# BrewPi - Fermentation control



## neo__04 (9/10/14)

Hey all,

Just thought I'd put in a little review of my recent experience with the BrewPi fermentation controller.

I had looked at the BrewPi before and it is a little expensive to order and get setup.

Being a tinkerer and a bit of an electronics guru, i found a diy tutorial, which basically is a Raspberry Pi, Arduino, couple of temp sensors and a mini relay board. From projects over the years, I had all those bits and pieces floating around.

So i made up the controller and I am amazed at how well it works.

I put a 30l fermenter of water in a free fridge I got, set the Brewpi up, mounted the sensors, one hanging in the fridge, once in the water. Set it to 18 degrees and left it. 

No settings were changed, stock standard setup, But the results were very impressive.
I have a 20w heat pad used as the heating side of things. Took a little bit for it to get up and going but went like a treat.

See the attached graph. Pretty impressed I must say.

If you were to make the Brewpi without buying all the gear from them its quite cheap, $12 Arduino uno, Pi - $30, relay board - $3 (ebay) temp sensors - $3 (for 10). Thats the brains of it for approx $50. Depending on where you source your items.

Then its just a case of putting it in a project box to make it safe a couple of 240v power outlets (bunnings/elec wholesaler), a bit of wiring 5v/240v and its up and running.

For a set and forget option, Im very happy I set it up, Originally overlooked it due to the cost, but the DIY solution is quite cheap. Worth a look, i recommend it.


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## gava (9/10/14)

This is on my to do list... I've got a few spare Ardunio's but think they're to old.

got any pictures of your install?

gav


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## neo__04 (9/10/14)

Havent't got any pics but ill grab one tonight for you.

At this stage, it hasnt got an lcd installed on it as i didnt have a 20x4 at home. So as soon as that turns up i'll add it do the project box so you can see how its going without needing to look at the website.

Don't stress about your Arduinos, I worried too as the spare one I had was my original i bought 3 odd years ago.
Its a uno revision a or 1. Whichever the first was called.

Works like a dream.


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## gava (9/10/14)

Does it need a LCD? i was just going to put in a spare laptop in the brewery.


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## mfeighan (9/10/14)

gava said:


> Does it need a LCD? i was just going to put in a spare laptop in the brewery.


nope you can just lan/wifi into it. the screen is just wank factor


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## neo__04 (9/10/14)

Na you dont need an lcd. It just shows what on the top left of my screenshot.

Its handy for seeing your settings, current temps etc, when walking past without having to login to check it.
Handy for a quick glace to make sure all is going well.

For the sake of a few dollars for an lcd, i'll put it in.

Nothing wrong with some wank factor


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## gava (9/10/14)

I was just going to present the website via the inter-webs so I can see it anywhere anytime.. but thats the nerd coming out in me.


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## brewinski (9/10/14)

I use one, and they are great, accurate, and flexible ... although if there is any amount of geek in you, it will take you by surprise how often you will look at the bloody thing  .... luckily it has worn off a little now, and I may go a whole day without checking it, after 2 months of flawless operation ...


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## tateg (9/10/14)

I also set one up about two weeks ago, these things are amazing. 
I also went ahead and created a public sit that can be accessed anywhere. 
Can pm the link if interested


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## gava (9/10/14)

tateg said:


> I also set one up about two weeks ago, these things are amazing.
> I also went ahead and created a public sit that can be accessed anywhere.
> Can pm the link if interested


Yeah I wouldn't mind a look - I can't screw anything can I?


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## tateg (9/10/14)

Nope it is all locked off


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## tateg (9/10/14)

Can't work out how to send link via pm so here it is 
http://jacksonbrewing.ddns.net/Jackson_Brewing.php

Currently crash chilling, and the room temp is in the top of the keezer for the day to test fluctuations


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## neo__04 (9/10/14)

My fermentation fridge is right beside my keezer.

So im planning on having dual lcd screens on the project box for the brewpi.
One lcd for the fermentation fridge, one lcd monitoring keg temp & kezzer air temp.

Just cause i can, wank factor again.


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## brewinski (9/10/14)

One added wank factor I threw in, was to stick a microphone in the fermentation chamber to listen to the bubbling from a distance  ... I could also record a 10 or 20 second, and look at the resulting file and count the time between bubbles, so I could determine if things were speeding up, or slowing down (by comparing previous results)... I was writing code to be able to automate this for me, then one day I realised I was geeking way to hard for no real gain, and decided to try and focus on the bloody beer


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## gava (9/10/14)

Thats awesome, Can one unit handle dual brews or do you need another kit setup?


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## gezzanet (9/10/14)

I set one up and have had 3 brews run through it already. Works fantastic. Google brewpi for cheap it's on homebrewtalk.com. It's got over a 1000 posts and counting. Lots of good info there.


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## gezzanet (9/10/14)

You can run dual brews brews but needs a second arduino. All the smarts are there.


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## gezzanet (9/10/14)

brewinski said:


> One added wank factor I threw in, was to stick a microphone in the fermentation chamber to listen to the bubbling from a distance  ... I could also record a 10 or 20 second, and look at the resulting file and count the time between bubbles, so I could determine if things were speeding up, or slowing down (by comparing previous results)... I was writing code to be able to automate this for me, then one day I realised I was geeking way to hard for no real gain, and decided to try and focus on the bloody beer


Hahahha yep. Lots of wasted time. I stuck a $3 webcam in the fridge to watch the bubbles from my loungeroom. Fermenter is in the shed. Great fermentation control but you can go down a real rabbit hole.


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## Ducatiboy stu (9/10/14)

Mikey said:


> nope you can just lan/wifi into it. the screen is just wank factor


Can you watch porn on them ?


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## MastersBrewery (9/10/14)

yes


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## gezzanet (9/10/14)

Beer porn


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## brewinski (16/10/14)

just cos I couldn't keep my hand off it  .... I have added a second Arduino to the setup, so I can monitor the second chamber I have set up ... it was a piece of cake to do, and from the method they describe to do it, you could potentially run more than 2 ... just at some point the RaspberryPi may not handle that many versions of the tool running ?


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## tateg (16/10/14)

brewinski said:


> just cos I couldn't keep my hand off it  .... I have added a second Arduino to the setup, so I can monitor the second chamber I have set up ... it was a piece of cake to do, and from the method they describe to do it, you could potentially run more than 2 ... just at some point the RaspberryPi may not handle that many versions of the tool running ?


Hi brewinski 
Do u have a link for the setup?


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## neo__04 (16/10/14)

a couple of things to read.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index142.html#post6319886
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index140.html#post6314307
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index123.html#post6284516


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## TheWiggman (16/10/14)

WHY IS THIS NOT A BIGGER DEAL?
I really had no idea about this. Love it. Will definitely set up something like this in the future. Do you need to be a web guru to make it happen? I've done a bit of programming but only Fortran and VBA, nothing like C. Have done zero web stuff.


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## tateg (16/10/14)

Neo__04 said:


> a couple of things to read.
> 
> http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index142.html#post6319886
> http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index140.html#post6314307
> http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index123.html#post6284516


Thanks neo
More arduinos on the way now 
Cheers


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## gezzanet (16/10/14)

WIggman you don't need to be able to program. Easy to setup If you just run a pi and can run some wires together and dab a bit of solder. Mines on an old laptop running debian wheezy. Brew at the moment is at 18 deg +\-.015deg for the last 5 days.


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## neo__04 (17/10/14)

Yeah it is very impressive, I've only done tests with water, as I just got it setup, but those test were bloody impressive. 

Will be brewing this weekend.


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## brewinski (17/10/14)

tateg said:


> Hi brewinski
> Do u have a link for the setup?


Basically everything you need is on the brewpi site 

http://docs.brewpi.com/advanced-setups/multiple-arduinos-single-rpi.html 

Permissions can mess with you a bit, in my experience, once solved the thing is perfectly "set and forget" afterward.


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## brewinski (17/10/14)

Neo__04 said:


> Yeah it is very impressive, I've only done tests with water, as I just got it setup, but those test were bloody impressive.
> 
> Will be brewing this weekend.


Yes, mighty stable.... And I have gone really low-fi with it, it drives a small wine fridge that turns on to cool things. And a 40w light globe in a nestle quick tin that is the chamber heater. Which sits on an old small candelabra so it doesn't touch anything

Takes me about 5-6 hrs to raise beer temp by 2 degree, once there it's solid as. And about the same amount of time to cool. Love it


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## broseo (6/11/14)

Hey guys,

I've just spent the day looking at various parts on ebay, all through that HBT post and the brew pi site. Pretty keen to order some parts and setup, but still a bit hazy on Exactly what I need for this simpler setup (eg. scrapping the brew pi heatshield). Chucked some links below.

So far I think it is;
- 2x Arduino Ono (incase of 2nd fridge) $27
- 1x Rasp Pi kit (could use an old computer, but this uses less power + smaller) $76
OR 1x Rasp Pi ($49) and find an SD card/Power sup/cables
- WiFi Dongle for the Pi $6
- 2x 20x4 LED displays $12
- 6x DS18B20 sensors $10
- Case
- 4x power sockets
- 4x LEDs (show elements running)

Do you have an example of the relay element I should use? 
I'm going to try see if any of my mates has any of these bits, cause I would rather do it cheaper, but I want to be able to set it up and not have to add new things too often haha.

I'm still figuring out how to wire all that up, but I have a couple of electrical mates who will help out once I have a plan.

Rasp Pi: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/231328466080
Dongle: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261429848414
LED: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271061312409
Sensors: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/251646216319




Bit of a noob hey


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## mudd (6/11/14)

Hi Broseo,

looks like most of the stuff you need to me. The temp probes have a fairly short lead but look a good price.
I'm assembling a similar one now planning also for 2 fermentation chambers.

Seems to take ages to get some of the stuff in from OS sellers though, been waiting a couple of weeks for displays and probes.

Been a bit lazy to download the software etc to an SD card and configure the Pi. Probably will do once I have the probes.

As for relays I ordered in a 4 relay module ($6) thinking I could use it for 2 chambers- havent fired anything up yet but it should be ok.

9http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261498932073?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Cheers Mudd


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## Online Brewing Supplies (6/11/14)

Being as I am not Tech nerd, I will ask :
I have need of being able to monitor two fermenters from a far (150 Km) via the net.
Can I set this system up so I can see whats happening temp wise by the net and can I set it up so I can ramp my cooling or heating via wifi ?
Of course I realise I need peripherals etc but if it can be done with this simple set up I am keen.
BTW I have two Rasp PIs sitting doing nix .
Nev


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## mudd (6/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> Being as I am not Tech nerd, I will ask :
> I have need of being able to monitor two fermenters from a far (150 Km) via the net.
> Can I set this system up so I can see whats happening temp wise by the net and can I set it up so I can ramp my cooling or heating via wifi ?
> Of course I realise I need peripherals etc but if it can be done with this simple set up I am keen.
> ...


Hi Nev,

Pretty sure would be doable - not sure how much tinkering would be involved though to do it securely.


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## Black n Tan (6/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> Being as I am not Tech nerd, I will ask :
> I have need of being able to monitor two fermenters from a far (150 Km) via the net.
> Can I set this system up so I can see whats happening temp wise by the net and can I set it up so I can ramp my cooling or heating via wifi ?
> Of course I realise I need peripherals etc but if it can be done with this simple set up I am keen.
> ...


with one of these you could, but it is a bit of coin. It has a few software bugs and hardware bugs (short-range wifi) at the moment, so personally I would wait until that is sorted. 

https://brewbit.com


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## mudd (6/11/14)

in either case you don't know gravity (or that all important taste feedback).


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## Online Brewing Supplies (6/11/14)

Not to bad cost wise but like you said probably wait till its refined.
The advantage is I don't have to run wire or solder, plug and play is nice if it works.
I have it bookmarked.
Cheers Nev


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## Online Brewing Supplies (6/11/14)

mudd said:


> in either case you don't know gravity (or that all important taste feedback).


The recipes will be be repeats using same water same yeast etc so not to worried about small deviations from the norm, blending will sort that.
When the situation is optimal (on site) pH and Gravities will be done daily.
Nev


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## kelbygreen (6/11/14)

Nice I had a raspberrypi sitting around for over a year wondering what to do with it as got a more powerful Odroid lately as can watch full 1080p movies on that one has octo core CPU but pi is in a draw might do this


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## Black n Tan (6/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> Not to bad cost wise but like you said probably wait till its refined.
> The advantage is I don't have to run wire or solder, plug and play is nice if it works.
> I have it bookmarked.
> Cheers Nev


I have it up and running. I use one probe to monitor and control the first fermenter with heat/cool and using the second probe just to monitor the second fermenter in the same fridge. I had a lager brewing on temperature cycle whilst in bali and I just checked everyday to make sure everything was OK. Overall happy but i did have to put in a wifi extender in the garage because the wifi module is piss weak.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (6/11/14)

Any control or monitoring via the net is better than driving 1.5 hours to stick my finger in the wort.
I am looking for a system that will work sort of out of the box, then I can develop to suit my needs, if it has wifi and I can control from there via what ever then thats what I will do.
I need the temp control more than the monitoring but need both if that makes sense ?


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## Mardoo (7/11/14)

Do the BCS products meet your "out-of-box" need?

http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/


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## vykuza (7/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> Being as I am not Tech nerd, I will ask :
> I have need of being able to monitor two fermenters from a far (150 Km) via the net.
> Can I set this system up so I can see whats happening temp wise by the net and can I set it up so I can ramp my cooling or heating via wifi ?
> Of course I realise I need peripherals etc but if it can be done with this simple set up I am keen.
> ...


Absolutely Nev - you can just present the web server running on the Raspberry Pi to the internet (as opposed to your home network) as others have done to show off their setups. You might want to do it more securely, though a VPN if you're worried about it being tampered with. Or create a .htaccess file to password access to the page altogether.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

Mardoo said:


> Do the BCS products meet your "out-of-box" need?
> 
> http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/


I looked at these but after they failed to respond to emails twice I gave up.


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## brewinski (7/11/14)

Eventually the logging gets looked at less as time goes by. In my experience, and I am a total techno geek 

Mostly the Pi becomes the tool to set the arduinos. So my advice is that they are great at temp control, don't get too concerned with the logging, unless you are totally forgetful about how you achieved the last brews temp control. 

As was reported elsewhere, once the commands are sent to the arduino the Pi can be turned off, and the arduino will continue unabated.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

Temp logging is essential in my case as it is required for repeatability and possible fermentation fault finding.
Is the log in the form of text or can it be graphed and printed ?


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## neo__04 (7/11/14)

Adding in a few answers here where i can.

Yep the web side of the brewpi can be accessed from anywhere. Just put it behind a pasworded website and only you have control.
Pretty sure someone on this forum was doing that. Except they had it as viewing only. So no one can change it.

The graphing side of things, i havent tried to save myself, but it would be as simple as taking a screenshot of the website and saving the graph as a jpg. It shows quite clearly the beer temp, fridge temp etc. You could save the file as golden ale etc for your own reference.

If you follow the parts list on homebrewtalk it has everything you next, except the box and 240v plugs. Ebay would be cheap for them too i imagine.

The raspberry pi uses the same cable as a htc/samsung phone, so most ppl might have a charger lying around. I have my arduino powered by usb via the raspberry pi. So only one power supply needed.

Arduino uno can be had for $10-12, Rasbpi, i have the first version, cost me $28. Should be able to get a first version fairly cheap.

All the other parts from ebay china. You may have to wait but they will be very cheap.

Maybe i should do a little premade bulk project and make up the whole controller, with temp probes etc. Could be interesting


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

Neo__04 said:


> Maybe i should do a little premade bulk project and make up the whole controller, with temp probes etc. Could be interesting


I am sure there would be a lot more users if you did.


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## neo__04 (7/11/14)

Hmm, i might do some costings over the weekend and see how cheap i could get it all done for.

I also made myself a 1/2" id stainless tube thermowell to suit the temp probes. Could make them up for the kit too.

Im away in bendigo for the weekend but ill do some costings sunday night and see how cheap i can make it


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

Whats the probe Diameter, The Dallas I have are only 6mm without the heatshrink.


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## gezzanet (7/11/14)

You can buy premade from brewpi. Elkoe is the guy who did all the code and build. Only 1 chamber at this stage on the premade. 
The homebrewtalk thread has over 2000 posts now about how to do it on the cheap. Also covers Multi chamber hacks and remote viewing. 

Easiest is to buy premade. 
Next buy a pi (plus SD card, wifi dongle if not hardwired to LAN, power supply), usb cable to arduino, an arduino, 3 temp probes (2 If you're not interested in ambient) a 2 channel relay, a power supply, a project box to put it all in, a thermowell. 
A little more difficult. No pi but load debian wheezy on an old pc and run it instead of the pi. 
Cheap but can be very time consuming and frustrating but when it's running its fantastic.


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## neo__04 (7/11/14)

Temp probe diameter is probably around that 6mm mark.

I just had some 1/2" stainless tube lying around, thats why i used it.
Could easily be made with smaller tube


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## brewinski (7/11/14)

If you are Unix savvy, the csv of each graph/data is saved in the brewpi folder structure

Drag that into excel (or open office on Linux) and graph your heart out

I'm not sure, but you can likely reload older brews in the brewpi web interface. To look at what happened.Citation needed

And of course you can deffo reload settings and re run temp profiles that worked well.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

Unix unsavy but nice to know where they are.
Nev


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## gezzanet (7/11/14)

You can download the current brew and your past brews in csv format from the web interface


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## mudd (7/11/14)

Think I need to get mine together. Should be pitching a new batch next week


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## Online Brewing Supplies (7/11/14)

I am going to order my relays soon so I will ask the questions now
If I want to have the option of switching on a pump and either heat or cool the ferment depending on the ambient temp *how many relays do I need* , remember I need this option on two fermenters.
I am thinking that if I have the pump and cool on one thats covered and if I heat it just another similar loop . Not quite sure how it needs to be wired but thats not important now.
Nev


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## neo__04 (7/11/14)

I won't say how many relays you might need, but I'll just say I used a 8 relay board for my setup as its all I had. It was like $2 on ebay


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## zeggie (11/11/14)

gezzanet said:


> You can buy premade from brewpi.


I've looked on the website and can only see combos of parts required. Is it possible to buy a premade/preassembled brewpi? I don't like messing with electricity...


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## vykuza (11/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> I am going to order my relays soon so I will ask the questions now
> If I want to have the option of switching on a pump and either heat or cool the ferment depending on the ambient temp *how many relays do I need* , remember I need this option on two fermenters.
> I am thinking that if I have the pump and cool on one thats covered and if I heat it just another similar loop . Not quite sure how it needs to be wired but thats not important now.
> Nev


You can use four SSRs for two fermenters (heat and cool for each). If you only want to run the pump when cooling, then I would just wire it inline with your cooling relay. Just stay under your power draw limits and don't skimp on the SSRs.

Out of the box the BrewPi kit supports four SSRs. I think you can add another arduino to the kit to get more, but you're going to have to bust out your soldering iron. I'd probably just buy another kit and run them separately.


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## vykuza (11/11/14)

zeggie said:


> I've looked on the website and can only see combos of parts required. Is it possible to buy a premade/preassembled brewpi? I don't like messing with electricity...


Not that I'm aware of. The kit itself is very easy to put together with a screwdriver. Then I would grab an electrician to do the 240v stuff.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (11/11/14)

Thanks Nick
I have ordered the arduino parts, I expect them in a month, his ebay says he is in Darwin but the dick is actually in Asia . I think I will look for a good Aussie seller and buy another set as I need to have this ready for the heat.
I have stock of 40 A SSR and have numerous soldering stations.
Nev


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## vykuza (11/11/14)

element14.com (aka Farnell) are a good local source, but not the cheapest.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (11/11/14)

Found this clone Uno r3 cheap at Modtronics - Australia with flat rate shipping, no 4 relay board unfortunately but I will get by with 2 relays when testing on one fermenter.


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## zeggie (11/11/14)

Just throwing it out there, if anyone is interested in assembling one for me I'd be happy to repay their Labour  linux is a second language to me but electrical wiring is like ancient Greek.


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## brewinski (11/11/14)

zeggie said:


> Just throwing it out there, if anyone is interested in assembling one for me I'd be happy to repay their Labour  linux is a second language to me but electrical wiring is like ancient Greek.


where are you based, I am in Sydney, and can help out if you are nearby. 

Pm me


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## zeggie (11/11/14)

Melbourne sorry thanks for the offer tho


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## mudd (13/11/14)

Just trying to assemble my BrewPi and have decided to split into 2 enclosures for a number of reasons (mostly as I think the Pi wont get used much and is already in its own enclosure and I use it for other things). Also If I get a 2nd fermenting fridge I would build a 2nd identical controller and can just pop it on top independently - could run USB connection to the pi

So I want to have one new enclosure with Arduino/display etc on the front of the enclosure with the USB connection out the side (see pic), and the power sockets pendant from the bottom. I am choosing this way as I can use the clear face of the enclosure so I can see the display and relay status. I am planning on mounting it on the wall above the fridge






I'm actually thinking of putting all the 240V stuff behind the mounting plate from a safety point of view (although I don't really see any need to open the enclosure once its setup). I'll have to put some stuff behind mounting plate anyway. Anyone know what material to use for the PCB mounting plate

I need a separate power supply as I was previously using the Pi power this is what I've ordered http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/390942201180?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 to put in the enclosure rather than having an external powerpack (too many power cables). However having done some reading I am a bit unsure if I will blow up the board wiring into the Vin connection with this power supply, any ideas? I'll also do some more reading on this.

Any ideas on how to make the USB penetration relatively dust/water tight?

Cheers Mudd


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## MastersBrewery (14/11/14)

Mudd,
I think you'll find having the 240v relays in close proximity to the arduino troublesome, this issue has been raised with other arduino projects previously, namely Brewtroller and Matho's controller. With my Brauclone I had all HV in one box separate from the arduino itself. I ran power and signals over Cat5 between the boxes. For me I would consider placing relays in closer proximity to the compressor. Also a point to remember is the PI will not power 2 auduinos so your going to need a good quality powered hub, or separate power supplies for each arduino. [ED] I state the power supply issue as the one you have linked is 5v check this link post 2349

Looks like you got most of the kit to push ahead, keeps us updated.

MB


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## booargy (14/11/14)

The relay card has optocouplers for isolation


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## mudd (14/11/14)

booargy said:


> The relay card has optocouplers for isolation


My concern is in the arduino card as I want all the power connection inside the enclosure. I don't think the Vin has any protectiin


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## mudd (14/11/14)

MastersBrewery said:


> Mudd,
> I think you'll find having the 240v relays in close proximity to the arduino troublesome, this issue has been raised with other arduino projects previously, namely Brewtroller and Matho's controller. With my Brauclone I had all HV in one box separate from the arduino itself. I ran power and signals over Cat5 between the boxes. For me I would consider placing relays in closer proximity to the compressor. Also a point to remember is the PI will not power 2 auduinos so your going to need a good quality powered hub, or separate power supplies for each arduino. [ED] I state the power supply issue as the one you have linked is 5v check this link post 2349
> 
> Looks like you got most of the kit to push ahead, keeps us updated.
> ...


Thanks Masters will read up on that as well. I think your link is about power loss using external power. Planning on having built in (in my enclosure) 5V power supply (I'm not sure if I'm missing something here). 
I'm assuming that the arduino can handle this power supply and is still able to connect via USB for programming/ monitoring etc


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## Online Brewing Supplies (14/11/14)

I have my build to the point where the brewpi interface shows that my sensors are connected ( serial numbered) but I dont have temp readings on the graph ?
Is there some thing I must do to get this as there is no user manual for this ? Like what do I push ?
The whole set up is no good if you are not savvy :huh:
Nev


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## booargy (14/11/14)

mudd said:


> Thanks Masters will read up on that as well. I think your link is about power loss using external power. Planning on having built in (in my enclosure) 5V power supply (I'm not sure if I'm missing something here).
> I'm assuming that the arduino can handle this power supply and is still able to connect via USB for programming/ monitoring etc


The card is powered from an external source. An optocoupler is an led and a light resistant diode. the arduino output powers the led. the light dopes the diode and allows current to flow. This also gives you the physical isolation.
The output from the arduino should be kept as short as possible. The AC is not effected by voltage drop as much as the arduino output.


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## gezzanet (14/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> I have my build to the point where the brewpi interface shows that my sensors are connected ( serial numbered) but I dont have temp readings on the graph ?
> Is there some thing I must do to get this as there is no user manual for this ? Like what do I push ?
> The whole set up is no good if you are not savvy :huh:
> Nev


try going to maintenance panel > device config. check the read values box and then refresh device list.see if you are seeing any values there.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (14/11/14)

Ok I didnt check the read valves box yet, try that later tonight.
Nev


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## MastersBrewery (14/11/14)

To clarify my point regarding isolating the relays was purely to reduce the chance of EMI from 240v especially when switching a motor (read compressor or pump) as this can interfere with signals on the arduino especially LCD displays. So it's physical proximity not electrical isolation.

MB


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## gezzanet (15/11/14)

Mines been working fine with the 240 and arduino in the same box.


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## gezzanet (15/11/14)

Pic


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## gezzanet (15/11/14)

and can't use the phone.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (15/11/14)

Are you using the pi as a server or is the arduino stand alone ?


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## gezzanet (15/11/14)

standalone. pi software on old pc running debian wheezy. arduino usb goes to laptop usb. arduino also powered from pc usb port


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## Online Brewing Supplies (15/11/14)

I see, mine will be set up with pi as a server as the main fermenters will be over a 100km away.
I am going to set one up a home first to get the hang of it .


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## MastersBrewery (15/11/14)

Online Brewing Supplies said:


> I see, mine will be set up with pi as a server as the main fermenters will be over a 100km away.
> I am going to set one up a home first to get the hang of it .


Nev,
posting at that hour in the morning (WA time) has me wondering if you did it while sleeping. Or is sleep just optional?

The next hard bit is making it available to the web, rather than the local network, though there plenty of ways to sort that, Just remember to password protect the config page, you don't want someone changing the config half way through a brew.


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## mudd (15/11/14)

gezzanet said:


> Mines been working fine with the 240 and arduino in the same box.


Thanks Gazza. Will see how it goes with mine.


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## Online Brewing Supplies (15/11/14)

MastersBrewery said:


> Nev,
> posting at that hour in the morning (WA time) has me wondering if you did it while sleeping. Or is sleep just optional?
> 
> The next hard bit is making it available to the web, rather than the local network, though there plenty of ways to sort that, Just remember to password protect the config page, you don't want someone changing the config half way through a brew.


I often sleep early then wake around 3am then back to sleep for another few hours.
I have looked at the security concerns already, not that I am up to that stage yet.


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## neo__04 (30/12/14)

Need some help.

Been using my brewpi for a few months now and its been great.

Im working on putting an LCD screen into the enclosure and am unsure which wiring diagram to use.

The link most ppl would have used was - http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f258/howto-make-brewpi-fermentation-controller-cheap-466106/index118.html#post6273297

There are two wiring diagrams on that post and im not sure which is the revised one.

I wired up one tonight and it wouldnt show me any data.

Can someone advise me pls of the correct wiring, or even some photos of their wiring so i can see what goes where?

Thanks heaps


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## N3MIS15 (30/12/14)

The image called "BrewPi Rev.C - Jeff's Shield(2.0)_bb.jpg" is the 1 to use.


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## neo__04 (30/12/14)

cool, i'll double check it all this morning. thanks for hat


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## N3MIS15 (30/12/14)

If you just get a blank screen with the backlight on you may need to add a potentiometer or resistor to the vo pin. My module didn't have a pot built in so I added a 1k resistor to vo pin. 1k was probably not enough (it lights up the whole room).


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## neo__04 (30/12/14)

I had it wired on a prototype shield, so i took it off that, wired up another setup on a breadboard to make it easier.

It all appears correct, but i just get a solid line of squares on the top row & the middle row.

if got the potentiometer wired in so i can adjust that.

Not sure what im doing wrong. It seems wired correct


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## neo__04 (30/12/14)

Nevermind, got it fixed. Missed a wire lol


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## djar007 (30/12/14)

I just finished setting mine up too. Looking forward to playing around with it. Do you guys have pics of the ssr setup you went with. Be keen to see wht others are doing. I put all mine in a box. Pics to come. Just running a test first.


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## N3MIS15 (30/12/14)

I 3d printed a case that puts everything in 1 place. I'm doing my first brew now but not without issues. I tried to make it all as compact as I could which caused some interference when switching the ssr's on/off. I killed the sd card in the picture, I now have a micro sd card hooked up and its still alive after a week.

Just from my personal experience, I would keep some distance between the ssr and pi/arduino.


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## donmateo (30/12/14)

I was wondering why the arduinos are required for these systems ? Can't the raspberry pi be used ?


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## N3MIS15 (30/12/14)

The raspi is only a webserver/datalogger for brewpi. Most of the work is done by the Arduino. The raspi does absolutly zero I/O. It can be replaced by pretty much any linux based computer.

The brewpi spark is the next revision of hardware which pretty much makes the whole thing easier/less hacky. But for the people that have an arduino and computer/pi laying around, the arduino version is much more cost effective.


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## brewermp (31/12/14)

Has anyone built brewpi on the spark yet? I think I might wait for the photon to build mine


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## MastersBrewery (1/1/15)

brewermp said:


> Has anyone built brewpi on the spark yet? I think I might wait for the photon to build mine


By the looks release has been delayed, they're not available on the site, Slated to be available 15 December. With all the celebratory holidays etc we might be looking closer to the end of January.


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## djar007 (3/1/15)

Here is my little setup. Seems to work well so far. Free fridge painted black. Fits a 60 litre fermenter in it. Will add the beerbug to it next brew and tidy it all up. Box behind the fridge has two 25 amp ssrs.


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## warnerbrew (28/2/15)

This project has been on my todo list ever since I saw it ... and i've finally gotten around to doing it. Great little project to tinker with, not much soldering and the instructions on how to make it cheap are dead easy to follow.

Thought though I would share my experience with running it with my first brew - the important lesson that I learnt is how sensitive the PID is with respect to the beer temperature probe and how well you need to insulate it if you aren't using a thermowell (which I hadn't really thought necessary). As you can see from the graph, the PID was oscillating between heating and cooling - I was playing around with a stack of settings trying to get the PID to not be so aggressive until I read on the brewpi forum that a guy posted a similar photo of how I had taped my probe to the fermentor. So - 8am you can see that I opened up the fridge and put a large piece of foam around the sensor and the cord, taped it all up to ensure that no air could get to the sensor and what a difference! Temp is holding between 17.11 and 16.94.


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## N3MIS15 (28/2/15)

The PID control is self learning, so over a few days you will see that graph get much tighter.


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## gezzanet (28/2/15)

Been running one for many brews. I use a thermowell in 25 litre fermentor. I notice the control is +/- 0.1 c when active fermentation is on and wort is swirling around. Prior to and after this the control is +/-0.15C. fridge in shed and the ambient has swung 18-45 deg c. Great little device.


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## SBOB (10/1/16)

can anyone tell me what version of the raspberry pi is needed?

Already have an Arduino Uno (from an STC1000+ upgrade project) so this should be an easy/fun project to try..
RS Online has the following with free shipping and seems to be one of the cheapest with their free shipping?
Raspberry Pi B+ for $30.94ex
http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/processor-microcontroller-deve...
Raspberry Pi 2 B for $48ex
http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/processor-microcontroller-deve...


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## MastersBrewery (10/1/16)

Either will work, though if your running multi instances and other stuff (raspberry pints etc) the Pi2 is the way to go


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## SBOB (10/1/16)

MastersBrewery said:


> Either will work, though if your running multi instances and other stuff (raspberry pints etc) the Pi2 is the way to go


Thanks
Planning on using it just for this.. no keg setup yet
Might save the ~$20 and just get the B+ (seems to be commonly mentioned in the diy build thread http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=466106)

Seems even the older A+ would work, but they cost about the same so a B+ should work


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## kaiserben (11/1/16)

SBOB said:


> can anyone tell me what version of the raspberry pi is needed?
> 
> Already have an Arduino Uno (from an STC1000+ upgrade project) so this should be an easy/fun project to try..
> RS Online has the following with free shipping and seems to be one of the cheapest with their free shipping?
> ...


That's the best price I've seen on the Pi 2 B. 

I'm currently trying to make one operate as my brewery system controller and data logger (without a need for arduino) and it looks promising. Even more promising is that the Pi Zero (~$20) - in theory - should also be able to do the job (but they're sold out and everywhere is waiting on further stock).


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## kaiserben (12/1/16)

^^^ Turns out that price on the Raspberry Pi 2 from RS is before GST (which is added in the shopping basket stage). I suppose free shipping evens things out there.


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## SBOB (12/1/16)

Yeah... 
Ended up getting b+ from rs online... They were also well priced on a 2a/10w power supply ($8)and case ($4), so grabbed those also...


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