How High-tech Is Your Brewery?

[Lukes]

This is my irst attempt at brewing and an automated RIMS all grain brewery.

Nice first post welcome aboard.
Mate not a bad effort at your first AG rig.
Like many here, mine was a keg, mayo bucket and 1 liter jug. :blink:

The control cabinet houses a USB IO controller

Can you tell us were did you pick that up from and what was the damage in $?

Good stuff. I think your the winner so far for the "I push one button" brewing trophy.

BTW: has anyone automated the removal of spent grain (your Mates or kids don't count as automation).
​

- Luke

Edit: Spelling...

 

[kirem]

I am very interested in the automated capper. Can you post more details on it please?

Nice RIMS system.

 

[ArnieW]

This is my irst attempt at brewing and an automated RIMS all grain brewery.
It consists of:
View attachment 12601
HLT:
50L SS
2.4KW Element
Temp Probe
Pressure Sensor for level indication

MLT:
50L SS
2.4KW RIMS Chamber on side.
Temp Probe
SS Mesh false bottom
Pressure sensor for level indication

Boiler:
50L SS
3.6KW Element
Temp Probe
Reverse Chiller

7 Motorised valves and one magnetically coupled pump move the water and wort around.

The control cabinet houses a USB IO controller and various OPTO isolaters and realys.
View attachment 12602
The software was writted in Visual Basic.
View attachment 12600

This is my pneumatic capper, so much easier.
View attachment 12603

I have successufully completed 2 brews, looking forward to more.

Cheers..

Oh crap, it looks like Zwickel and I have been pipped at the post

Well done Jonathan - that is simply amazing. It looks as though you've spent a couple of $ on that rig. Can you give us some details on your mechanised valves. I've been scared off everything I find because they demand top dollar.

But it looks like you've spent too much time inventing and not enough brewing. I keep making and drinking beer and it has slowed my work down considerably

Thanks for sharing that beer porn with us, your work rocks :super:

Arnie

 

[Stuster]

Since upgraded the mashtun

Flasher than mine. :lol:

 

[therook]

4 VW wheels (5 lug) and 4 bricks.... that's my kettle stand.

Thats an absolute classic Bonj, i can see a lot of time and effort went into it

:beer:

rook

 

[Jono_w]

Wow, Thanks for the reply's ,
I'll try to answer as much as I can, I don't get on the net very often, as i'm in the sticks and can only use dial up.

"Obviously you plagiarised Bonj's design Jonathon " Not sure who that is but I will check out his rig.
edit: Checked it out! where were you when i needed insperation Bonj! awesome!!

This has totally been designed around a drawing of a brewery I saw on a black board, I took a photo and with the parts I could source I made somthing similar.

To start with, I would say the whole rig has cost me no more than $1500.

The Motorized valves are Honeywell VC6012 240v valve actuators. They were purchased for around $20 each surplus from www.oatleyelectronics.com they are good because they slowly (6 seconds ) actuate.

The USB controller is from HYTEK controls
http://www.hytekautomation.com/Products/IUSBDAQ.html
around $100 for 16 digital IO and 8 analog inputs, software and drivers for Visual Basic ,Absolute gem.
Totally relies on a PC, so if your PC locks up, could make an interesting beer..

Every bit of work was done by myself, I tried to get mates to come around and help but they seem to laugh at me alot and drink, while i do all the geeky stuff.
Funny thing is, now its producing beer, they are alot more interested...
I am an industrial electrician with a decent workshop, Mills lathes and so forth and no missus.

"But it looks like you've spent too much time inventing and not enough brewing." Very true .. The cahllenge now is to brew some great beers..

The capper is as simple as it looks..
A SS frame, with a 50mm bore pneumatic cylinder with around 200mm stroke so it covers long necks and stubbies. The bell is out of one of those $3 hammer bottle cappers, its been drilled out so i can screw it to the cylinder shaft that i machined a 6mm thread into, a DCV (directional control valve) a push button (foot) and your done.. around 30 psi is plenty but 50psi is nice.

This is what my brother picked up for me yesterday at an auction, a 1150 litre jacketed mash tun (Milk vat)
For $220,, one day!!!

 

[bonj]

Hey Jonathon,

If you scroll up the page, you'll see the photo of my stand. When you see it, you'll notice that PP was making a joke about how high-tech your brewery is compared to mine. I'm a software guy, so this engineering stuff is way beyond my knowledge. Your rig looks awesome... I would love something like that, but of course would have to run it on Linux.

Beers,

-Bonj

 

[Jono_w]

Hey Jonathon,

If you scroll up the page, you'll see the photo of my stand. When you see it, you'll notice that PP was making a joke about how high-tech your brewery is compared to mine. I'm a software guy, so this engineering stuff is way beyond my knowledge. Your rig looks awesome... I would love something like that, but of course would have to run it on Linux.

Beers,

-Bonj

Bonj,

Yeah, I took it serious for a second, then i did have a look, I love it, Hey if it works.. The old Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) .
Hmm, Linux, heard good things never tried it. Good old XP sp2, hasn't locked up during a brew yet. not bad thats Two out of two brews! I'm sure it will.
I have purchased a Moeller PLC off ebay, so the next Rig will be independant of a PC.

 

[bugwan]

This is my irst attempt at brewing and an automated RIMS all grain brewery.
It consists of:
View attachment 12601
.
.
.
.

Cheers..

Holy crap Jonathon! That is one of my favourite posts on this site!

Do you have a website, with more details on the construction etc? Would love to know more, including the process control software you've put together and the parts used etc.

Brilliant mate. Well done.

Dave.

 

[user 384]

To start with, I would say the whole rig has cost me no more than $1500.

If you build me a rig like yours I'll pay you $3000 for it.

Cheers
MAH

 

[SJW]

Wow TONY I thought I was going ok with 9 ball valves. But it is great to be able to pump from anywhere to anywhere.

Steve

 

[Fents]

If you build me a rig like yours I'll pay you $3000 for it.

Cheers
MAH

Then after your done building MAH's you can build me one WITH that milk VAT and i'll pay $3500. :beerbang:

 

[sqyre]

Holly Molly!!!!

That is....WICKED!! JONATHON!!! :super:

i think you have pretty much just built the very thing that most of us "equipment makers" have been trying to build but havent yet succeeded at...

I was only just playing with those brand of Temp probes at work last week..

Well done...I raise my glass to you....

Sqyre....

(green with envy)

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Here is my amazing set up

More pics here http://hyperfox.info/webalbum02/index.html

It does the job - I'm gonna look into a stand when I get some time

Cheers

 

[Kingy]

Doesnt get much better than this K and K all the way,cant wait to transfer my shed into something along the lines of what u guys are doing


My you beuty 6 litre water boiler and my billy can for softening tin contents. h34r:



my soon to be transformed shed into a AG Penthouse

 

[Zizzle]

Yeah, I took it serious for a second, then i did have a look, I love it, Hey if it works.. The old Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) .
Hmm, Linux, heard good things never tried it. Good old XP sp2, hasn't locked up during a brew yet. not bad thats Two out of two brews! I'm sure it will.
I have purchased a Moeller PLC off ebay, so the next Rig will be independant of a PC.

+1 for Linux. Knocking code togther in Python is easier than VB too (IMO).

As for control, I'd probably grab a nice little Atmel AVR controller board. They have plenty of IO capability (you can get rid of your usb thingy) and are pretty cheap ~$40.

I have absolutely no experience with PLCs. Can anyone compare using a PLC with using a general purpose micro controller?

I think I'd prefer to bash out a bit of C code than ladder logic.

How do PLCs go interfacing with PCs or other display technology (LCDs)?

 

[oldbugman]

Since upgraded the mashtun

Oh and stuster this shows you how little room I have.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

+1 for Linux. Knocking code togther in Python is easier than VB too (IMO).

As for control, I'd probably grab a nice little Atmel AVR controller board. They have plenty of IO capability (you can get rid of your usb thingy) and are pretty cheap ~$40.

I have absolutely no experience with PLCs. Can anyone compare using a PLC with using a general purpose micro controller?

I think I'd prefer to bash out a bit of C code than ladder logic.

How do PLCs go interfacing with PCs or other display technology (LCDs)?

The AVR stuff is really cool. You can program them in BASIC or C (etc, etc) and pay as little or as much as you want for the compiler, programmer, board, etc. I built my own board (for a robotics project) out of veroboard, built my own programmer and use WinAVR. I'm just trying to decide on a bootloader so I can permanently leave the Bluetooth interface in place.

If you don't want to go there, the NetMedia things are fantastic - either with your own board or one from Peter Anderson, or Parallax. The BASIC they use is very like VB (not the beer, or the airline) and quite pleasant as such things go...

 

[redbeard]

That looks like luxury to me oldbugman, dont you think Stuart ? I reckon I could swing a cat in that space ! perhaps, a small cat ...

:lol:


For those keen on microcontroller boards, check out www.sparkfun.com for reasonable single item prices on such

cheers

edit - avr info

 

[Stuster]

That looks like luxury to me oldbugman, dont you think Stuart ?

:lol:

Yep. Flash b*&(*(&d.