We now have a complete video tutorial, showing an easy way to calibrate your Tilt. This method requires only a scale to measure proportions of water and sugar by weight to make a solutions of known gravity. We use the Plato scale with SG conversion tables to convert percent sugar by weight to specific gravity (60°F/15.6°C). Optionally, you can verify the calibrations solutions made with your hydrometer or refractometer. Below is a list of what is required to complete the calibration:
- Tilt hydrometer needing to be calibrated
- Tilt 2 app (original Tilt app and Tilt Pi app will work too, but is not demonstrated in videos)
- Scale with at least 2g resolution (preferably 1g resolution) and capacity up to 5 lbs (~2.5 KG)
- Optional for verifying SG of prepared solutions: hydrometer or brewer's refractometer
- Table sugar (suggest at least 1lb or ~0.5KG)
- Tap water for mixing with sugar
For the water/1.000 (0.0°P) calibration point:
- standard pint glass
For the 1.120 (28.0°P) solution:
- dish or bowl that is at least 3" (~8 cm) deep and 4" (~10 cm) wide
For the 1.061 (15.0°P) solution:
- dish or bowl that is at least 4.5" (~13 cm) deep and 4" (~10 cm) wide
Instructions:
Step 1: Calibrate in Water
We recommend calibrating after changing the battery. When doing so, change the battery, reseal the tube, and then place the Tilt in a pint glass filled with room temperature tap water. Knock off any bubbles attached to the Tilt and wait up to a minute for the reading to calibrate to 1.000. If the SG doesn't change to 1.000 as expected you can try again by removing and re-installing the battery. For this to work, the Tilt must be floating in a range of 0.985 and 1.015. If you are still having trouble calibrating with this method, you can still use the iOS/Android app to calibrate in water by tapping the "Calibrate in Water" button in the app settings.
Step 2: Calibrate in 1.120 (28.0°P) solution
Calibrate a second point at the high end of the Tilt's SG range. First find an appropriate dish or bowl that will allow the Tilt to float freely when filled. Manually hold the Tilt in position of 1.120 to see if it would hit the bottom of the bowl. Tare the bowl on a scale and then fill the bowl with water to determine how much weight it can hold when full. Use this number to multiply by 0.28 to determine how much sugar to use. Dump the water out then add the sugar. Bring the weight up to the max weight you previously multiplied by 0.28. For example, the full bowl of water weighed 600g and 0.28 x 600 = 168g. I then put 168g of sugar in the bowl and brought the weight up to 600g with tap water (i.e. added 432g of water). The resulting solution was 28% sugar by weight which is also equivalent to 28.0°P and a specific gravity of 1.120. Note too that SG is not exactly the same as g/ml since conventional brewing SG is referenced at 60°F/15.6°C and water at this temperature has density of .999 g/ml. Option: Use a hydrometer or brewer's refractometer to verify the solution made using a scale is accurate.
Step 3: Calibrate in 1.061 (15°P) solution
Calibrate a third point in the middle of the Tilt's range. As before, find a bowl that will allow the Tilt to float freely at 1.061. This will be a deeper bowl than what would work for a 1.120 solution. Otherwise, the process will be the same as the 1.120 solution except a value of 0.15 will be used to multiply by the weight of water when the bowl is full. For example the weight of water was 1200g and 0.15 x 1200 is 180g. Add 180g of sugar to the bowl and bring to weight with water 1200g (i.e. add 1020g of water) to make a 1.061 solution. Optional: Again you can verify with hydrometer or refractometer. You can also mix with the 1.120 solution made earlier to make an arbitrary solution to spot check in. See video for more details.