Trouble with TILT

[mongoose33]

When I first rec'd my TILT hydrometer, I thought WOW. It worked very well, producing readings within a point or maybe two points of what a hydrometer would tell me.

But the last two times, it's been a disaster. It's produced readings that are way off of measured values, and that's only when it's able to broadcast to my phone.

What's different? I'd been using Ray-o-Vac batteries, and getting only two brews out of them. So I bought a 2-pack of Energizer batteries thinking maybe they'd be better.

Well. The only thing different that I can tell is the batteries are different. On my most recent batch, brewed Sunday, I started with a gravity of 1.055; TILT said 1.051. The most recent readings this morning indicated 1.031 and 1.026. I took a sample and guess what? 1.022. I'm glad I found that as I scrambled to add dry hops before i was finished fermenting.

Anyone else had difficulties they can trace to the brand of battery being used? Any other tips with this that might help?

 

[CodeSection]

@mongoose33 , I had problems the first time I used my Tilt. The initial readings were well within specs and I was able to compare the readings to my refractometer and hydrometer readings.

Later in the fermentation, gravity started significantly dropping and then later raising when they should not have. I contacted Tilt customer support and gave them a link to my log as well as tell them I had a CF10 (they had initially questioned if there was enough head space).

Tilt customer support was excellent. They determined my unit was bad and they sent me another one. I am returning the original unit today in their prepaid FedEx package. Based upon my experience, I would suggest you contact customer support.

 

[Bilsch]

I bought one with the intention of tracking the gravity to determine the point of spund. But similar to the above posters the data was all over the place and so I gave up with the tilt.

 

[Hopsimus]

Supposedly you have to recalibrate every time after switching out the batteries (because each brand has a slightly different weight).
Give that a try, perhaps it will help.

 

[mongoose33]

Supposedly you have to recalibrate every time after switching out the batteries (because each brand has a slightly different weight).
Give that a try, perhaps it will help.

Replaced the battery, put in water, the reading was .999. I thought that was pretty close.

 

[PeteSeattle]

Glad you found somewhat of an answer. Good thing I read this before my next brew.

Just wondering if anyone here has chosen rechargeable batteries. If so what brand?

Thanks for posting, btw.

 

[Hopsimus]

Replaced the battery, put in water, the reading was .999. I thought that was pretty close.

On the low end yes. However, they also recommend adding another calibration point at a higher known specific gravity - like 1.050 or something.
(I'm just guessing here. Don't actually know the answers )

My tilt was 8 points low last time. I didn't really care. I mostly use it to show me when fermentation is done by waiting for the readings to flatten out. In your case I can see that being an issue, since you were trying to dry hop at a specific point.

Cheers!

 

[mongoose33]

Glad you found somewhat of an answer. Good thing I read this before my next brew.

Just wondering if anyone here has chosen rechargeable batteries. If so what brand?

Thanks for posting, btw.

But that's what I did before I put it in the fermenter, and it's not working correctly. I thought I had calibrated it correctly. There's a secondary issue, which is there are times I just can't get it to register.

Like tonite. No signal reaching my cell phone. Hard not to think it's the battery, but could be something else wrong, I suppose.

 

[Jaybird]

I was brewing at Waganupa brewing company a few weeks ago and Alex (the owner) was using them and said he has nothing but issues. He uses them now just for temps.

That's the only insight I have.. LOL

Cheers
Jay

 

[augiedoggy]

You can buy the 3v (not 3.7v) version of these batteries in rechargeable form along with a charger on Ebay now. I was going to buy 4 for my fermenters at the brewpub but I was afraid of the consistency not being that great as that's what I read about them a while back.

 

[jimmayhugh]

I bought one of the very early models that didn't have the recalibration feature, and later bought a second one that did. Since I do a single 10gal batch at a time, I drop both of them into the fermentor. Most of the time the graphs are similar, but may be off by a few SG points. I use them mostly to track trends, rather than relying on specific information. If I'm really concerned, I'll check the SG with my edrometer.

 

[Derp]

I'd been using Ray-o-Vac batteries, and getting only two brews out of them.

How long were they in the fermenter? Mine last much longer than that. Are you making sure to stand it vertically on a flat surface (weighted end down) when it's not in use? That's supposed to save the battery.

 

[mongoose33]

How long were they in the fermenter? Mine last much longer than that. Are you making sure to stand it vertically on a flat surface (weighted end down) when it's not in use? That's supposed to save the battery.

How long in the fermenter? Maybe a week to 10 days.

And when I remove them, yes, I stand them upright on a flat surface.

I just kegged a batch on Monday evening from my conical where I used the TILT. It didn't work properly for a long time, and in fact at one point I couldn't get it to send a signal to my phone at all. Then later, it started working again. I'd done things like shake the fermenter gently so that if it were lodged against something it would come free, but that did not change anything.

Then at the end of fermentation it started reading "normal" numbers, at one point it read 1.008, I took a sample and with the hydrometer it read 1.009.

So I don't get it.

 

[augiedoggy]

How long in the fermenter? Maybe a week to 10 days.

And when I remove them, yes, I stand them upright on a flat surface.

I just kegged a batch on Monday evening from my conical where I used the TILT. It didn't work properly for a long time, and in fact at one point I couldn't get it to send a signal to my phone at all. Then later, it started working again. I'd done things like shake the fermenter gently so that if it were lodged against something it would come free, but that did not change anything.

Then at the end of fermentation it started reading "normal" numbers, at one point it read 1.008, I took a sample and with the hydrometer it read 1.009.

So I don't get it.

This is with the exact battery type and model that was in it when calibrated?

 

[mongoose33]

This is with the exact battery type and model that was in it when calibrated?

I changed the battery, dropped it in a bucket of Star-San to calibrate it and sanitize it, and put it in the fermenter.

I could see there being a systematic error if there had been a problem in calibrating or some other thing, but when it starts out badly misreading the actual gravity, then stops reporting at all, then comes back on, then reports accurately (to .001) the finishing gravity....well, I don't know what's going on.

 

[augiedoggy]

I wasnt aware they recommend calibrating in starsan, I always assumed it would have a higher gravity than water.

 

[mongoose33]

I wasnt aware they recommend calibrating in starsan, I always assumed it would have a higher gravity than water.

If I put 1 ounce of star-san in 5 gallons of water....how much is that gravity going to change?

Now, maybe there's something going on I'm unaware of, there's always that possibility. But if it would have resulted in a gross miscalibration, I think I would have seen that at final gravity, too.

 

[augiedoggy]

im not disagreeing with you I just know starsan is some thick stuff as well as being a chemical and figured it would not real the same as distilled water which they recommend.

 

[mongoose33]

im not disagreeing with you I just know starsan is some thick stuff as well as being a chemical and figured it would not real the same as distilled water which they recommend.

I use a 5-gallon bucket of RO water (TDS: 6ppm), into which goes the 1 ounce of Star-San concentrate. Pretty sure the gravity, if changing at all, is virtually the same as the water sans Star-San. <sorry >

 

[mongoose33]

I haven't been able to brew for a while, but yesterday I was back at it. Funky Rye. Yum!

Anyway, I swapped the Energizer battery for the Ray-o-Vac batteries I had, and at least to this point, the TILT working exactly as it should. Fast response when I use my phone app, and as far as I can tell, very close to actual gravity.

This is how it SHOULD work!

 

[mongoose33]

Well, check that, at least in part. I drew a sample from the fermenter, gravity about 1.052. The tilt reads 1.058. At least I'm getting a signal.

 

[Quadrider]

Received one as an Xmas gift and used it in 3 batches. Despite multiple re-calibrations, All three batches were significantly off according to the tilt. Customer service sent me a new one to try, and same thing. In the end found out fermentation trub / Krausen was sticking to the top and causing the off readings. Because I ferment in a catalyst with a blow off, there was really nothing else I could do. Ended up returning it and going back to the old school hydrometer.

 

[Bilsch]

Same experience here. I really wanted this to work for determining the point of transfer to spund but was way too inaccurate.

 

[mongoose33]

A bit of an update.

I've brewed two additional batches with the TILT, replacing the Eveready battery with Ray-O-Vac.

It seems to have made a big difference. I don't know why the battery would matter, but the signal is much stronger and my phone's TILT app picks that signal up withing about 5 seconds. Before, with the Everready, that ranged from 10 seconds to never.

Early on, the reading of the tilt is over the actual gravity by about 6-9 points...but it settles down later. Yesterday morning I logged in a TILT reading--1.031. I drew off a sample and checked with the hydrometer...1.031. I left that wort in the hydrometer cylinder all day, checked again when I cam home last evening. TILT: 1.024. Hydrometer: 1.024.

I may just have to accept that early on, the TILT isn't reliable but later it appears to be. I still like it for being able to estimate closely when I can button up the fermenter and allow it to self-carb...and it does that.

 

[CodeSection]

A bit of an update.

I've brewed two additional batches with the TILT, replacing the Eveready battery with Ray-O-Vac.

It seems to have made a big difference. I don't know why the battery would matter, but the signal is much stronger and my phone's TILT app picks that signal up withing about 5 seconds. Before, with the Everready, that ranged from 10 seconds to never.

Early on, the reading of the tilt is over the actual gravity by about 6-9 points...but it settles down later. Yesterday morning I logged in a TILT reading--1.031. I drew off a sample and checked with the hydrometer...1.031. I left that wort in the hydrometer cylinder all day, checked again when I cam home last evening. TILT: 1.024. Hydrometer: 1.024.

I may just have to accept that early on, the TILT isn't reliable but later it appears to be. I still like it for being able to estimate closely when I can button up the fermenter and allow it to self-carb...and it does that.

Are you still using Ray-O-Vac batteries? If not, what did you switch to?

 

[mongoose33]

Are you still using Ray-O-Vac batteries? If not, what did you switch to?

Yeah. They seem to work ok. Some newer iteration of the Tilt is supposed to last months; if I get three brews out of one battery, that's pretty good for me. Wish it was more.

 

[augiedoggy]

Yeah. They seem to work ok. Some newer iteration of the Tilt is supposed to last months; if I get three brews out of one battery, that's pretty good for me. Wish it was more.

I think my battery might be going... used it for 4 brews right now its reading the correct temp but the gravity has been going all over the place. went from 1.073 down to 1.063 normally then jumped to 1.108-1.105 yesterday and shaking the conical did not help.. I was going to purchase 3 more of these but am holding off because I have not figured out how to get reliable consistent somewhat accurate readings from it yet. maybe this time its because its a double ipa I dont know.

I have been looking at rechargeables for these and found a lot of the confusion is these batteries come in 3.7volt and 3 volt versions and the tilt is supposed only be used with the 3v version. some of them are somewhere in between voltage wise which can cause damage or unreliable performance. I am still using the battery mine came with and have the spare yet.

 

[processhead]

As former instrumentation guy, I have been following this thread with some interest.

I would be really curious what the battery voltage measures after the the TILT comes out of the fermenter during these instances of abnormal behavior.

Any decent battery powered instrument will have internal voltage regulation that compensates for normal voltage drop as the batteries discharge while the unit is in use. Battery discharge should not be an issue until they reach a minimum threshold voltage.

IMO, if any instrument doesn't have an internal battery diagnostic feature, You really should own a stand alone tester or voltmeter.

Once the TILT is in the fermenter, you really don't want to be questioning battery life until long after you have racked the beer out.

 

[CodeSection]

@mongoose33, thanks for the update. I have a lot of Streamlight batteries so I am probably going to try them first. If I experience the same problems you had, I will then switch to the Rayovac brand since you found success in using them. I found this video that may give some insight on testing the tilt battery strength and life....