CraftBeerPI Brew Controller

[dblunn]

Hi all,
this may be a silly question but, how do I run this thing? I have installed it on a rPi ver 1B and it reports that the service is running (I'm using a remote login from my pc) but now what? Do I use a browser or something to access it?
Linux challenged Dave

 

[Manuel]

Hi Dave,

now you can use the browser of your Laptop, tablet or smartphone and open the following URL:

http://<IP-Address>:5000

The <IP-Adress> musst be replaced by IP of the rPI. You can get the IP if you connect to the rPI console and key in:

ifconfig

Alternatively you can view the connected devices on your local WIFI router admin interface to get the IP of the rPI.

 

[dblunn]

That fixed it Manuel! I configured it with dummy hardware so I don't really know if it is all working but it certainly looks good. Thanks for your help and and a great tool.
Regards, Dave.

 

[berazafi]

Cool

 

[tumi2]

Hi
Im really interested in this topic but im no wiz with this stuff so excuse the potentially silly questions...

I have been given a Raspberry Pi Model B and am trying to find a project. I am a keen home brewer and have some IT techno (not a programer but have basic dos and unix skills).

I already have a fridge temp controller and i brew using Gas not electricity. However, in winter i tend to ferment ales at room temp because my ferment fridge is always in use but room temp sometimes gets too cold. I was thinking about buying a heating blanket or heat pad.

Could i use my RPi and CraftBeerPI to measure the ferment temp, chart its stages, save the temp profile and also power on and off the heating blanket based on the ferment temp?

If so what hardware do need above the RPi?

Thanks for your assistance,
Ivan

 

[Manuel]

Hi Ivan,

absolutiy. Thats was brewers in Germany alreday doing with CBP. They control a fridge. For that I recommand to use the simple overhsoot logic with a small offset value.
The version 2.2 will get a dedicated fermentation module.

You need the RPi a relay (Solid State Relay or mechanical relay), a DS18B20 1Wire Thermometer and 4.7k resistor for the thermometer.
And of course your heating blanket.

Regards,
Manuel

 

[tumi2]

Thanks for the reply Manuel. I will start buying parts then wait for v2.2 with fermentation module.

 

[farsonic]

Can I use a standard solid state relay for this or do I really need to use a larger mechanical relay for controlling a Crown Urn? I have a few sainsmart 4 port relay boards I could use for this purpose? Any thoughts?

FP

 

[tumi2]

Firstly, thanks for your efforts Manuel. I love your app.

I have now setup my RPI and installed CraftBeerPi app. I can access the app via a web browser and over the internet through my home router by adding the port forwarding rules. Next step is the hard part, the hardware setup :blink: .

Question: is there a way to add a password to the initial load screen of the app as currently it is pretty open to the internet.

I would be pissed off if some hacker loaded my web interface and played with my beer ferment temp to.... . Disaster...

 

[GibboQLD]

Can I use a standard solid state relay for this or do I really need to use a larger mechanical relay for controlling a Crown Urn?

You should be able to use anything that allows a 5V signal to switch a 240V load.

is there a way to add a password to the initial load screen of the app as currently it is pretty open to the internet.

Depending on how comfortable you are with linux, you could take a leaf out of the Brewpi playbook and implement something like this to control access.

 

[Manuel]

@tumi2
Thanks for the positiv feedback. I understand the security issue. You are right, with the current version is 2.1 it's not a good idea to make i accessable from the internet.
Let me check if I can add a login dialog to version 2.2.

Regards,
Manuel

 

[Manuel]

I did a quick spot check regarding the security. With a few lines of code I can add a simple security with username and password. I will add this to the dev2.2 version next week.

Regards
Manuel

 

[tumi2]

Hi
Has anyone got any photos / diagrams of the electrics circuits and example photos of how others have their craftbeerpi setups. I am confident with the RPI to breadboard to thermometer curcuits but i want to find a way to control my heat belt. Ideally i want the heat belt connection to the SSR to be something i can plug in and out from the SSR and wall mains power. I am unsure how i can do this part.

Thanks
Ivan

 

[tumi2]

Hi
Has anyone got any photos / diagrams of the electrics circuits and example photos of how others have their craftbeerpi setups. I am confident with the RPI to breadboard to thermometer curcuits but i want to find a way to control my heat belt. Ideally i want the heat belt connection to the SSR to be something i can plug in and out from the SSR and wall mains power. I am unsure how i can do this part.

Thanks
Ivan

 

[dblunn]

An SSR is just a fancy opto coupler thingy, so plan to put about 20mA through the the low voltage side like you would a LED. The high voltage side is just interrupting the active line, therefore you just pass through the neutral and earth (especially the the earth, if you use BP connectors, use the 2 screw type). The last part of the setup is the heatsink. The power rating of a solid state device is an indication of the size of the silicon and it's thermal coupling to the case, if you can't get the heat away from the case then you will never realise the full power capability of the device. So use a good heatsink and have a reasonable airflow across it. (a little bit of airflow goes a long way, kinda like vegemite)
Dave

 

[dblunn]

Edit multiple post - bloody internet

 

[dblunn]

Edit multiple post - bloody internet

 

[mord4z]

Hi guys, just sent portuguese translation to the project.

 

[sittingaround]

Hi
Has anyone got any photos / diagrams of the electrics circuits and example photos of how others have their craftbeerpi setups. I am confident with the RPI to breadboard to thermometer curcuits but i want to find a way to control my heat belt. Ideally i want the heat belt connection to the SSR to be something i can plug in and out from the SSR and wall mains power. I am unsure how i can do this part.

Thanks
Ivan

Here is my Ghetto control box for my Version 1 build. as you can see i have 2 power points on the front one for my heater/Kettle and one for my pump.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1ga8hxwq5s17t9/20160623_081552.jpg?dl=0

The SSR is just a fancy relay so you connect to low voltage side (positive to your Gpio pin on the Pi) then the (Negative to the Neg on the Pi) The high Voltage side is just an interupt for the live wire. Mains comes in live to either side of the SSR then the other side goes to the live input on the plug. The Nutrual and the Earth wires and direct to the plug.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qeqgq5eqpg6nnsi/20160623_081607.jpg?dl=0

Hope that helps But remember mains voltage KILLS!!!! so it is recommended you get a electrician to look over you setup.

 

[tumi2]

Thanks for that “sittingaround”. Just what I needed. I had spent ages on the internet trying to understand it and I had figured it out in theory but your pics make it nice and clear for me. So many of the pictures i came across are cluttered.


I will certainly get a sparky to look over my setup.