RAPT pill issues

[CarronC]

Hi,

I just bought a RAPT pill and trying it out for the first time.
I followed the instructions and put it in my fermenter 3 days ago. When I just deployed it in my fermenter I could still enter the setting mode and sent a couple of reads out manually ("send telemetry"). This seemed to be working just fine.
After 2 days however, I had received no additional telemetry reads. I removed the pill from my fermenter to access the settings and I saw in the "telemetry sent" diagnostic said "7/56" (the 7 being the reads I sent out manually).
So somehow the pill is unable to send out the automatic telemetries while when I do it manually it works just fine (same vessel, same room, same WI-FI, same conditions). I have also tried re-registering the device without luck.

Is there anyone with a similar problem or a possible explanation for this problem? If I can't get this resolved the pill is of no additional value for me
How have your experiences with the device been so far, are there better alternatives?

 

[thepatchworkdoll]

I have the Pill as well as a Tilt. Like you Ive had problems with the Pill stopping sending readings. From my own opinion I think the Tilt has the edge.
Regards
Patch

 

[CarronC]

I have the Pill as well as a Tilt. Like you Ive had problems with the Pill stopping sending readings. From my own opinion I think the Tilt has the edge.
Regards
Patch

Ah, yes. I was hoping I could go with the pill since it's less expensive and has wi-fi on board (I'm not always at home). But I might need to consider switching ti a tilt indeed..

 

[Lunesdale Brewer]

I have the Pill and am currently using it for the fourth time, so far it has logged for approx 50 days and the battery strength is >99%.
It does require careful setting up - charging, registering, finding your way around the Rapt Portal with Captive on your phone and then on home Wifi.
I printed the manual and worked through it carefully but it is easy to get confused. Page 16 of the manual covers Troubleshooting telemetry; perhaps check to see that the Pill is connected to your home WiFi?
I use mine with Brewfather and so long as you remember to attach the device at the beginning of each fermentation it works faultlessly.


I do sometimes have difficulty logging in to the Rapt Portal, currently locked out, might have confused my passwords...

 

[Squidder]

I have the RAPT Pill and its been a bit of a nightmare. Setting up wasn't easy and it didn't seem to behave as it should to set up but it could have just been me.
Using it on the first brew it just stopped after 3 days, wouldn't update at all. After that I did a test in a bucket and it worked for about 10 days no problem. Now its in a brew 3 days in so far working ok so fingers crossed but the first day the readings were all over the place.
To get readings I have to manually refresh which isn't a problem but not sure if this is how it should be.

 

[LeeH]

After calibration/set up you have to reboot it.

After that it will start to read ok. I don’t know why they don’t make this clear in the instructions.

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

I have a pill and it's generally reliable and WiFi works through the stainless steel of my fermenter. It occasionally misses one or two updates but always gets back on track.
Mine is horribly inaccurate in terms of the actual SG reading (I have just done standard calibration in tap water) , but for the moment I use it just to see that fermentation has started and what stage it's at.
If I get round to it I will try an advanced calibration to see if that helps.

 

[CarronC]

I have had 2 readings in the past 36 hours so I guess it's improving .
Thanks for the replies! I'll try out your suggestions and see if I book any success. I've also contacted keggland in the meantime. For now even with the router on top of my tank it's not giving me more readings..

 

[LeeH]

I have a pill and it's generally reliable and WiFi works through the stainless steel of my fermenter. It occasionally misses one or two updates but always gets back on track.
Mine is horribly inaccurate in terms of the actual SG reading (I have just done standard calibration in tap water) , but for the moment I use it just to see that fermentation has started and what stage it's at.
If I get round to it I will try an advanced calibration to see if that helps.

Measure what the wort is just before you pop it in the FV. Perform a single point calibrate then reboot.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I had one, i sent it back and got a full refund, it worked for one brew to be fair they offered me another but i declined also i am not the most gifted person when it come's to tech

 

[MashBag]

How have your experiences with the device been so far, are there better alternatives?

Sure is.
None of them. Save your money and buy more ingredients or some good brewing books.

You don't need any of them, genuinely what do they gain you?

 

[Siscokid85]

Ah, yes. I was hoping I could go with the pill since it's less expensive and has wi-fi on board (I'm not always at home). But I might need to consider switching ti a tilt indeed..

It isnt groundbreaking and I am sure others have explained elsewhere on the forum threads, but I use a tilt with an old iphone that doesn't go into screen standby with the charger permanently on and the tilt app open. I keep this next to the ferm fridge. this means it stays connected via bluetooth and logs to the cloud, I can then see the readings on the brewfather on my phone away from home (incidentally I dont have the tilt app on my normal phone in case it throws up a wobbly). This set up gets around the wifi issue.

I had an ispindel before and just found it a bit clunky and tricky to calibrate / link / use the settings and dropped out a lot (although probably more me being a tech noob).

I like the tilt far better, it just works out the box and i find it more reliable / stable, and that for me far outweighs the lack of wifi / rechargeable battery. Incidentally I accidentally drained the battery by not keeping it vertical (sleep mods) between brews, and changing the batter isnt that hard as long as you have a set of rubber gloves for grip.

Again though as @MashBag and others have said.... it is interesting but is is vital? I find it interesting and aids my enjoyment of the hobby, but in hindsight not essential at all and I always to FG reading with the hydrometer. I have the occasional second brew fermenting at the same time and revert to manual hydrometer readings every couple of days and I find it quite liberating in a funny kind of way!

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

It's not essential by any means. It's a gadget and a toy in some sense. I do like the ability to see the fermentation progress without being tempted to lift the lid or simply watching the bubbles in the airlock.

 

[MashBag]

That's fine, if you enjoy It why not. There is no one way.

Me, I pop the lid on and come back when it's done. No hydrometers & no airlocks are harmed in the making of my beer

 

[CarronC]

It's not essential at all, I just like gadgets and data.

I still don't understand why my pill isn't working as it should. I have a connection of -40dbm on my last read (which is supposed to be very good). Yet I still get very few readings (19/123 telemetries sent when I look in diagnostics).
I think I'll try the old iphone approach via bluetooth as siscokid, just sad that it doesn't work for me as advertised :/

 

[ed]

CarronC were you/Kegland able to figure it out? Your entire experience is identical to mine.

It works perfectly in manual mode, though is very unreliable otherwise with updates every 3-12 hours. And this is only if I leave all doors open in my house.

I do wonder if it is a recent firmware issue as I tested it months ago without issues. Almost seems like the transmit power is less in automatic vs manual.

 

[foxy]

Sure is.
None of them. Save your money and buy more ingredients or some good brewing books.

You don't need any of them, genuinely what do they gain you?

I think if you are brewing 1,000 litres then a reliable Wi-Fi gauge measuring the temperature most importantly. Apart from that, gravity isn't so important I would hate to lose 1,000 litres as opposed to 23 litres.
Doesn't take a lot of logic to step back and ask oneself, Do I really need this? Am I going to be able to brew better beers?

 

[CarronC]

CarronC were you/Kegland able to figure it out? Your entire experience is identical to mine.

It works perfectly in manual mode, though is very unreliable otherwise with updates every 3-12 hours. And this is only if I leave all doors open in my house.

I do wonder if it is a recent firmware issue as I tested it months ago without issues. Almost seems like the transmit power is less in automatic vs manual.

Yes very weird.
I have tried different setups and even different networks but the problem persists.
I have contacted keggland and even though they responded very quickly they were not able to help me either.

I think I'm going to return it and maybe get a tilt instead

 

[MashBag]

I think if you are brewing 1,000 litres then a reliable Wi-Fi gauge measuring the temperature most importantly. Apart from that, gravity isn't so important I would hate to lose 1,000 litres as opposed to 23 litres.
Doesn't take a lot of logic to step back and ask oneself, Do I really need this? Am I going to be able to brew better beers?

Two thoughts spring to mind. Commercially with 1000 litres I really doubt they use these. Fermenting in volume is different again.

As a winemaker I have had 3 x 500litre fermenters on the go, not a airlock or a tilt/pill in sight.

For peeps who want to stop at a particular sg, perhaps useful. I never have. The yeast tell me when they are done.

For me I see them as an unnecessary timesucker. And as soon as they become temperamental you cannot trust them anyway.

 

[foxy]

Two thoughts spring to mind. Commercially with 1000 litres I really doubt they use these. Fermenting in volume is different again.

As a winemaker I have had 3 x 500litre fermenters on the go, not a airlock or a tilt/pill in sight.

For peeps who want to stop at a particular sg, perhaps useful. I never have. The yeast tell me when they are done.

For me I see them as an unnecessary timesucker. And as soon as they become temperamental you cannot trust them anyway.

Doesn't have to be large scale commercial, I have been contemplating the 1,000 litre BM and making fresh wort kits. Its a huge market here for those who don't have time to brew. It was a bit of a tongue in cheek as I won't be fermenting but it has crossed my mind as kegs for parties etc. As I said I would need a foolproof system to ferment and not have any temperature fluctuations.