Homebrew Instrument Accuracy Comparison Tilt Vs Easy Dens And More

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

For those confused by the last test. The actual result was around 1,070 as stated in the video. Filming through curved glass with liquid at an angle can result in an obscured image along with different screen and resolution sizes playing a role too. Also keep in mind that hydrometers are read at the lowest middle point of the U shape (miniscus).

[@DimpieDeBruyn]

You can use the highest point, but then your before and after (OG + FG) must be read at the same level ... point have been hammered to death.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sure has.

[@scottmorrison9731]

Maybe you should film through curved glass to take your reading on a normal brew day and then it would be accurate 😂

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Lol

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Great video! (Not just because I'm in it..lol) I see comments from a lot of people with regard to gravity measurements. All the way to both ends of the spectrum those that don't bother to take a measurement and those that measure multiple times throughout the entire brewing and fermentation process. I kind of fall somewhat in between with a measurement at mash to see how the conversion is gone one more time at fermentation beginning and then once more at the end. Yes the easy dens is expensive, but you want 100% reliable results I think it does make sense as a good investment. Cheers David! 👍🍻

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Brian. Yes its a common thing. I think important thing here is to understand the accuracy levels on offer and make your own call.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I agree!

[@bradprobert7888]

Nicely done for comparison. Instead of saying "this one is the best because blah-blah-blah", you simply used them and reported the results. I like it.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Brad. I think its import to remain open. Not everyone wants to spend big money and accepts the level of accuracy.

[@TheChemicalOli]

Thanks for another interesting video. I am not sure if I got u right, when u say the hydrometer is not accurate, as I read the value in your video to exact 1.066 plain to the surface. I was told it is important to read the value as instructed, some say it has to be read from below the surface, some hydrometer instructions say I have to read the bottom Meniskus, some say I have to read plain and parallel to the surface. I own two of these with two different instructions (miniskus, parallel to surface) they end up with the same values then.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. I think the video is not showing the reality for some. Perhaps this is due to filming through glass at an angle or perhaps viewing screen size and resolution or perhaps they are not reading at the bottom of the curve like I am. Though I was there with it and the reading was around 1,070.

[@jens-kristiantofthansen9376]

Nice comparison. I think the hydrometer readongs were pretty good though - looked like 1.064-1.065 to me, which I would suggest is 'close enough' for most of us. I have two hydrometers and one refractometer. On my most recent brew (first time since I purchased new brewing gear due to changing my life), the first hydrometer was reading what I was sure would have to be about 10 points too low. It turned out also to show 10 points too low for distilled water. I then got a refractometer, which showed what appeared to be 10 points too high for wort and a test I did on an apple juice I know to be 1.049. Then I bought another hydrometer (from Kegland) and that's sitting right in the middle. I'm sure it's not perfect but since it's measuring my known values to within one or two points, I reckon that's good enough. If I could possibly justify it though, I'd go for an Easy Dens! haha.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great thank you for your thoughts 🍻🍻🍻

[@kenfowler1980]

Another great video David, thx for the explanation on the hydrometer-cheers

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Ken :)

[@shaneb395]

I think the tilt and other floating devices have a great use for tracking the progress of fermentation, they don't need to be accurate, only precise. As long as you can see a trend in values and be able to tell when the value stops changing you can determine when fermentation is over without taking samples and risking oxidation. ideally you would have a accurate way to measure OG and FG to calculate efficiency, ABV, and residual sweetness which you can do with a $10 hydrometer.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes watching trends is how I suggest using floating hydrometers. When still they are as accurate as a hydrometer but that is still not precise but close enough for homebrewers I feel.

[@paulrobertson9439]

Excellent I don't know how I missed this one cheers :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Paul. Yes it was a fun and interesting project that one 🍻🍻🍻

[@pschannel6685]

I use a refractometer during the mash & boil to see if I'm close to my targets. Once in the fermenter I simply rely on my Tilts. I use them to determine OG. I watch the temperature and wait for a consistent SG for at least 2 days to determine when it's done. I don't worry much about the SG during fermentation; as you state the Tilt will be affected by Krausen/Hops/etc. If I find the Tilt FG reading to be suspicious I'll double check it with an an old school hydrometer (rarely is it different).

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. I believe that for many this is perfectly adequate.

[@Zumaray]

I must be lucky. I have a tilt and it gives me very reliable results all the time. Pleasing to see you also confirmed this. So many people bag them out all the time. I do agree with ViLagarMat’s comment though, you didn’t list the reading from the Hydrometer. It looked spot on at 1.066?? Not bad for a very cheap piece of kit.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Fair enough, it may be harder to see on small screens but I did mention that it was very similar to the refractometer at around 1,070

[@James-sf5bb]

I’m all for the tilt, if I’m honest. I have 2 of them and the only complaint i have is battery issues. Here in the U.K. you just can’t buy the exact ones? Which means faffing around trying to calibrate it properly. Other than that, i find them absolutely perfect throughout the fermentation period. It gives me a good insight as to when it’s time to dry hop, temperature, estimated gravity etc. Even with Krausen stuck to them, i get almost Perfect measurements. I might even invest in a couple of the V3 tilts eventually, as they take rechargeable 18650 batteries and i have a massive hoard of them already for other devices. Thanks for the informative video all the same david, appreciate your dedication to helping out us home brewers. All the best James

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers James. The latest version is certainly the best yet.

[@James-sf5bb]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew yeah i had a sneaky suspicion it would be ; ) the i spindel has never intrigued me? I see too many people complaining about them and their accuracy! However I’m sure there’s plenty of people that swear by them too. I’ve had to import some batteries for my tilts, which should be here by the end of the month? But the shipping was crazy expensive! Roll on the V3’s to the U.K. please 😄😄

[@koomber777]

I love Short Circuit Brewing. Cheers for the shout out on his great guid.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Me too! 🍻🍻🍻

[@sebastianmaestri6653]

Hi David, thanks for this comparison video. For me, it would be interesting to expand the results including measurements in the presence of alcohol, i.e. post fermentation. As far as I know hydrometers will produce more consistent results that refractometer based instruments, as the results of the later would need to be modificated by some equation to get proper results.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry for some reason I missed this. Yes, that could be something for the future.

[@FermentationAdventures]

Great video. Would love to see some US based additional offerings as well, like the Milwaukee/Hanna digital hydrometer and the Brewing America hydrometer. I calculated the offset of my glass hydrometer from a beer-n-bbq by Larry video and found my Chinese triple scale hydros were off by .003. My brewing America and a French final gravity hydrometer were exact to the expected sugar water measurement. I want an Easy Dens, but will be saving up for that!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry for some reason I missed this. Thank you. The idea of this was to go quite generic but show how people could test at home too.

[@steventhompson9319]

Hi David. Did you do a sparge stage with this brew all? I currently biab and have read mixed opinions on if this is necessary and you've clearly got good efficiency here.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No sparge. The effeciency is unlocked via a fine grain crush and the stirring during the mash.

[@steventhompson9319]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew ah, I see thank you.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@NoelSufrin]

Great vid, David - nice shout out to Brian at SCB too. You guys (plus CH @ HB4L) rule!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Noel, yup, both great guys for sure.

[@tdempers]

Nice video, would be great to see a fermented out version as well to see how the alcohol skews the readings

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks, perhaps this can follow in the future, I am careful to not go too long on viewing times.

[@A2an]

Grate Video, I was really surprise that the Tilt was so precise and the Refractometer and the hydrometers was equally bad. But I would have guessed that the Easy Dens what's on top, no surprise there. Thanks for your effort David 👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Allan. Yes, I was surprised too about the Tilt, though not the others. 🍻

[@CM-ef8fu]

As always... useful, informative and interesting. Thanks David, much appreciated! Cheers :-)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers C M :)

[@timredd]

Interesting comparison David. Surprised the refractometer was showing the large inconsistent reading. Glass Hydrometers, I only consider as a guide to gravity, some more accurate than others. Personally, I'm not looking for the Nth degree of accuracy, but more interested in how my fermentation is progressing over time with a visual easy to read (especially with my old eyes) decrease in specific gravity of my beer. So a large digital display instrument is preferred for my brewing needs.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Tim. Instruments can and certainly will vary. So I encourage people to do their own testing. The more expensive options are better but it depends on how much accuracy means to the individual vs the cost.

[@timredd]

@@DavidHeathHomebrewAgree with you David. I exclusively use Tilt and Ispindel floating instruments that give a easy to read visual display of the fermentation process. Build up of yeast deposits and vigorous fermentation do give some inconsistencies to readings during fermentation, as will pressure fermentation. But this is normal and expected with such instruments and as it's just a visual indication of fermentation, I'm perfectly happy using them.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Tim 🍻

[@bigadz87]

How does the easydens go with hazy beers? Great video!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

It works very well with all beers.

[@bigadz87]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I've certainly had some hit and miss results with my easydens on hazies, where the gravity changes anywhere up to 3 points. I've calibrated as per instructions with distilled water but have read that some breweries need to "de-haze" the beer to get accurate reedings. Do you think this is something we could test?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I can certainly look into it, sure no problem.

[@bigadz87]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I'd be more than happy to help out!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@ninkasihomebrewer8226]

Thanks 😊

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@alanman5328]

Great content! This was a very interesting comparison . I am surprised that the Tilt was this accurate , though the one I use is not the latest version, not that I really need anything precise.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Alan. Yes me also but clearly this new Tilt version has been improved, which is great to see.

[@fdk7014]

I think it varies wildly from device to device. I seems David was lucky to get an accurate one, others probably aren't

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, I did make this point in the video and it could apply to any of what was shown, except the easy dens I feel.

[@ecmik85]

Nice comparison, David! I can also recommend buying semi-pro precision hydrometers. The ones I got cost about 11-12 USD and they are absolutely spot on and much easier to get a reading from because a the whole scale of a regular hydrometer is devided into three or four different hydrometers. That’s made my brewing a lot more easy to adjust and predict finally after using all the other tools except the extremely expensive ones.. 😉

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Mikael, maybe I will compare to these in the future. The point I was really making here is that you can pay more but that will not be needed by all. Plus showing BIAB predictions and how efficient it can be :)

[@toddrupell1989]

Mikael - just search semi pro, where did you pick it up. I have one I need to replace.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Like this :- www.bradyinstruments.com/products/beerwinemoonshine/precision-hydrometer-set-specific-gravity

[@ecmik85]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yep, but not that expensive. The best thing compared to the standard hydrometers is that the scale is larger, with makes it much easier to read. A smaller margin of error I guess!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I think its better to go further in general. Otherwise there can be variation.

[@joelaing6799]

How does the easy dens deal with FG?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Its a density meter, so very accurately.

[@doertedev]

Thanks David, a lot, and spot on quality as always. Would you agree to the statement that accuracy isn’t important as long as the same device is used in both before and after fermentation gravity measurement? I mean if my tilt is off by .02 for example and I want to measure Final alcohol - the result would be the same as if I used a more expensive device that is better calibrated and gives me a finer measurement? Thanks in advance

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Cheers Stefan. As long as its consistent then sure. Floating hydrometers can be made inaccurate though via krausen sticking to the body.

[@richardlee2968]

BEWARE: The Easydens is a great product HOWEVER dont ever drop it. If you do the internal glass cell may smash (mine did) and the product is then useless. They have said that it will be 250 Euro to repair and may not be repairable. What's more annoying is that they don't call this out or even ship with a protective cover. A great product, and i will buy again as it was my fault for dropping it, but just be careful. Another interesting video David thank you !

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Fair point Richard.

[@jimkat2]

Hi David - Sorry for being skeptical but, the Easy Dens matched the Tilt, known for not being accurate. Why are you so confident the Easy Den was the correct reading???

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

The easy dens enjoys a high level of accuracy through its specification, which is very trusted. The Tilt is usually subject to much movement and its readings can be skewed by krausen sticking on top. With a test like this you got to see how it performs in a still wort. So as such showing that it is accurate within this situation.

[@mardanheddeokwa]

Hi David, thanks for this great video. I saw that the EasyDens also can measure the ABV. Do you have to enter a OG or SG for that? Or does it measure in a different way?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Chris. Sadly the alcohol measuring is just for higher alcohol beverages like spirits. However you can enter OG and FG and obtain this.

[@dagwedin8321]

Have you tried optical refractometers? Superfast result and require only a drop or two. Gives an acurrate reading as well but kind of expensive. After alot of testing that is all I use nowadays.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sure but I do not own one currently.

[@myrbakkbryggeri6886]

Great video David

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you :)

[@jamesgoacher1606]

If you are selling your beer then you REQUIRE absolute accuracy because of Taxation but at the HomeBrew level repeatability is the important factor. Personally I take a Refractometer reading of the wort before the Sparge to verify the Extraction that I expect from History and again at Pre-Boil and Post-Boil (which is the OG). It is sometime sinse I bottled so the FG is less important to me because things turn out the same each time no matter how many times I test. I am a Pensioner and do not have the money to be obsessive about things, but I would like one of those Easy Dens things. :-)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Exactly right James. Some like to push things further though if their budget allows it.

[@craigkinney853]

David. All the beer that you brew , how do you get rid of it? If I put beer in a keg and say to people help yourselves they seem to not want take as much as they wish. If its in bottles and hand it to them then they are OK about it. The issue with this is the bottles are expensive or getting 2nd hand ones is a mission. I cant drink all the beer by myself...although I try. Any advice anyone?

[@DimpieDeBruyn]

Address please 😜

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I hand most of what I brew out to others. Sharing is caring :)

[@craigkinney853]

Anyone any ideas for cheap packaging? I've looked at 5l mini kegs but they are rather expensive as well. Sorry I'm not on social media so typically can't answer those question there. Never thought having too much beer would be a problem.

[@craigkinney853]

@@DimpieDeBruyn bring a bucket

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

What about the PET mini kegs? Can you buy locally?

[@fdk7014]

Did you use the Brix scale on the refractometer and convert it to SG? On many refractometers the sg scale is way off for beer

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No, I just used SG.

[@dagwedin8321]

Yes, sg scale start to divert at higher sg. Only brix is still accurate.

[@guyschmaedeke9950]

Thanks David, I was on the fence with the EasyDens because of cost but I’m making the leap now. Have you done any comparisons of pH pens, I’m currently looking at a Brewferm Cobra and really can’t find any actual reviews. Thanks again! Sláinte

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Guy. They are not cheap but if you want accuracy then it comes at a cost.

[@richardlee2968]

Easydens is very good but don't drop it. It will smash and is not repairable.....beware

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks for letting us know Richard. Super careful with mine

[@fdk7014]

I calibrated my instruments using sugar water once. The Brix scale is the % of sugar in a solution by weight, i.e. if you take 20 units (of weight) of table sugar and 80 units (again, of weight) of water, you have a 20 Brix solution. 20 Brix is 1.083 SG. 10 Brix is 1.040 SG. Anyway, interesting thing was that in a sugar solution my Tilt and my hydrometer gave the same value. In wort however the Tilt is consistently .003 SG off compared to my hydrometer.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I just use wort personally.

[@j616s]

This is really interesting. To my mind, sugar water is a more scientific method. You eliminate brew house efficiencies and variations in grain. That allows you to know the exact gravity from the start. It also means you don't have to rely on the manufacturers claims of accuracy (i.e. for the Easy Dens). The fact your seeing differences between sugar water & wort is really interesting, though. Did you test your measurements across a range of gravities?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks James. I do all sorts of tests, I simply figured this one would interest the most people as a good starting point. There is plenty of scope for the future.

[@fdk7014]

@@j616s Yes I did two different sugar solutions and of course in most of my brews. I don't trust the actual measured value of the Tilt so I always double check with my hydrometer. The Tilt is great though for following along with the fermentation

[@j616s]

@@fdk7014 Yeh. That's the conclusion I've come to with my tilt. If I'm concerned about accuracy, e.g. temp profile/hop drops depend on SG, I calibrate just before the brew. Otherwise I only really trust it for seeing if something is happening.

[@DimpieDeBruyn]

Now test them all again AFTER fermentation .... would be interesting.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Good idea :)

[@robinday8200]

Great idea... but you can't go into it with an assumption that the Easy Dens is accurate and therefore the control as all it concludes is that one of them is incorrect and you have nothing to prove if its the hydrometer or the Easy Dens. You then also have the issue that you used the Easy Dens to calibrate the refractometer so you're doubling down on any inaccuracy there. You should repeat the test with a number of different sugar solutions, ideally all tested blind as well so you don't even know what readings you should be looking for.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks for your opinion on this Robin but its not an assumption, the Easy Dens is a unit that I have been testing in various ways and through this have learnt to trust.

[@robinday8200]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew sure, but it would have been nice for the video to prove the easy dens was accurate rather than just one saying these things differ from it. As a stand alone video it doesn’t have enough to prove one way or the other.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I do not really see that I need to prove that the Easy Dens is accurate. Anton Paar are a very well known and respected company within the field and provide accuracy guarantees with all their products including this homebrew version. Do you buy a car and test every stated specification? I don’t personally! :)

[@robinday8200]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew sorry, I guess I missed the point. I thought it was a review of them as a comparison as to which was the best. Doesn’t give me enough information to draw any conclusions so just thought I’d point that out and how it could. I don’t have an easy dens but have done tests with the others.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

It is but are you not familiar with Anton Paar? The Easy Dens has very high accuracy specs. They are well proven going back many decades and they are the worldwide leader in this field, Its like questioning if Google can make a search engine :)