Electronic Bung Valve

[alexbrand]

Hi mates,

inspired by brewing colleague Guido (www.schwartenbecks.de) I built myself a new bung valve.

Until now I spunded my beer with a conventional spring valve. Usually it is use as a safety pressure relief valve in dispensing systems. But since it is adjustable it can also be used as adjustable bung valve. Unfortunately it has an unpredictable hysteresis and the chosen pressure is not really reproducible. So it had to be something new.

Guido gave me the idea. He designed an electronic bung valve. While I was looking for appropriate components I found a slightly different solution. I gained a pressure sensor which brings the necessary electronics along and also has an integrated display for the pressure.

The solenoid valve is controlled by the sensor and opens at an selectable pressure between 0 to 10 bar (0 to 145 psi), I can select the value in increments of 0.05 bar (0,73 psi). The hysteresis is >= 0.05 bar (0,73 psi).

A simple radiator bleed valve is used as a throttle, so the pressure drop is not too fast and the CO2 can escape slowly.

I already wanted to use this new device with my last beer, but some parts arrived too late. But I expected the delay Therefore I overcarboneted my meer. Now it's lagering @ 2C and the new bung valve slowly decreases the CO2 content.

The housing is not really tidy but I had no other box at home. May be some day I find a better box for all the components.

Cheers,

Alex

 

[kirem]

simply awesome.

I have no other words for the stuff you guys come up with.

 

[reVoxAHB]

simply awesome.

I have no other words for the stuff you guys come up with.

Well said. I was floored this morning, too.

 

[jayse]

That is cool, does it have vacumm release as well?

 

[alexbrand]

Jayse,

what do you mean, vacumm release?

I don't see the need for that when spunding beer.

Alex

PS: That's the sensor: PN3024

 

[Zwickel]

Hi Alex,
well done mate

forgive me, I have a similar thingy, even a little bit smaller:





Cheers mate

 

[alexbrand]

Zwickel,

that looks great. I guess it does the same job, eh?

Regards,

Alex

 

[Zwickel]

Zwickel,

that looks great. I guess it does the same job, eh?

Regards,

Alex

yeah, it should do the same job, although I dont need any pressure relieve valve anymore.

So its just lying around, jobless so to say

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[KHB]

Can someone explain what this does im so confused right now.

Cheers

 

[schooey]

It controls the pressure in a vessel when carbonating. So for instance, you have fermented, reached your target attenuation and you put the beer in the keg to carbonate, you seal it, or 'spund' it (spund is German for bung I believe?) and you connect this piece of equipment to control the pressure in the vessel

 

[KHB]

ok cheers for clearing that up.

 

[Supra-Jim]

KHB, I believe, unless i am totally mistaken this is a very fancy/neat electronically controlled pressure relief valve???? The purpose would be to prevent over-carbing your beer??

i.e. pressure sensor allows you to dial in the max pressure you want in the keg. Then if this set-point is exceeded, the excess pressure is slowly vented/released from the keg???????

Cheers SJ

 

[alexbrand]

i.e. pressure sensor allows you to dial in the max pressure you want in the keg. Then if this set-point is exceeded, the excess pressure is slowly vented/released from the keg???????

Exactly. No need to calculate FG os anything. Just put the beer into a keg for secondary fermentation (under pressure). It helps to get exactly the CO2 content you want.

It is at least here in Europe a very common method used in almost all breweries.

Alex

 

[schooey]

Hi Alex,
well done mate

forgive me, I have a similar thingy, even a little bit smaller:

View attachment 33784
View attachment 33785


Cheers mate

Hi Zwickel,

Could you give a little more detail on the SMC pressure switch you are using please? I'm a little interested in that..

Thanks,

schooey

 

[Supra-Jim]

Thanks for clarifying Alex, good to see my brain still works somewhat on a Friday!!

Obviously this method is for natural carbonation of kegs?

Cheers SJ

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Shooey,

At a glance that SMC switch looks like it part of the SMC ZSE range, FESTO also have some similar units (slightly larger body) they are part of the SDE range of pressure switches (i used to use SMC but now use the FESTO units at work, price was better, functionality very similar).

Cheers SJ

 

[alexbrand]

Obviously this method is for natural carbonation of kegs?

Sure. For natural carbonating. Forced carbonation is almost unknown over here...

Cheers,

Alex

 

[Zwickel]

Hi Zwickel,

Could you give a little more detail on the SMC pressure switch you are using please? I'm a little interested in that..

Thanks,

schooey

schooey, I dont know much about that little thing, found it at ebay. You can set any desired pressure and and at that point a valve opens and closes to hold the value.
That way one can provide a natural carbonated beer at a perfect pressure.

Cheers

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Shooey,

I looked again on the smc website (www.smcaus.com.au) and the pressures switches are actually the ISE range (sorry ZSE is vacuum). From memory these units are a couple of hundred dollars each new, so would be good if you can search around ebay and the like for a 2nd hand job.

Cheers SJ

 

[schooey]

Ok... thanks for the help fellas, much appreciated... :beer: