Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

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ScotianHobo
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Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by ScotianHobo » Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:35 am

I've just added temp control to my process and I want to start scheduling/automating rises/crashes on the inkbird.

I'd love to have continuous insight on my gravity and was thinking of the Tilt hydrometer as a fix but haven't found anyone ranting and or raving.

Any insights, warnings or advocacy one way or another? Is there another solution? (The beer bug or whatever it's called is a no-go for a bunch of reasons.)

Cheers!

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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by D.Pepper » Fri Nov 30, 2018 12:27 pm

I'm considering this option also. I think the great cost of the Tilt is keeping the hype low.

If you're handy with electronics and programming, I've found a DIY version called iSpindle that goes through how to build one yourself, though it's wrote in German.

I like the idea of them, and depending on my free time I might build one or try the Tilt in the new year.

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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by PMackie » Sat Dec 01, 2018 4:52 pm

I have one of my Christmas list, we will see if Santa has me down for naughty or nice this year


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LeafMan66_67
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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by LeafMan66_67 » Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:19 am

I've had one for a while now and think its great. I have a Tilt Pi set up next to my fermenting fridge that uploads to a Google Sheet. Up to the minute readings take out any of the guesswork, gives you a great set of records and takes away the risk of an infection if taking samples. It works for me because I'm typically only fermenting one batch at a time.
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ScotianHobo
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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by ScotianHobo » Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:51 pm

LeafMan66_67 wrote:I've had one for a while now and think its great. I have a Tilt Pi set up next to my fermenting fridge that uploads to a Google Sheet. Up to the minute readings take out any of the guesswork, gives you a great set of records and takes away the risk of an infection if taking samples. It works for me because I'm typically only fermenting one batch at a time.
That is exactly what I'm hoping to do. Is the pi just for passing data to Sheets specifically or for other bits? I'm trying to think of a way to hack together some kind of "if this then that" recipe to get the Tilt data to trigger the temp controller. Eg "if gravity = 1.010, change temp by +0.5" or whatever so that as the beer finishes it ramps up for cleanup without manually frigging with it. I assume a raspberry or brew pi (or Tilt pi?) is what I'd need. Haven't really looked into it much.

Mostly interested in the novelty of the challenge than for anythibg else.

Pretty sure Santa has received the order via wifes Amazon prime activity so looking to hit the ground running on the 26th ;)

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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by ScotianHobo » Sun Dec 02, 2018 12:56 pm

D.Pepper wrote:I'm considering this option also. I think the great cost of the Tilt is keeping the hype low.

If you're handy with electronics and programming, I've found a DIY version called iSpindle that goes through how to build one yourself, though it's wrote in German.

I like the idea of them, and depending on my free time I might build one or try the Tilt in the new year.
My German lingual skills are only slightly worse than my German beer skills but if you manage to do the DIY version well I'd love to see how it went and give a kick at the can!

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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by CartoonCod » Sun Dec 02, 2018 3:17 pm

Anybody know what the process is for the tilt to determine SG?


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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by D.Pepper » Sun Dec 02, 2018 4:56 pm

The mechanism is that it floats on top of the beer but is weighted somewhere in the lower part of it, similar to a hydrometer. The tilt has a centre of gravity in a spot that when the gravity of the beer changes, the tilt will 'lean' and it is measured with an accelerometer inside to tell the angle. After it's been calibrated, the angle corresponds to the beer's gravity.

My guess is that starting out in a big gravity beer, the lean will be more pronounced as it sits more on top of the liquid- and then will straighten up towards vertical as the gravity falls and the Tilts floats lower in the beer.

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Re: Anyone use a Bluetooth hydrometer? Eg Tilt?

Post by PMackie » Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:42 pm

I ended up getting one for Christmas from the wife and am testing it now. So far the gravity is dead on. Took the reading before dropping it in on a refract and hydrometer and everything lined up. The temp is off by about half a degree it seems but maybe it’s not. It could be my inkbird giving the incorrect temp too. None the less I am incredible happy with it so far.


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