Tilt Hydrometers

[Horton]

I’ve been using tilts for a couple of years now and I like the ability to check temps and gravity from work or while on the run. But I’ve recently gotten into pressure fermenting. I built a similar fermenter to clawhammer’s 6.5 gallon keg fermenter. (A couple hundo cheaper). But ive experienced my gravity jumping all over the place. I know it’s due to carbonation. But has anyone figured out a work around?

 

[keystonehb]

I’ve been using tilts for a couple of years now and I like the ability to check temps and gravity from work or while on the run. But I’ve recently gotten into pressure fermenting. I built a similar fermenter to clawhammer’s 6.5 gallon keg fermenter. (A couple hundo cheaper). But ive experienced my gravity jumping all over the place. I know it’s due to carbonation. But has anyone figured out a work around?

Does this jump happen throughout the whole fermentation or more so in the beginning and settle out?

 

[Snuffy]

I think Tilt gets smacked around a bit during the elevated temp phase of fermentation. It's not uncommon from mine to change readings up or down a point while I'm waiting for it to transmit data. Also, you have the dreaded yeast goop on top effect. Not sure anything is to be done about it. Even though it's not necessarily accurate, the graph is useful and it's one of the coolest things about brewing to have that easy data. I'd just give every fermentation a month before paying attention if the alternative is sample and test.

 

[hilljack13]

I measure with a hydrometer once fermentation is complete. I have found that once I keg and measure a sample, the Tilt is about 0.002 points lower than the hydrometer. When I do pressure ferment, it is only 5-7psi. I am about to keg one in a few days. Tilt shows 1.0162. I expect hydrometer to be ~1.018. I'll post if I remember.

 

[Whisky River]

Not sure what’s throwing yours off but I remember reading that the Tilt Pro was made significantly heavier to minimize the effect of any external goop or carbonation. Not that shelling out for an even more expensive toy is the best solution….unless you’re looking for an excuse to spend some $$$$ in which case we’ll gladly encourage it.

 

[Horton]

I think Tilt gets smacked around a bit during the elevated temp phase of fermentation. It's not uncommon from mine to change readings up or down a point while I'm waiting for it to transmit data. Also, you have the dreaded yeast goop on top effect. Not sure anything is to be done about it. Even though it's not necessarily accurate, the graph is useful and it's one of the coolest things about brewing to have that easy data. I'd just give every fermentation a month before paying attention if the alternative is sample and test.

With the bubbles from the carbonation under pressure and the floating dip tube I expect it. The diameter of the 6.5 gal keg it’s in doesn’t help either, I’m sure. I just go panic mode if I see a stall at 10pts lower than expected. Beer comes out decent for what it’s worth. Patience is the name of the game.

 

[Horton]

Not sure what’s throwing yours off but I remember reading that the Tilt Pro was made significantly heavier to minimize the effect of any external goop or carbonation. Not that shelling out for an even more expensive toy is the best solution….unless you’re looking for an excuse to spend some $$$$ in which case we’ll gladly encourage it.

If not for spending a king’s fortune in the last 2 months on things only nominally better than what I already have, I would. With that said, I have an Easy Dens in transit as well speak.

 

[Horton]

Does this jump happen throughout the whole fermentation or more so in the beginning and settle out?

Whole fermentation. I may have my spunding valve set too high. 14.5-15. Diamond Lager yeast in Vienna lager. Oyl-004 in a sweet orange ipa. New to pressure fermenting and this is the only thing that is off from using my normal Anvil conical fermenters or glass car boys.

 

[hilljack13]

Tilt Pro was made significantly heavier to minimize the effect of any external goop or carbonation.

Interesting, I read it was made for using in SS FV. I have two I use in the FLEX+ and they don't do any better. I still have to stand within a few feet to get a reading. I was lucky that I got a discount to buy at the regular Tilt price. I would advise to just get the regular tilt. Have had readings from across the room, albeit not in a SS FV. YMMV.

 

[keystonehb]

Whole fermentation. I may have my spunding valve set too high. 14.5-15. Diamond Lager yeast in Vienna lager. Oyl-004 in a sweet orange ipa. New to pressure fermenting and this is the only thing that is off from using my normal Anvil conical fermenters or glass car boys.

Are you also getting these reading directly from tilt or a charted app? For instance many time if i stand and watch my tilt it does move around quite a bit, but when in charts itself on my brewfather app it seems like it charts accurately. They do say that it is fine for pressure fermentation, however I wonder how much it does in fact have to do with the floating dip tube and the diameter of the keg. Together those things leave a very small slice of beer for it to float in undisturbed.

 

[micraftbeer]

RAPT Pill isn't sold in the US, but it is in Canada. Some Canadian homebrew shops ship to US addresses. Don't know if it will solve OP's issue, but thought I'd throw that out there since heavier Tilt Pro was mentioned.

And it's cheaper than Tilt Regular.

 

[Thorrak]

Although I'm using a slightly different setup from you, I'm currently in the process of testing my Tilts' accuracy while fermenting inside a (naturally) pressurized Spike Flex+. For the most part, while there are small fluctuations in the gravity readings, it hasn't been a problem with my Tilt Pro:

Same with my Tilt Gen 3:

Thinking about it, although you're fermenting under pressure, this shouldn't create any differences for you vs. if you were fermenting in an open atmosphere. The same amount of CO2 is being generated/released by the yeast - the only difference is that some volume of it remains in the headspace of the fermenter or in solution in your beer as carbonic acid. The only time it would make a difference is if you were to depressurize the headspace, and thus allow some of the carbonic acid to disassociate and return to gas.

Think about a plastic bottle of coke. You don't see bubbles of CO2 when you see it on the shelf of the store - only after it's been opened. Same concept.

If not for spending a king’s fortune in the last 2 months on things only nominally better than what I already have, I would. With that said, I have an Easy Dens in transit as well speak.

As part of this test, I'm actually using a similar piece of equipment from Anton Parr as the "reference" for checking my Tilt's accuracy. Although I haven't used the Easy Dens myself, based on my experience with their gear, you're going to absolutely love it.