iSpindel Hydrometer

1. Introduction

Many thanks for purchasing this prebuilt iSpindel, if you have any issues please do not hesitate to contact us via our email address, support@assetsolution.co.uk. Your unit has been fully charged and initial calibration checked to confirm it is within the tolerance before we dispatched it to you.

Follow this guide to get your WiFi Hydrometer setup, calibrated and ready to brew.

There are 2 options for calibration in this guide:

• Use a default calibration and skip the full calibration steps. This uses a calibration which was

calculated based on another device the same as yours but doesn’t account for the small variance between devices. It will still give a great way to monitor fermentation activity, showing when the gravity is dropping and when it stops while also accurately monitoring temperature. The gravity reading will however be approximate.

• Do a full calibration which will allow you to calibrate your specific device and give you more accurate gravity readings.

Overview

On/Off Switch

Off<<>>On

Reset Pins (connect pins momentarily with a metallic object 3-4 times in quick succession to enter config mode.)

Charging Port Alternative Reset Switch (Requires removal from tube, tap 3-4 times in quick succession to enter config mode)

1. Charging • Before use fully charge the device:

• Remove Lid

• Ensure switch is in off position

• Plug a Micro USB cable into the charging port

• Once the red light turns blue/green the device is fully charged.

• When removing the USB cable it is best to gently hold the circuit board down into the container so the

unit does not pull out. • While charging the device move onto the next page to signup to

Ubidots.

2. Signup to Ubidots

• Ubidots is the internet interface which you will use to monitor your

fermentation.

1. Visit: https://ubidots.com/stem/ & signup for free

2. Click the profile icon in the top right of the screen then

API Credentials.

3. Click “Click to show” under Tokens on the right and make a note of

the token you will need this later.

3. Get Connected

• Your iSpindel requires a strong WiFi signal to operate correctly as being submerged in liquid reduces the signal strength. If you experience issues a repeater/signal booster may be necessary, this is particularly likely if using a fermentation fridge.

• Once fully charged disconnect from the USB cable and switch the switch to

the on position. A blue light should begin flashing roughly every second.

• If the blue light does not begin flashing connect the reset pins momentarily with a metallic object 3-4 times in quick succession to enter config mode, alternatively remove from the tube and use the alternative reset switch). This can also be used to enter configuration mode at a later date if required.

• Using a Phone/Tablet/PC Connect to the WiFi called “iSpindel”. • The menu shown on the right should appear. If not go to the browser

on your device and type 192.168.4.1 in the address bar. • Click “Configuration” and move on.

4. Connect to Ubidots 1

1. Click your WiFi Name, this will autofill the SSID field 2

2. Fill in your WiFi Password

3. Set the Update Interval to: • 30 if doing a full calibration. 3 • 900 if using the default calibration. (Ubidots has a limit of 4000 data points per

day, using a smaller interval can result in this being exceeded and data not being recorded. 900s is 15 minutes which is perfect for monitoring fermentation.)

4. Check “Service Type” is set to Ubidots & fill in your Ubidots token noted in step 2.

5. If using the default calibration copy the following into the 4 Polynomial box:

Your WiFi Here

5 0.8960+0.006968*tilt-0.0001314*tilt*tilt+0.000001*tilt*tilt*tilt

6. Click Save then close the page • To perform a full calibration move onto step 5.

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• If you want to use the default calibration skip to step 8. 6

5. Find Your iSPindel in Ubidots

• Reconnect to your home WiFi & go to Ubidots • Click Devices then Devices again

• Click on your iSpindel Device

• Find the Tilt variable, this is what you will need to look at during calibration.

6.1 Calibrate - Sugar Water Method

1. Replace the lid.

2. Grab a bucket large enough to allow the iSpindel to float on it’s side without touching the sides and some sugar (you will probably need 1-2kg) & water (at roughly 20°C).

3. Measure the amount of water required in the bucket to allow the iSpindel to float off the bottom, use a round number of litres and make a note of it (e.g. 5 litres).

4. Record the “Tilt” value in Ubidots with the iSpindel in water (SG:1.000), 25 (+-5).

• Before recording tilt values it is best allow the iSpindel to settle for around 10 minutes each time.

5. Add 26g of sugar per litre (e.g. 130g for 5 litres) to increase the gravity to 1.010. Make sure the sugar is well dissolved.

• Record the traditional hydrometer reading and the “Tilt” value. Don’t worry if you don’t get a gravity of 1.010 etc. just make a record of the hydrometer reading . Take these readings for all of the steps below.

6. Add 26g of sugar per litre to increase the gravity to roughly 1.020. 7. Add 26g of sugar per litre to increase the gravity to roughly 1.030. 8. Add 26g of sugar per litre to increase the gravity to roughly 1.040. 9. Add 26g of sugar per litre to increase the gravity to roughly 1.050. 10. Add 26g of sugar per litre to increase the gravity to roughly 1.060. 11. Continue increasing the gravity until your highest anticipated starting gravity when brewing is reached.

6.2 Calibrate

• Once you have finished recording your gravity and Tilt readings visit http://www.ispindel.de/tools/calibration/calibration.htm and input all your values.

• For each value follow these steps:

1. Fill in the traditional hydrometer reading

2. Fill in the corresponding Tilt value

3. Click Add Data

• Once you have added all the data make a note of the Degree 3 equation at the bottom of the page:

4. Make a note of this equation

7. Apply Calibration

1. Remove the lid from your iSpindel and connect the reset pins 3-4 times in quick succession.

2. Connect to iSpindel WiFi and go to 192.168.4.1 if it doesn’t automatically.

3. Click Configuration 4

4. Change update interval to 900 • (Ubidots has a limit of 4000 data points per day, using a smaller interval can result in this being exceeded

and data not being recorded. 900s is 15 minutes which is perfect for monitoring fermentation.)

5. Fill in the Gravity Conversion Polynomial with your calibration equation from step 6.2. • To get it into the correct format remove all spaces and keep only the leading zeros and the first 4 of the

actual numbers. The resulting equation must not be longer than 100 characters.

• Our default calibration equation starts of as: 0.8910020972088459 + 0.009722287005560899 *tilt-0.000186268658368258 *tilt*tilt + 0.0000013210527877652706 *tilt*tilt*tilt

And becomes: 0.8910+0.009722*tilt-0.0001862*tilt*tilt+0.000001321*tilt*tilt*tilt 5

6. Click Save then close the page 6

Your WiFi Here

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8. Set Up Ubidots Dashboard

1. Reconnect to your home WiFi & go to Ubidots

2. Click Data then Dashboards

3. Click Add new Dashboard 4. Name your dashboard something like “My Hydrometer” and click the tick

in the bottom right corner.

5. Click Add new Widget and select line chart

6. Click Add Variables then click your iSpindel and select gravity. Then click the green tick.

7. Name the Chart and Y Axis (Gravity in this case). Change decimal points to 3

then click the green tick. 8. Repeat adding widgets for other variables such as temperature or battery

level. Using double axis instead of line chart allows both Gravity and temperature to be plotted on the same graph.

9. Brew

• Make sure the iSpindel is charged so you don’t run out of battery half way through!

• Replace the lid

• Sanitise by dunking the unit in your favourite sanitiser. • And finally drop your iSpindel into your brew and enjoy monitoring the fermentation progress via your

Ubidots dashboard. • iSpindel is an open source project and all credit for the original design goes to the creator, here I am providing

a source & build service for those not able to do so but who wish to participate in the project. Check out the project and additional documentation here: https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/blob/master/docs/README_en.md