tilt vs ispindle vs plaato

itry · Apr 16, 2019

Does any one use these? i like the idea of them but is it actually useful? or just a nice gadget?

the plaato seems good but at that price would i prefer a tilt?

Do i choose a tilt over the spindle as its plug and play no faffing around ?

any advise?

uDicko · Apr 16, 2019

Think they are gadgets but I would like to give it a go!

kelper · Apr 16, 2019

The Tilt accurately measures SG and temperature. The Plaato just counts bubbles and uses algorithms to guess what's happening. I have a Tilt and think it is great. I don't know anything about the iSpindle.

The Tilt needs a phone nearby all the time if you want to log the readings. I bought a Raspberry Pi computer for £20 which runs a Tilt program and uses wi-fi to send the logs to the cloud where you can see them from anywhere in the world! It all works brilliantly. It shows when fermentation starts and stops and enables you to monitor the temp of your brew.

The Tilt transmits via Bluetooth LE.

itry · Apr 16, 2019

That is the type of outcome i was hoping for! Its a good peice if gear!

SteveH · Apr 17, 2019

I've recently built an iSpindle, it's basically a DIY open-source version of the tilt.

Fairly easy if you're handy with a soldering iron, but definitely pretty far from the plug and play approach of getting a tilt, fun if you like a geeky project though.

Not calibrated mine yet so can't comment on how it works.

Justin Dean · Apr 17, 2019

In the house fermenting in one thing but if yo are in garage and no wifi, and not leaving your phone in garage for bluetooth for 2 to 3 weeks then pointless or does it store data then send to your phone when in range??

Sadfield · Apr 17, 2019

One of our homebrew group, built and uses the ispindle, he wrote a piece on building one, bringing together all the various web sources.

https://macchomebrew.club/digital-hydrometers-are-they-it-worth-it/

F00b4r · Apr 17, 2019

I have a couple of Tilts and an iSpindle, the Tilt is way more user friendly as you just throw it in some water and calibrate if need be then use. A lot of people I know have had either issues calibrating the iSpindles or spent a lot of time doing so.
The use of Bluetooth versus Wifi may make the difference for you but if you need to you can always get one of these when they are released our build your own or of course just get a Pi and put it close enough to it to log the data and allow your phone to connect anywhere:

LeeH · Apr 17, 2019

The Tilt is way more user friendly but has no Wi-fi functionality, no battery monitoring.

But accuracy is effected by temp changes such as cold crashing.

I have both BTW.

Personally I wouldn’t entertain the Plaato at all.

kelper · Apr 17, 2019

If you put a Raspberry Pi near the Tilt it can store the readings which can then be downloaded onto a USB stick as a CSV file which can be opened by any spreadsheet. The Pi needs a micro-usb supply like a phone's. The Pi connects to your wifi network so you might use this method with a range extender. If you have a socket in your garage you could use the ring main to carry the 'wifi' traffic to your house with two, plug-in, range extenders which are dirt cheap.

Or, you could power the Pi from a car battery with a car phone charger. The current draw is about 250mA. A 100Ah car battery supplying 5V through the charger could, theoretically, last three weeks even if the charger is only 50% efficient.

The Bluetooth range of the Pi is twenty feet or so in my house. My grog is in the understair cupboard and the Pi in an upstairs bedroom directly overhead. The wifi range of the Pi is similar.

Tilt make a special Bluetooth range extender but I have no experience of it.

Justin Dean · Apr 17, 2019

Good idea on us on mains to transmit the Wi-Fi. Thank you

SteveH · Apr 17, 2019

Also note there is a cut down version of the Rasberry pi, the pi zero w, which has wifi and bluetooth built in, also uses less power than the full version, and is cheaper.

Main disadvantage is lower performance and it can't drive a screen, but for the monitoring-in-brewshed use-case it's pretty good for less than £10, I use one to monitor fermentation temperatures connected to a DS18B20 sensor.

kelper · Apr 17, 2019

Mine is the Pi Zero W and that has the 250mA current draw.

pottsworth · Apr 17, 2019

I bought one of the ispindel kits (~£50 posted), and have been really happy with it.

There was a mistake in the instructions which led to me frying the charger circuit, but they replaced the parts for me FoC.

Building was pretty straightforward if you know how to solder (I haven’t done it for years, but it was still ok. The temp probe is a bit fiddly as the pads on the pcb are very close together, but otherwise it was fine).

The hardest bit for me was flashing the arduino, as I only have a Mac, but I worked it out after a couple of evenings reading articles about using python in command line. I believe the pc process is much more straight forward.

Calibration worked first time no problem for me, I just needed to gaffa take a couple of bolts to the chassis for ballast.

After that put your WiFi password in and it looks after itself. Ubidots seems to work pretty well too and can be accessed from anywhere which is handy.

Only regret is buying the smaller battery as it does need recharging every couple of uses.

itry · Apr 19, 2019

I have bought a tilt. Ill add a pi to it also. Im a proliffic fiddler so now i want to build a ispindle aswell!!!

SheffieldBrew · Apr 20, 2019

Hi @pottsworth

Where was the mistake in the instructions? I also got a kit a while back and managed to kill a board (not stone dead, just wouldn't wake up from deep sleep). I've got some replacement parts I can drop in but don't want to fry another,

Thanks

itry · Apr 20, 2019

Got the tilt todat. Impressed. Very easy to use!!

kelper · Apr 20, 2019

I hope you'll share some reports/graphs from your next brew?

pottsworth · Apr 20, 2019

SheffieldBrew said:
Hi @pottsworth

Where was the mistake in the instructions?

The bit about which way the battery connection goes onto the board. It said something like "make sure the notch is pointing towards to board", which I did, but then missed the bit about checking polarity by plugging the connector in with red and black wires. Realised I'd got it wrong when it all started smoking, at which point I realised the black wire was going to positive...

I believe they've now updated the instructions.

itry · Apr 23, 2019

Ive just finished my first brew with the tilt. Very easy to use. Im really impressed. Unlike the fermentasauraus i bought , waste of money. All the existing users is their a way that i can download a full log of the ferment? Im quite geeky and would like to see it start to finish In say 15m invervals? Or am i bound by only being able to check it in the snap shot of when i connect my phone. See photo attached. All in all It is a useful peice of gear. Its not brew changing and you can live with out it. It would be extremely use for a new brewer so they can learn times of ferments. It is a nicety though. Instead of the standard give it a week then test , you can see the live action in the chamber. Will i buy another one? Yes id imagen so .

tilt vs ispindle vs plaato

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