Zwickel
Keg Drainer
- Joined
- 7/10/05
- Messages
- 1,260
- Reaction score
- 13
to all the geeks and technical freaks here
Im pondering whole day long, how to enhance my semi automated brewing process.
Im not after automating the whole process, just for things that makes life easier.
Despite Im using a semi automated brewing system already, there are still a lot of things to do manually
So I wished could start the brewing process already early in the morning when Im still sleeping. Anyway whilst mashing there is nothing to do, just wait until time is over to start lautering. That time I could sleep as well...
But things have to be done first:
Start the computer, mashing in, means bringing water and grain together.
From this point on, starts my computer taking control of the operation, heating up to a certain temp, stirring and keeping control of the temp, draining the grain.
I dont want to invent the wheel again, I was just pondering if there is already a program that could do the job.
BINGO it is, what about using the controller of a washing mashine?
What does a washing mashine do?
When get started it takes a certain amount of water (what about putting the milled grain into the mash tun and leave it over night there?)
So the washingmashine (controller) starts, drawing a certain amount of water and heats it up (temp could be adjusted).
What formerly was the motor, now is the stirrer. stirrer starts its job.
Usually a (european) washing mashine uses two steps of temperatur, first step is pre-washing around 30C and second step is main washing around 60C.
As I said, correct temp could be adjusted to our desire.
When the time is over, the mashine starts draining.
That would be a perfect program for brewing beer, isnt it?
So we only had to search for an old controller and wiring it up.
Whattayathinkabout? :beer:
Im pondering whole day long, how to enhance my semi automated brewing process.
Im not after automating the whole process, just for things that makes life easier.
Despite Im using a semi automated brewing system already, there are still a lot of things to do manually
So I wished could start the brewing process already early in the morning when Im still sleeping. Anyway whilst mashing there is nothing to do, just wait until time is over to start lautering. That time I could sleep as well...
But things have to be done first:
Start the computer, mashing in, means bringing water and grain together.
From this point on, starts my computer taking control of the operation, heating up to a certain temp, stirring and keeping control of the temp, draining the grain.
I dont want to invent the wheel again, I was just pondering if there is already a program that could do the job.
BINGO it is, what about using the controller of a washing mashine?
What does a washing mashine do?
When get started it takes a certain amount of water (what about putting the milled grain into the mash tun and leave it over night there?)
So the washingmashine (controller) starts, drawing a certain amount of water and heats it up (temp could be adjusted).
What formerly was the motor, now is the stirrer. stirrer starts its job.
Usually a (european) washing mashine uses two steps of temperatur, first step is pre-washing around 30C and second step is main washing around 60C.
As I said, correct temp could be adjusted to our desire.
When the time is over, the mashine starts draining.
That would be a perfect program for brewing beer, isnt it?
So we only had to search for an old controller and wiring it up.
Whattayathinkabout? :beer: