Tilt readings

[BierMeJohn]

When I looked into getting a Tilt, I read a lot of people saying they aren't that accurate. But since getting one, people I know have told me theirs is spot on. Well, I'm on my second brew with the Tilt and the initial readings were right on, but then both times the second (and all subsequent readings) are hugely erroneous. Any ideas what's going on here?

I just noticed the first reading says the source is the brewlog, so I assume that's what I manually entered after taking a reading with my refractometer (that explains why it was so spot on, lol...). So then ALL the Tilt readings are just WAY off.....

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Minbari]

Biggest two things that throw them off are fermenter gunk and co2. Like krauzen that gets stuck to it and throws off the tilt. The other is co2. As your fermentation goes it creates co2, those bubbles stick to it and throw off the tilt.

They are still great for trending and knowing when fermentation is finished. If you use the Tiltpi, there is a calibration section that can get you closer. It allows multiple cal pts which get summed by the firmware.

 

[Donoroto]

When I looked into getting a Tilt, I read a lot of people saying they aren't that accurate. But since getting one, people I know have told me theirs is spot on. Well, I'm on my second brew with the Tilt and the initial readings were right on, but then both times the second (and all subsequent readings) are hugely erroneous. Any ideas what's going on here?

I just noticed the first reading says the source is the brewlog, so I assume that's what I manually entered after taking a reading with my refractometer (that explains why it was so spot on, lol...). So then ALL the Tilt readings are just WAY off.....

Any help greatly appreciated!

View attachment 29985

My experience agrees with yours. They are less useful for delivering absolute measurements, and excellent for relative measurements. That means, while the final gravity reading might be off be a bit, the fact that gravity stopped changing is totally accurate. That's how I know my fermentation is ready for the D rest.

 

[Yooper]

When I looked into getting a Tilt, I read a lot of people saying they aren't that accurate. But since getting one, people I know have told me theirs is spot on. Well, I'm on my second brew with the Tilt and the initial readings were right on, but then both times the second (and all subsequent readings) are hugely erroneous. Any ideas what's going on here?

I just noticed the first reading says the source is the brewlog, so I assume that's what I manually entered after taking a reading with my refractometer (that explains why it was so spot on, lol...). So then ALL the Tilt readings are just WAY off.....

Any help greatly appreciated!

View attachment 29985

They can be a little off, but not like that! First, did you calibrate it before using? Also, is the temperature correct and the SG off, or are they both way off? It seems that it can't be 66F either, if it was 74.7F an hour earlier.

Can you remove it, clean it, calibrate it, sanitize it and gently replace? Maybe something is stuck on it.

 

[BierMeJohn]

They can be a little off, but not like that! First, did you calibrate it before using? Also, is the temperature correct and the SG off, or are they both way off? It seems that it can't be 66F either, if it was 74.7F an hour earlier.

Can you remove it, clean it, calibrate it, sanitize it and gently replace? Maybe something is stuck on it.

hmm.... I didn't calibrate it because I thought I read on the packaging that it came calibrated... If that's not the case, that could definitely explain things... I think the temperature is mostly correct (Inkbird is set to 68), the 74.7F was likely my error in the brew log (think that's what my digital refractometer read from the small sample I pulled but it was in Celsius).

Not sure I want to open the fermentor to remove it at this point, but will definitely calibrate before the next batch!

 

[Sanctuary Brewing]

My experience agrees with yours. They are less useful for delivering absolute measurements, and excellent for relative measurements. That means, while the final gravity reading might be off be a bit, the fact that gravity stopped changing is totally accurate. That's how I know my fermentation is ready for the D rest.

Agreed, but they are way too expensive for that. I had an iSpindle but it only lasted about 10 brews before it completely died. They are durable, and I have not had to change the batteries yet, but again, too expensive just to let me know Primary was done. One other pro is a backup temperature device. I had one beer in the fermenter for 3 days and no movement. I didn't;t notice it right away, but the temp on the tile was reading 55 and my inkbird was reading 68. Had to recalibrate the inkbird as it got out of whack.

 

[Minbari]

Agreed, but they are way too expensive for that. I had an iSpindle but it only lasted about 10 brews before it completely died. They are durable, and I have not had to change the batteries yet, but again, too expensive just to let me know Primary was done. One other pro is a backup temperature device. I had one beer in the fermenter for 3 days and no movement. I didn't;t notice it right away, but the temp on the tile was reading 55 and my inkbird was reading 68. Had to recalibrate the inkbird as it got out of whack.

Temp differences can be stratification too. My fermentor can be 7-10 F different from top to bottom. Obviously the tilt floats, so it reads the top

 

[WesBrew]

I calibrated mine just recently after a battery change and its pretty much spot on. If it is off, a jiggle of the fermenter fixes it.

 

[Sanctuary Brewing]

Temp differences can be stratification too. My fermentor can be 7-10 F different from top to bottom. Obviously the tilt floats, so it reads the top

Understood. I just have two SS brewbuckets with 5.5 gallons. I doubt my temp varries that much from top to bottom and that was a one time thing with the inkbird going crazy, I believe I got the probe wet and had to recalibrate it. No issues since.

 

[Minbari]

Understood. I just have two SS brewbuckets with 5.5 gallons. I doubt my temp varries that much from top to bottom and that was a one time thing with the inkbird going crazy, I believe I got the probe wet and had to recalibrate it. No issues since.

Mine is 7 gallon. It does vary that much

 

[Sanctuary Brewing]

Mine is 7 gallon. It does vary that much

The distance between the Tile and the thermowell on the fermenter isn't very far and the difference is 1 maybe 2 degrees different.

 

[Minbari]

The distance between the Tile and the thermowell on the fermenter isn't very far and the difference is 1 maybe 2 degrees different.

Ok, mine is 10" down on the lid.

When it is actively fermenting, it makes little difference with the churning. But after that there is some difference. I have taken a probe at the surface and a probe at the bottom. It was over 10F difference when being kept at 68F.