdown to sod off, I can't drink enough to continue to brew more! Maybe I need some more kegs to store and let things mature/condition.. anyway, Tilt yay or nay

[Cobnut]

There's been quite a bit of discussion about the Tilt on here. @PeeBee has posted a lot of his analysis (summary: He's not a fan).

I have one and still use it, but definitely agree with much of PeeBee's thinking.

After having used mine for the thick end of 2 years, I'd say it is a useful guide to fermentation progress, but you're paying quite a price. I don't use it as a definitive way to measure gravity, but it gives a good view of how fermentation is going without the need to go anywhere near the beer shed.

If you can afford one (c. £140-150) and the Raspberry Pi, etc. (another £30-40), then go ahead.

There's plenty of other uses for nearly £200 which you may find more beneficial...or enjoyable

[guypettigrew]

I used to have a Tilt. Found it to be worse than useless as it gave mis-information. The bubbles during fermentation upset it, as did the inevitable layer of yeast which settled on the top of it. It meant I was leaving the beer in the FV for much longer than necessary. PeeBee kindly took it off my hands.

I now use a refractometer to monitor fermentation. Taking a 0.5ml sample with a disposable pipette is really easy and doesn't risk contaminating the beer. You'd need to use an online calculator, such as this one, to convert the readings to specific gravity and to compensate for the effect of fermentation.

I treated myself to a MA884 digital refractometer. This one seems to be on some sort of special offer--mine cost me over £100! I love it. Gives the same reading a an optical refractometer, but is much easier to use and has a very clear read out.

Hope this helps.

Guy

[Hudson1984]

Good to know on both counts there.

I mean I'm in no rush to spend £200 if it's not worth it, as you've said - plenty of other things to spend then money on. At the moment I have a float type thing and i'm crap with it. So I don't tend to use it, I leave my kits for a little longer and take my chances, I'd like to not do that.

The digital refractometer looks good, especially at £32!

[PeeBee]

There's been quite a bit of discussion about the Tilt on here. @PeeBee has posted a lot of his analysis (summary: He's not a fan). ...

Not entirely fair! I just advise not to put much faith in them. I did come up with work-rounds to limit the worst of the "inaccuracies" and still use the Tilt to monitor fermentation. But for some reason my TiltPi has stopped talking to it (Bluetooth) and I'm trying to sort that out at moment.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=81861

To get the OG (which I use to calibrate the Tilt each time it is used) and the FG, I use ... oh no, not a hydrometer or a refractometer 'cos I'm much too fussy to be bothered with them (fussy? Read "blind"): A Pyknometer, which will take you on a journey to an alternative reality if you want to figure them out! Easy for me, my head is an alternative reality!


(A pyknometer is what a hydrometer emulates; not the other way-round!).

[PeeBee]

… The digital refractometer looks good, especially at £32!

Blimey! They are too! £32 that is, for this weekend. But it is Monday? Still, it does say £32 so might be worth an impulse buy …

[chris2012]

Anyone bought one from that site? I can't really find any reviews for the site? And it was created in Jul 2020?

[PeeBee]

Anyone bought one from that site? I can't really find any reviews for the site? And it was created in Jul 2020?

Good point!

But I rang them (www.duffy.co.uk) and they say www.theduffygroup.co.uk is their site. I'm still suspicious though.



(EDIT: Look at this and see why I'm suspicious: http://www.duffy.co.uk/about/).
(EDIT-2: Can't find any satisfactory links other than what the receptionist said. www.theduffygroup.co.uk looks like a scam to me; thanks "chris2012" for alerting folk to it).

[Hanglow]

I have an ispindle which is the DIY wifi version and can be bought ready assembled for about £45 or so if you don't want to do it yourself.

It is a bit inaccurate due to the same things mentioned ie krausen interfering with the tilt and also needs a strong wifi signal near it, but is handy if you want to spund, check for stalled ferments, check temperature etc without opening your fermentor.


For example, this is the bitter I have at the moment - you can see it read down to 1.008 at the end but is now up to 1.011, this is due to the yeast head dropping . But if I wanted to transfer it to a keg to spund, I'd have been fine using the info from it to transfer about 6am two days ago.

[Cobnut]

Not entirely fair! I just advise not to put much faith in them. I did come up with work-rounds to limit the worst of the "inaccuracies" and still use the Tilt to monitor fermentation. But for some reason my TiltPi has stopped talking to it (Bluetooth) and I'm trying to sort that out at moment.

I apologise, but in my defence, it was a VERY brief synopsis of your (extensive) views.

I do agree with the view of "not to put much faith in them", hence my assertion that they're quite good for overall brew tracking.

As to the Bluetooth issue. I had this a while back. I use a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a "bridge" between BT and WIFI and have - on at least one occasion - had to re-install the OS onto the Raspberry Pi.

I have also put a new battery in the Tilt; the website claims quite a lengthy battery life, but I'm not so sure. A year of regular use is probably a good time to replace it. I brew every few weeks and use the Tilt each time, so it's "working" at least a couple of weeks each month.

I also agree with what I think i remember reading in one of your posts about yeasts that create a big krausen interfering with the Tilt. This seems less evident with yeasts without such a large krausen.

[Hudson1984]

hmm I won't risk it, i've bought from dodgy sites before and it's a pain trying to claim money back etc.

Shame about the tilt, I mean I only brew kits as I like cider and it's a far simpler affair than finding fruit etc - but I do intend to progress into other things eventually once i've got the man cave fully setup.

I just like the idea of the tilt or something similar as I can easily track the levels and see when it's finished fermenting - will have to keep looking

the Ispindle is something to look into for sure.

[PeeBee]

hmm I won't risk it, i've bought from dodgy sites before and it's a pain trying to claim money back etc. ...

Don't blame you staying away from that "to-good-to-be-true" site. This I wrote during my enquires:

Looks very suspicious! A "Whois" search on duffy.co.uk and theduffygroup.co.uk only heightened suspicion! The latter appears to have been registered from the USA (the Duffy Group is a family-run London company in the construction business).

[Hudson1984]

Think i'll order the spindel, looks exactly what i'm after really.

I'll leave it out of the current batch of Cider, but will give it a whirl in the upcoming chardonnay kit that's next in line

[Soay4699]

I have used a Tilt for 22 months off and on. The battery has just let me know that it is done. That is sixteen and a half three week brew lengths. I don't think that is too bad.

I know about the doggy readings you get some times but I use it for monitoring change. It tells me when the primary fermentation is over and then I bump the temp up a degree, thus getting another point or two drop in FG.