Tilt Hydrometers

[jmb11]

I recently purchased two version 3 Tilt Hydrometers. After reading numerous posts, I thought these could be used in my Spike CF10 conical fermenter. They worked fine when testing them in a glass of tap water in my kitchen. I was able to read them both using the Tilt 2 app. I dropped both Tilts in the same conical to compare readings. The app cannot pick up either of them while standing right next to the conical. They are in the conical and the conical is inside a glass door True Refrigerator fermentation chamber. Has anyone else experienced this ?
Any thoughts on why these aren’t working ?

Thanks

 

[schmurf]

For what it's worth; I have TILT v2 and ferment sometimes in SS fermenter and sometimes in a corny keg, and I have usually no problems. It may drop a reading now and then but usually not. My Samsung Tab that connects to the TILTS is about 3 meter away from the fermenters.

 

[jpakstis]

Did you try seeing if you could get a reading with the conical outside of the fermentation chamber? I can get a Tilt reading at about 10-15 feet of my Spike conical. I don’t have it in anything else.

 

[Deric]

I had issues with Tilts in corny kegs inside a chest freezer. Was contemplating picking up a couple Tilt Repeaters. Ended making a repeater with and ESP32. Works great.

 

[jmb11]

Did you try seeing if you could get a reading with the conical outside of the fermentation chamber? I can get a Tilt reading at about 10-15 feet of my Spike conical. I don’t have it in anything else.

I have opened the fermentation chamber door and have both ipad and samsung phone within a foot of conical and get nothing. It would be one this if it were one Tilt but its both of them doing the same thing should eliminate dead batteries. These both worked just minutes before in water on kitchen counter.

 

[Gusso]

When fermenting in my 10gallon Torpedo, I need to rest my phone on the keg for a reading.

 

[jnecessary]

When fermenting in my 10gallon Torpedo, I need to rest my phone on the keg for a reading.

Same here. I just have an old phone as the logger and it lays on the corny kegs I ferment in, inside the chamber. Works great.

 

[Buffalobrew47]

I have opened the fermentation chamber door and have both ipad and samsung phone within a foot of conical and get nothing. It would be one this if it were one Tilt but its both of them doing the same thing should eliminate dead batteries. These both worked just minutes before in water on kitchen counter.

How far away is your fermentation chamber from your wifi? Maybe that makes a difference? The tilts should have Bluetooth support, but maybe they need wifi too?

 

[GBRbrew]

I ferment in kegmentors, not only do I have to set the phone on top of them I also have to remove the phone from its case or I don't pickup a reading.

 

[Buffalobrew47]

I ferment in kegmentors, not only do I have to set the phone on top of them I also have to remove the phone from its case or I don't pickup a reading.

Maybe look at getting a repeater or a tiltbridge. I've got a tiltbridge and it posts my readings without fail everytime. I can get my readings from anywhere(other side of house, at work, on vacation, etc) it doesn't matter as long as I'm in range of my wifi router. I have ny tiltbridge set up to send the readings to a Google Sheets document.

 

[Drewch]

How far away is your fermentation chamber from your wifi? Maybe that makes a difference? The tilts should have Bluetooth support, but maybe they need wifi too?

WiFi shouldn't be an issue with TILTs. It's a Bluetooth connection between the TILT and your phone.

I've never had this prob, but my fermenters are plastic.

 

[SonomaBrewer]

Tilt pro in SS fermenter within a chest freezer here. I have a cheap Rasberry PI with Tilt Pi loaded up, works flawlessly.

 

[jmb11]

Tilt pro in SS fermenter within a chest freezer here. I have a cheap Rasberry PI with Tilt Pi loaded up, works flawlessly.

Any idea where to purchase Rasberry Pi ? The seem to be hard to come by.

 

[SonomaBrewer]

Supply chain its

Any idea where to purchase Rasberry Pi ? The seem to be hard to come by.

I have a cheap Canakit that I bought pre-pandemic, these are more expensive with supply chain issues now:

https://www.canakit.com/raspberry-pi/pi-4-kits
Looks like you can pick up a Pi 4 for $50 on Ebay though.

 

[MHBT]

I ferment in corny kegs and i need to open the ferm chamber and put my phone very close, tilt is cool but it’s accuracy not so cool, but still helps know whats going on definitely does not replace a classic hydrometer imo

 

[WesBrew]

I got a Tilt for Xmas, havent tried it yet but will be going in a Spike CF-10. Hopfully it works ok as some noted above. What exactly does the raspberry pi do for you?

 

[Deric]

The Tilts only send data via Bluetooth. The Pi can connect to the Tilt via Bluetooth and make the data accessible via Wi-Fi

 

[WesBrew]

The Tilts only send data via Bluetooth. The Pi can connect to the Tilt via Bluetooth and make the data accessible via Wi-Fi

Ok so i could monitor it on my phone all over the house on the local wifi, ranther than having to get the phone right on the fermentor.

 

[Deric]

Ok so i could monitor it on my phone all over the house on the local wifi, ranther than having to get the phone right on the fermentor.

Correct. It also allows you to log your fermentation to a Google Docs spreadsheet or connect and log to brewing brewing software like Brewfather and others.

 

[WesBrew]

i just checked on Brewers Friend, looks like i can connect it to the app for no additional. Guessing i need a local device to connect it on if i want to see data when while i'm out

 

[Kizmiaz]

I connected my TILT to an old iPhone that I leave next to my fermentation fridge. My TILT is synced to my Brewfather account and I can see the TILT measurements no matter where I'm at.

 

[WesBrew]

I found my old I-4 phone and thought I was set. I cant get the Tilt App to download on the old phone. it says i have to have software version 9.2 or newer to use it. Phone shows up to date 7.1.2. I don't think i can update it.
Are people using newer phones or getting this to work somehow?

 

[Whisky River]

I have used an iPhone 4s before but it’s running the later operating system. I believe the 4s is the earliest iPhone that supports Bluetooth 4.0 I’m not sure which is the earliest android you can use but I would think anything from the last 10 years would probably work.

 

[Saunassa]

An old Fire tablet works as the bridge for me