Strange Tilt Readings - anyone else ever experience this?

[terrypratt1]

I am brewing my first batch using a Tilt Hydrometer. About 3rd brew totally closed process with my All Rounder; first few I "eyed" the fermentation process and timeline but got the Tilt to have a clear idea when fermentation was over. See picture - the temperature is matching what my Inkbird says - but the SG numbers seem bizarre.

Fermentation is just taking off this morning (pitched Verdant yesterday afternoon). I tit tap the All Rounder to get the Tilt to move a bit (near edge) thinking maybe that was the issue but still seeing the same readings; from the starting 1.069 (correct reading) and now it is reading 1.083. Is this something that happens using a Tilt (surely the gravity is not increasing).

Terry

 

[AlexKay]

This certainly happens to me. More common at higher gravity, too. Probably some krausen stuck to it. As always with a Tilt, the most valuable information is when fermentation has leveled off, and the exact gravity at that point will be a little off (because there is probably some krausen stuck to it already.)

 

[Wrendelar]

you could swirl the All Rounder if you are still seeing activity in the airlock and see if degassing it a little gives you a different reading ... I did this with a pale ale after my fermentation went way down and then started rising back up. I swirled the bucket and then the reading corrected itself.

 

[terrypratt1]

This certainly happens to me. More common at higher gravity, too. Probably some krausen stuck to it. As always with a Tilt, the most valuable information is when fermentation has leveled off, and the exact gravity at that point will be a little off (because there is probably some krausen stuck to it already.)

Thanks - and yes the real reason I purchased was to determine when fermentation is finished - a final true reading from the finished beer will get actual FG.

 

[tdf]

Your wort post boil will stratify pretty severely. The bottom will be quite a bit higher in gravity than the top. This is exacerbated even more if you top off with water in the fermenter or pitch a starter without decanting. The tilt, being at the top reads lower.

Once fermentation starts the stratification goes away as the beer moves and you'll see your gravity go up before it goes down.

 

[schmurf]

I use Tilts in all of my brews but not so much to get the correct gravity at any given point. Its best use, for me, is to verify that fermentation has started and that it's finished. Whatever happens inbetween that isn't of so much interest. Quite often also the gravity shown by the Tilts at end of fermentation isn't correct since things get stuck on it and skews the readings, but as long as it shows that fermentation has ended I'm happy with it.

 

[wepeeler]

I've had a few weird readings over time with my Tilts. Extremely vigorous fermentations make them do all sorts of wacky things. Should settle down in a day or so.

 

[hotbeer]

I had similar once with my raptPill. I'd forgotten to add the required sugar at the end of boil, so I just added it to the FV prior to pitch and thought I'd stirred it in well enough. But after seeing my SG increase as the yeast activity increased, I feel pretty certain I just didn't mix the sugar in well enough and the yeast did it for me.

It could be stuff clinging to the tilt or it getting hung up on the side of the FV.

 

[terrypratt1]

Your wort post boil will stratify pretty severely. The bottom will be quite a bit higher in gravity than the top. This is exacerbated even more if you top off with water in the fermenter or pitch a starter without decanting. The tilt, being at the top reads lower.

Once fermentation starts the stratification goes away as the beer moves and you'll see your gravity go up before it goes down.

Thanks. I do see movement (down) as fermentation has kicked in. I don't believe the gravity was ever near the 1.084 (1.070 is what i logged with hydrometer and test tube). But I do clearly see the Tilt tracking to what fermentation I'm seeing now. FYI - no starter (Verdant dry yeast) or top off with water.

Terry

 

[AZ Maverick]

I have two Tilt hydrometers which I really like and use all the time.
I did do a 3 point calibration on them so they agree with my floating hydrometer (which I don't use anymore).
Yeah, depending on how hard the fermentation is going, I see my SG numbers bounce around during fermentation.
I just pretty much ignore it as I'm only interested in when fermentation is getting close to complete so I know when to start my lager diacetyl rest.
Here is a what the Tilt chart of a Maibock that I started a couple of weeks ago looks like during fermentation.