Ispindel leaking!!

[Andyroo Brew]

Hi all,

I bought a pre-built ispindel off EBay last November and used it on a number of brews. Just finished my first lager fermentation (non- pressurised) at 10C and noticed the gravity readings started at 1.006 (hydrometer was 1.042) and then it died after five days at 0.988?

I fished the ispindel out of the fermenter and noticed a teaspoonful of wort in the bottom and some yeast on the Blutack!! Hopefully wort not infected as it tasted ok racking into the keg but the ispindel after drying out is still working!

Any suggestions on using it again as PTFE tape obviously didn’t do the job? Any ideas where I can source a new tube as couldn’t see any on eBay?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Okay don't panic been there done that but no T shirt.

Shouldn't need to buy another tube. Is it out of shape from really hot water or damaged in some way?

I have had several with small leaks as you mention and some ferments the spindel kept going others it stopped, all with pressure ferments.
Getting super high attenuation is a good sign you have a leak though.
I had one completely sink in my first NEIPA no taint to the beer at all but the liquid smelled a bit acetone like and amazingly I took it all out cleaned and sanitised and dried the tube, cleaned the electronics down with isopropyl alchohol and a brush dried that nicely and it charged and worked perfectly. Pictures below. Still using it in non pressure wine ferments ( as battery life not that good ) which only take a couple of weeks.

I have built some more recently and have put orings in them as per this website ( translate in google helpful ) not had an issue since then.
https://www.diyhomebrewers.com/2021/01/mejoras-ispindel-carga-inalambrica.html

 

[Andyroo Brew]

Thanks for the info and reassuring to know it is an issue. Attenuation was 75% so pretty much as per M76 yeast spec. I don’t think I’ve used hot water but know I used starsan on the tube and the weights prior to calibrating for this fermentation as I was worried about leakage on the last batch. I’ll do a trial run when I’ve got the o rings.

What’s the best thing to use to weigh the tube to 25o tilt angle as I’ve used 10p coins and Blutack?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Send us a picture of your spindel, sled / pcb, not just a case of what weight but where is the weight.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I've reread your post, you aren't sticking the weights on the outside of the tube are you?

You shouldn't get any leaks really with it on a non pressure ferment. I have torture tested some of mine with 35psi before the orring addition and only had that one fill and sink. Also send a picture of the inside of the lid please.

 

[Andyroo Brew]

No I’m not that stupid as followed the guidance on the ispindel website. I’ll send the pics later but never been convinced of the lid tbh

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Didn't think so, and couldn't see how the weights would have stayed on.

 

[Andyroo Brew]

Picture attached. Was looking for the best solution to add ballast as using coins with blutack to avoid the ispindel rotating in the pelting tube

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Not a design I've seen before,
I assume you mean the sled can rotate and is slightly loose inside the tube, putting some tape on the sides of the sled trimmed narrower should make it snug. I have marked the top of the inside of my tubes with a pen so that I can put it back in the same orientation.
I assume without the weight the angle is bigger than 25 degrees.

If you trim the corners of the bottom of the sled down or sand them down bit by bit you'll be able to push the sled in more which might be enough. Doesn't take much to change the angle this way so go careful although you can pack back with tape.
Regarding weights blu tack as low as possible and I've used fishing weights in my earlier ones that had sleds, currents spindels are balanced with a special solder point.

Can't see the aerial position on that spindel as it's not on your photo, my first ones had the aerial down ie towards the battery and hence below the water level, I didn't get a great signal with that type when in the fridge. Had to use a little repeater I made to help with the signal.

They say within 5 degrees of 25 when you start calibration. I managed to get them all within a degree but not essential.

 

[elmer.]

According to the iSpindel documents the tube seals well enough to hold
CO2 pressure in when expanded and filled with soda, so pressure from
the outside should only make it seal tighter.

I notice in the third picture that you have cross threaded the cap, I assume
you only did that for the photo and are making sure the threads are straight
when you are actually using it.

Try wetting the rim of the tube with vegetable oil and
pressing it against a glass surface to make sure it is not deformed
from overheating.
Other than that, the design is pretty much leak-proof when closed properly.

Thanks for the info and reassuring to know it is an issue. Attenuation was 75% so pretty much as per M76 yeast spec. I don’t think I’ve used hot water but know I used starsan on the tube and the weights prior to calibrating for this fermentation as I was worried about leakage on the last batch. I’ll do a trial run when I’ve got the o rings.

What’s the best thing to use to weigh the tube to 25o tilt angle as I’ve used 10p coins and Blutack?

 

[dcbrookes]

Mine leaked only slightly and blew the electronics. It has been binned and I shall not be buying another.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@elmer

I can assure you that if you ferment warm under pressure with the lid closed as well as possible it can leak as my pictures show!
It's a very binary thing leak or no leak.
Much like pregnancy you can't be a bit pregnant!

 

[dcbrookes]

@elmer

I can assure you that if you ferment warm under pressure with the lid closed as well as possible it can leak as my pictures show!

I was not fermenting under pressure, and it was at 20C, but still it leaked!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@dcbrookes
Very disappointing. Especially as mine half filled, sank for about a week and I resuscitated it.

 

[ChrisT]

You could try putting some PTFE tape on the thread of the tube? I don't do that myself and I'd replace the tape on each use, don't want anything hiding in there! Since using an iSpindel I've only made wine, so I don't ferment under pressure and only 20C (or so).

I did try using the oriinal design with the small PCB and 3D printed sled, but never was happy with it. I've move on to the Open Source Distilling PCB and never looked back.

I've also tried putting on O ring in the lid but frankly that just made things worse, and I only tried that in water!

 

[RoomWithABrew]

The oring I've been using has worked really well. Don't have any issues for wine ferments with oring or no oring.

 

[ChrisT]

I only tried the O ring out o curiousity, as I did for the reed switch to turn on and off. Didn't get on with either option to be honest. I ffound the O ring looked like it had seated properly in the lid, but when removed had slipped out and bunched up, maybe on removal but I wasn't prepared to risk it. My testing was conducted in a bucket off water and I was quite brutal with the pelting.

 

[CraigInTheCorn]

I bought one off of the USA version of this forum which was well-made. Unfortunately, its first fermentation was its last. I usually use a spunding valve toward the end of fermentation to carbonate. Almost as soon as I did that, I saw the SG drop rapidly. I had an inkling that it might be leaking, but I've had Tilts act strangly after adding head pressure. Generally, the effect on the Tilt was a minor impact on the reading and sometimes loss of signal. This was a dramatic effect on the SG reading. I should have just opened the fermenter to check, but I didn't want to expose my Kölsch to oxidation. It was a $50 USD mistake. After kegging, I found that most of the lower third of the capsule was filled with dark liquid. Remarkably, after drying, it still booted up and connected, but there is no tilt reading anymore. The cap was tight, although not necessarily cranked down with all my might.

 

[ChrisT]

I've read that some people have had success with O rings in their iSpindel and pressure fermenting, but it's not for me from the testing I did. As I mostly make wine it's not an issue. Next time I do some beer, it'll be without the iSpindel, I'll have to rely on the fermentation lock and hydrometer! How old fashioned

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@CraigInTheCorn
I'd take the ispindel out of the petling. Turn it off and remove the battery. GIve the whole thing a really good clean with some isopropyl alcohol on a soft toothbrush. Dry it thoroughly with a hairdryer set on low, then recharge and have another go.
My one that sank might have done better as the electronics were all at the top, the newer designs have components lower in the petling that would get much wetter.

As mentioned above Oring has worked for me I use a tiny bit of lubricant on the top of the petling and on the oring and tighten it up slowly.
I'd love to find a way to have a fully sealed design, just need to find glass blower with an interest in beer, cordless charging and switching wouldn't be a problem.