Got an old windows 98 computer cluttering up the place? Use it in your brewery to monitor and display temperature!
About a year ago I posted a similar thread to this, but now that I have a digital camera its time to post again but with better explanations and pics added to it.
Here is a simple project for monitoring temperatures. It can be used to display your temps when mashing and for your HLT etc, or for monitoring your ferment.
This can be done by anyone who owns a soldering iron. Basically, you solder a digital temp sensor to a cable, connect that to a small bit of circuitry, and plug it in to your computer through the serial port.
Equipment List:
1 old computer.
A temperature logging kit (http://ozitronics.com/data.html#k145) from Oztronics. Ive bought stuff over the net from these guys three times now and never had a hassle.
The kit comes with one temp sensor but buy three more DS18S20 sensors to make four in total. The Kit is $34.50, the extra sensors are $12 each.
A plastic project box from Dick Smiths to put the logging kit in (about $7.50). I use a box thats 150mmX80mmX30mm but have gone as small as 75mmX50mmX30mm.
Several metres of Dick Smith 4-core security cable. How long is a piece of string? About 95 cents/metre. Its white with Dick Smith Electronics W2123 4 core 0.5mm CCL A95/CA/0087 stamped in blue ink on the casing.
Some heat shrink tubing.
Brass or Stainless steel tubing with an internal diameter of no less than 1/8 (3.18mm). You can get this from model/hobby shops. In Adelaide Model Mania on South Road Morphett Vale, and Hobby Habit on Main North Road stock it.
A soldering iron and solder, knife etc.
How to do it:
First of all, solder your temperature logging kit together. It comes with a data sheet, wiring instructions, and a wiring diagram, but if you are like me and dont follow wiring diagrams very well, just wire it up to match the pictures below. Make sure you solder the capacitors in the right direction, other than that it is really a straight-forward job.
I'll post a few more pics of this further down...
Fit your kit to a plastic project box to protect it from the elements. Drill a hole in the end of the box, and stick a rubber grommet in it where the temperature sensor cables come out.
Now solder your sensors to the cables. Trim back the white casing, and cut off the blue wire (you dont need it). Strip back about 5mm off the red, yellow and black casings off the three remaining wires. Slip some heat shrink onto these wires then with the flat face of the temp sensor towards you, solder them up this way:
Slide the heat shrink over the solder and heat to seal. Slide a bigger piece of heat shrink over the whole lot leaving only the tip of the sensor poking out, and heat to seal. Bingo! One temp sensor. Now repeat three times.
This is the end result:
If this sensor is going into a liquid, get your brass or s/s tubing and squash one end in a vice. Fold it over and squash a gain, or do as I did with my s/s ones and give the bloke up the road a few beers to weld over the end:
Stick the sensor down the tube and gaffer tape it up to stop liquid getting in.
From the Oztronics website, follow the lead and download ts11Win.zip. load onto computer. Its a dos thing but your computer will auto run it. (Im hoping a better version for windows will appear soon, courtesy of our fellow brewers out there!). Attach the serial cable between the temp logger box and the serial port on your computer and you are in business! Four temperatures updated on your screen every few seconds!
If you use this project for brewday temps, then you could monitor your Mash, HLT, sparge water exit and HERMS temps.
If you use this for ferments, you caould monitor the ferment temp, ambient (inside fridge) temp, room temp plus one spare.
I'll post a few more pics. This really is an easy project and cheaper than buying four $90 thermometers.
Cheers!
About a year ago I posted a similar thread to this, but now that I have a digital camera its time to post again but with better explanations and pics added to it.
Here is a simple project for monitoring temperatures. It can be used to display your temps when mashing and for your HLT etc, or for monitoring your ferment.
This can be done by anyone who owns a soldering iron. Basically, you solder a digital temp sensor to a cable, connect that to a small bit of circuitry, and plug it in to your computer through the serial port.
Equipment List:
1 old computer.
A temperature logging kit (http://ozitronics.com/data.html#k145) from Oztronics. Ive bought stuff over the net from these guys three times now and never had a hassle.
The kit comes with one temp sensor but buy three more DS18S20 sensors to make four in total. The Kit is $34.50, the extra sensors are $12 each.
A plastic project box from Dick Smiths to put the logging kit in (about $7.50). I use a box thats 150mmX80mmX30mm but have gone as small as 75mmX50mmX30mm.
Several metres of Dick Smith 4-core security cable. How long is a piece of string? About 95 cents/metre. Its white with Dick Smith Electronics W2123 4 core 0.5mm CCL A95/CA/0087 stamped in blue ink on the casing.
Some heat shrink tubing.
Brass or Stainless steel tubing with an internal diameter of no less than 1/8 (3.18mm). You can get this from model/hobby shops. In Adelaide Model Mania on South Road Morphett Vale, and Hobby Habit on Main North Road stock it.
A soldering iron and solder, knife etc.
How to do it:
First of all, solder your temperature logging kit together. It comes with a data sheet, wiring instructions, and a wiring diagram, but if you are like me and dont follow wiring diagrams very well, just wire it up to match the pictures below. Make sure you solder the capacitors in the right direction, other than that it is really a straight-forward job.
I'll post a few more pics of this further down...
Fit your kit to a plastic project box to protect it from the elements. Drill a hole in the end of the box, and stick a rubber grommet in it where the temperature sensor cables come out.
Now solder your sensors to the cables. Trim back the white casing, and cut off the blue wire (you dont need it). Strip back about 5mm off the red, yellow and black casings off the three remaining wires. Slip some heat shrink onto these wires then with the flat face of the temp sensor towards you, solder them up this way:
Slide the heat shrink over the solder and heat to seal. Slide a bigger piece of heat shrink over the whole lot leaving only the tip of the sensor poking out, and heat to seal. Bingo! One temp sensor. Now repeat three times.
This is the end result:
If this sensor is going into a liquid, get your brass or s/s tubing and squash one end in a vice. Fold it over and squash a gain, or do as I did with my s/s ones and give the bloke up the road a few beers to weld over the end:
Stick the sensor down the tube and gaffer tape it up to stop liquid getting in.
From the Oztronics website, follow the lead and download ts11Win.zip. load onto computer. Its a dos thing but your computer will auto run it. (Im hoping a better version for windows will appear soon, courtesy of our fellow brewers out there!). Attach the serial cable between the temp logger box and the serial port on your computer and you are in business! Four temperatures updated on your screen every few seconds!
If you use this project for brewday temps, then you could monitor your Mash, HLT, sparge water exit and HERMS temps.
If you use this for ferments, you caould monitor the ferment temp, ambient (inside fridge) temp, room temp plus one spare.
I'll post a few more pics. This really is an easy project and cheaper than buying four $90 thermometers.
Cheers!
looks like I will be busy, and I do happen to have a win 98 computer in my brewery too 
