Wireless Hydrometer Recommendation

[CKuhns]

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I am considering purchasing one of the wireless hydrometers on the market.

Does anyone have a recommendation?
- PLAATO
- TILT
- FLOATY
- iSPINDEL
ETC...

 

[Maylar]

I have one of the original TILTs, and it's a POS. The range sucks, it won't reach from my basement brew room to my office. And it's thrown off by foam/krausen. I bought it to keep track of mead SG for the sugar breaks, and the foam makes it think the SG is HIGHER than when I started.

I understand the latest version is heavier and foam doesn't affect it as much.

 

[MightyMosin]

I have the Plaato airlock. The Plaato isn't very good, at least not for Mead.
It is never close to the SG. I've had mine replaced and the 2nd one was the same as the first.

I'm considering getting the newer Tilt though I don't like having to have a device always available over bluetooth if I want constant monitoring... it would be nice if it queued data until it can connect.

 

[CKuhns]

Thanks for the thoughts/ Guess I will stick with a hydrometer for now....

 

[scogan]

I have an ispindel.I like that I have a guide as to how the ferment is going and also a temperature reading.The exact sg reading is not that accurate on mine but I get my og from a conventional hydrometer and I dont feel the need for an exact fg.Mine came ready calibrated , it is possible to calibrate them yourself and possibly improve accuracy.As mentionned already the wifi range is poor especially inside a corny which I use for fermenting.I sit my keg right next to a wifi extender which makes it ok.I typically lose readings for 24hrs at peak krausen and I think that happens commonly.There is a separate relay you can buy to boost the signal which is probably the best solution,it costs just a bit more than a range extender.Overall its a useful toy,its fun logging in and seeing whats going on in there updated every 15min,you just need to know its limitations.

 

[CKuhns]

Thanks @scogan appreciate the info.

 

[bellhp]

If you ferment in a glass carboy ... make sure it fits through the neck . ISpindles don't ...not sure about the others

 

[Kizmiaz]

I use/like the TILT. Its not the most accurate. I use the Anvil bucket fermentor, so I can't see whats happening. The TILT makes it very easy to see where the fermentation processes is and I just take 1 reading each for OG/FG with a traditional hydrometer. Its bluetooth, so the range is very limited. I just use an old iPhone and leave it next to my fermentation fridge and I have configured the API to connect to Brewfather, so I can see results where ever I'm at.

 

[AZ Maverick]

I have a Tilt (actually, I have two of them) and I really like them.
After calibrating mine, they agree perfectly with my hydrometer - in fact, I don't even use my hydrometer anymore, just a refractometer and the Tilts.
Here is a sample report from one of my brews, I find the Tilt very handy to keep tabs on the fermentation process especially for lagers.
The range on the Bluetooth is somewhat limited, so I use a spare cell phone that I have set up specifically for Tilts that I keep next to my fermentation chambers when things are happening.

 

[Spivey24]

I have 4 of the updated Tilts. Overall I like them. I use SS fermenters and it lets me know exactly what is going on for temp and gravity. Great piece of mind and I know exactly when the beers are done or if there is a problem. They seem pretty accurate up to the point of dry hopping loose when they can get bad gravity readings. Otherwise I always have 2 tilts running in 2 identical batches and they stay in sync very well.

I ended up getting 4 because of the overlap where I had a new double batch starting before the old batch was done, and I didn’t want to open the fermenters to retrieve them. Funny thing is the tilts helped me dial in my starters by letting me see the impact of changes. So now I rarely have overlapping batches because they are almost always packaged in under 2 weeks right as a new batch arrives. So I could do with just 2 of them.

I have an old iPad mini sitting next to the fermenters that reads the Bluetooth and transmits the settings to Google sheets where I can see it from anywhere. Only problem is the app crashes constantly - maybe cause the iPad is so old. Dunno.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I have the Rapt Pill from Kegland. My last fermentation (in a corny keg) was spot on for my FG when compared to my hydrometer. As mentioned getting a wifi signal inside a metal container can be spotty. I fermented 18 inches from my router and it still occasionally missed a reading or two. The Pill works by sleeping for 59 minutes, (or whatever timeframe you set), then wakes up, takes readings, and transmits data via wifi to the Rapt portal, then goes back to sleep. However, Rapt also makes a temperature controller that syncs with the Pill via bluetooth, and then the controller (sitting outside the corny) can send Pill data via wifi to the portal, as well as control your fermentation chamber temperature in real-time based on the Pill's reporting. Only sticky part is the Pill is not directly available for sale in the US, although their controller is. I ordered my Pill through Aliexpress for $59. It took a few weeks to be delivered, but I did finally get it. I really like mine, but not owning any other type leaves me nothing to compare it to.

My most recent brew reported by the Pill.

 

[gingerneil]

I use ispindels and they're excellent. If you have an issue with the wifi in a metal fermenter, you can use the nautilis display and wifi relay to both boost the wifi handover and show the data on a local screen. Both available via ebay.

 

[CKuhns]

Great info guys thanks!