Braumeister NEXTGEN Build

[seemax]

You can get knock off PIDs including a K-type thermo and 25A SSR for $40 !!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-PID-Tem...=item4aaf9aa4da

For my project I'm using an Arduino with inputs from toggle switches, output to LCD, etc.. with a SSR for the heating element.

Temperature is read via a stainless DS18B20 weldless probe ($12 !!!).

 

[Robbo2234]

hey that looks good!

would you need a thermowell with that probe or can you use a ss nut and washeres to hold it to the vessel?

 

[Maheel]

hey that looks good!

would you need a thermowell with that probe or can you use a ss nut and washeres to hold it to the vessel?

i use a TC like that with a nut just soldered on a pipe and it screwed in, seems to not leak and is "happy" (bit of thread tape)
a nut on the inside and it screwed through a very thin wall area should be fine and no leaks i reckon

i just use mine to measure temp but, not drive a SSR / pid

 

[Robbo2234]

Is the pipe just there to protect the probe?

 

[Maheel]

Is the pipe just there to protect the probe?

if you mean mine

the copper pipe carries the fluid
brass nut soldered onto outside of pipe with hole drilled "through nut" (i drilled the hole 1st)
TC screwed into nut and protrudes into pipe and fluid

nothing "protects" probe

i have another set up where i just have a home made thermo well using a bit of 1/4 copper tube with one end soldered up
drill hole in pipe, solder in the thermo well and drop in a cheap digi thermometer. it seems to react to change fairly well

 

[QldKev]

You can get knock off PIDs including a K-type thermo and 25A SSR for $40 !!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-PID-Tem...=item4aaf9aa4da

For my project I'm using an Arduino with inputs from toggle switches, output to LCD, etc.. with a SSR for the heating element.

Temperature is read via a stainless DS18B20 weldless probe ($12 !!!).

This one is good if you only want a single step to be setup,

then one Tony is using allows upto 30 steps, which is a lot better if you want to do stepped mashes.

QldKev

 

[matho]

hey that looks good!

would you need a thermowell with that probe or can you use a ss nut and washeres to hold it to the vessel?

the reason for a thermowell is to get the probe up into the liquid, the sensors don't like to be in water.

cheers matho

 

[Tony]

Tony, surely you are due to post some pics mate?

Come on...

Ahhh mate..... no progress as yet. The pot has been sitting in my garage for nigh on 1.5 years now while worked out what the hell to do with it.

Juat getting all the parts together and planning it so it will work the way i want it to.

If im getting a stand made and malt tube made, i want to make sure i have it right first.....

Electronics on the way, pump in hand, I need to order the elements, but havnt entirely decided on how to do that bit yet, and still fine tuning the over all design on paper.

Hey.... i have a great brewery so im in no rush......but it was built in a hurry with some compromises........ this one wont be!

cheers

 

[thelastspud]

I was reading through the code you wrote matho, and I'm only in my first year of learning to program
but I thought it was bad to use GOTOs or is that really language dependent?

 

[Zizzle]

I was reading through the code you wrote matho, and I'm only in my first year of learning to program
but I thought it was bad to use GOTOs or is that really language dependent?

It is.

In ASM it's all you've got.

In C it's considered bad form, unless you are using it in low level systems code, or error handling within relatively short methods. e.g. quite a few bail out points with a common resource release. Use a goto to save a forest of ifs.

In C++ just bad form (you have exceptions to do the error handling a lot of the time).

In new high level languages it doesn't even exist.

But really it's only a concern for large projects. For a few hundred line embedded projects it doesn't matter so much.

In Basic, well, I don't think there is much consideration, since it's considered a bit of a toy language. It's a beginners language and no one really does large projects in it.

Just think of it this way: what would you like to see when you come back to change your code in a years time?
On the other hand, how much time do you want to spend avoiding gotos when you can just add one and get on with life?

 

[matho]

yep I'm a bit of a hack when it comes to programming but it does work, one thing i have noticed is that i put the wrong picbasic file in the ZIP,

View attachment Braumiser_V1.01.txt

this is the proper program that has the fixed pump control

cheers matho

 

[kirem]

I hacked around at the beginning of the year trying to get a single vessel to work with brewtroller. In the end, I decided to go back to my trusty auberins programmable PID temp controller and a counter. I have named mine;

"The one pot screamer"

I was working on a design that eliminated the bottom seal. Basically the 'malt pipe' is a smaller pot that is suspended at the top of the outer vessel (keg). The keg was cut open and left a lip, the pot I used for a 'malt pipe' was flared at the top, I cut a circle out of the bottom and fitted a false bottom to the 'malt pipe'. I was then pumping from the bottom of the outer vessel back over the top into the malt pipe. Probably sounds double dutch, I'll take some pictures.

I have some 3 way automated valves, I have set them up so that I can automate the process including chilling through a plate chiller. The pipe work and valves is a little complex as I wanted an easy way to back flush the chiller, in case it became blocked. Eventually, I'll automate that as well with feedback from a pressure transducer.

The whole setup is fitted to a frame, the top of the frame has a tipping frame that is attached to the main frame via hinges and welded to the screamer and so at the end of the session I simply tip the outer pot into a wheel barrow and wash it out. This only the hop and break material, the spent grain is winched out and above the outter pot at mash out

I have most of the hardware done

The PID controls the temperature and time.

I have an auberins counter that I have mated to a flow meter and solenoid, I enter the required water, the solenoid opens and the counter counts the pulses over time and a simple calculation and it is measuring volume. Once the volume required is reached, the counter automagically shuts the solenoid. It works, but I am yet to test the accuracy.

Although not as automated as the brewtroller, it is a lot less work to setup.

I purchased a small 240v winch, which will eventually by controlled by a mashout temp alarm. Its job is to automatically remove the 'malt pipe', but that is a project for down the track.

I'll take some pictures this weekend.

I went to TAFE at night and did the welding classes with the apprentices, best move I have made for builiding brewing gear.

 

[matho]

I hacked around at the beginning of the year trying to get a single vessel to work with brewtroller. In the end, I decided to go back to my trusty auberins programmable PID temp controller and a counter. I have named mine;

"The one pot screamer"

I was working on a design that eliminated the bottom seal. Basically the 'malt pipe' is a smaller pot that is suspended at the top of the outer vessel (keg). The keg was cut open and left a lip, the pot I used for a 'malt pipe' was flared at the top, I cut a circle out of the bottom and fitted a false bottom to the 'malt pipe'. I was then pumping from the bottom of the outer vessel back over the top into the malt pipe. Probably sounds double dutch, I'll take some pictures.

I have some 3 way automated valves, I have set them up so that I can automate the process including chilling through a plate chiller. The pipe work and valves is a little complex as I wanted an easy way to back flush the chiller, in case it became blocked. Eventually, I'll automate that as well with feedback from a pressure transducer.

The whole setup is fitted to a frame, the top of the frame has a tipping frame that is attached to the main frame via hinges and welded to the screamer and so at the end of the session I simply tip the outer pot into a wheel barrow and wash it out. This only the hop and break material, the spent grain is winched out and above the outter pot at mash out

I have most of the hardware done

The PID controls the temperature and time.

I have an auberins counter that I have mated to a flow meter and solenoid, I enter the required water, the solenoid opens and the counter counts the pulses over time and a simple calculation and it is measuring volume. Once the volume required is reached, the counter automagically shuts the solenoid. It works, but I am yet to test the accuracy.

Although not as automated as the brewtroller, it is a lot less work to setup.

I purchased a small 240v winch, which will eventually by controlled by a mashout temp alarm. Its job is to automatically remove the 'malt pipe', but that is a project for down the track.

I'll take some pictures this weekend.

I went to TAFE at night and did the welding classes with the apprentices, best move I have made for builiding brewing gear.

sounds good kirem, i would definitely like to see pics mate

 

[Zizzle]

I hacked around at the beginning of the year trying to get a single vessel to work with brewtroller. In the end, I decided to go back to my trusty auberins programmable PID temp controller and a counter. I have named mine;

"The one pot screamer"

I was working on a design that eliminated the bottom seal. Basically the 'malt pipe' is a smaller pot that is suspended at the top of the outer vessel (keg). The keg was cut open and left a lip, the pot I used for a 'malt pipe' was flared at the top, I cut a circle out of the bottom and fitted a false bottom to the 'malt pipe'. I was then pumping from the bottom of the outer vessel back over the top into the malt pipe. Probably sounds double dutch, I'll take some pictures.

Sweet! Looking forward to the pics.

I have been toying with a new pot-in-pot design for the brewbot.

One that allows a good recirculation but easy removal (no sealing to the bottom of a vessel).

Unfortunately I've got to wait until this latest design competition is over before I modify it. Then we will be packing up the house, going to Aus for 2 months, then back to Colorado in the middle of winter to find a new place to live. So I'll be a while before I get to try it out.

 

[matho]

well I have just finished running the braumiser with the march pump, I have to say i was expecting it to be alot more powerful than the other one but i would say it flows about twice as much, which is perfect. I have use 3/8 hose and the other fittings must have added enough restriction.



here is a quick video of the pump running water thru the malt pipe in manual mode, in the video the pump sounds really loud but its not that loud when your next to it, its a bit louder than the original pump but not by much.

On the subject of the original pump when i pulled it off i got a really strong plastic smell coming off it kinda like a hot garden hose smell.

cheers matho

 

[stux]

So, if I had one of these controllers, what would be required to reprogram the pic chip?

 

[Filby]

well I have just finished running the braumiser with the march pump, I have to say i was expecting it to be alot more powerful than the other one but i would say it flows about twice as much, which is perfect. I have use 3/8 hose and the other fittings must have added enough restriction.



here is a quick video of the pump running water thru the malt pipe in manual mode, in the video the pump sounds really loud but its not that loud when your next to it, its a bit louder than the original pump but not by much.

On the subject of the original pump when i pulled it off i got a really strong plastic smell coming off it kinda like a hot garden hose smell.

cheers matho

Love the Faith No More in the background

Couple of quick questions. Is the bottom plate permanently fitted to the malt pipe and does the top plate just seal to the edge of the malt pipe by using close tolerances?



Cheers,


Fil

 

[matho]

So, if I had one of these controllers, what would be required to reprogram the pic chip?

at the end of the PDF i attached the schematic for a LVICSP programmer which will plug into the LVICSP port on the main board, then with the program PICpgm you can write what ever HEX file you want to it. To make a HEX file you need a compiler which will take your program and turn it into hexadecimal so the programmer can write it to the chip. One draw back to the LVICSP programmer that i posted is it needs a parallel port. Thats the beauty of the arduino the board come with a bootloader programmed in the chip which allows you to program the chip via the usb port on the board.

Filby both the top and bottom filter plates just slide into the malt pipe and Im just relying on a close fit.

cheers matho

 

[seemax]

So, if I had one of these controllers, what would be required to reprogram the pic chip?

Much easier to use an Arduino... the code is freely available if you use a DS18B20 temp sensor. The interface is available for Windoze,OSX,linux and simple to use, plus it only needs USB.

Easy to program your own step mashes ...all you need is a heating element and relay to drive it.

 

[Malted]

Love the Faith No More in the background

Couple of quick questions. Is the bottom plate permanently fitted to the malt pipe and does the top plate just seal to the edge of the malt pipe by using close tolerances?
Cheers,
Fil

Fil if you want to see a dinky di Braumeister in the flesh, send me a PM.