Let me know how you go setting the tilt formula @Nullnvoid.
I was also very impressed at how easy it was to integrate with brewers chronicle.
I was also very impressed at how easy it was to integrate with brewers chronicle.
iSpindel Digital Hydrometer
- Thread starter Mattrox
- Start date
Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
The tilt formula was already loaded? I didn't have to do anything. I possibly need to push it down the tube a but more it's about 2 points out.
And yeah very easy to integrate with brewers chronicle!
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I don't know enough to help you. I am assuming you need to try and get the parts pushed down the tube further so that you achieve it closer to 25 degrees. Maybe one of the other gurus will be better placed to help!
For what it's worth, I probably won't be using mine for a definitive number, rather a guide to how fermentation and my temperatures are going and will still use the Hydro for the final reading.
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
My question is, how often does the battery need to be charged? Does it need to charged after each brew?
If you like Russian Roulette, then charge whenever, otherwise why wouldn't you charge after each brew
I have just finished a brew and have taken readings twice per day, I'll use those along with the recorded tilt to update my equation
https://github.com/universam1/iSpindel/blob/master/docs/Calibration_en.md
bee2gee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6/7/17
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 26
I've always set mine up as close to 25 degrees as possible and take a calibration point. When I put a new brew down with known gravity from a refracto, I use that as a calibration point. Usually a mid fermentation measurement or two can't go astray. I use mine as general guides for fermentation, it's generally bang on when I test. The more calibration points you take or setup using sugar+water, the more accurate your results. I personally use Fermentrack which is super easy to add calibration points, doesn't need internet access and "just works". With Fermentrack you can also set calibration points whenever you feel like versus having to do anything with config mode as well.
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
I tihnk I know the answer to this, but is it possible to set the iSpindel to give readings to two places, ie, Brewers Chronicle and also Brewfather?
I'm guessing the answer is no, but you never know, if you asked me a couple years ago that I could actively monitor the ferment right the way through and I would have called you coco bananas!
I'm guessing the answer is no, but you never know, if you asked me a couple years ago that I could actively monitor the ferment right the way through and I would have called you coco bananas!
bee2gee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6/7/17
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 26
Not that I've seen. If it was supported on the device, I'd expect to see a 25-50% hit on the battery life making the extra call. I've spoken to one or two other people who have written some local web services which ingest the response then duplicate it in the correct format to however many services they'd like to send it.
littlejohn
Well-Known Member
Anything is possible, from a quick look around you can configure it to send its data to any server like ubibots or https://brewerschronicle.com/KB/ViewArticle/2018/11/ispindel_integration. The problem will be pointing your software / GUI to read from a shared source, they usually are proprietary and don't like sharing. I havent played with either but you could try to find / write a programming script which can copy and repost the data across several servers, which may be an easier solution.
angus_grant
Custom Title Now Available
Brewers Chronicle does not have the capability to forward readings through to other services, and I doubt any of the other various services would provide that feature either for security reasons.
If BC was to post readings through to UbiDots, then it would need to have on record your UbiDots APi credentials.
Or your BrewFather credentials, etc, etc.
As has been mentioned (more particularly by littleJohn), you would need find someone who has written a software proxy which would receive the iSpindel readings.
This software would then send readings to your target web services.
And also, this software would need to know the credentials for all the target services as well.
I never got the iSpindel TCP server working so I don't know what it actually does....
If BC was to post readings through to UbiDots, then it would need to have on record your UbiDots APi credentials.
Or your BrewFather credentials, etc, etc.
As has been mentioned (more particularly by littleJohn), you would need find someone who has written a software proxy which would receive the iSpindel readings.
This software would then send readings to your target web services.
And also, this software would need to know the credentials for all the target services as well.
I never got the iSpindel TCP server working so I don't know what it actually does....
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
For those of you that have both the tilt and the Ispindel which do you prefer? I was originally going with the Tilt until I found out about the Ispindel. I like the way that Tilt is just plug and play but not sure how well the bluetooth function will work as I am going to have it inside a stainless fermenter which is also inside a fridge. I assume I will have to open the fridge and hold my phone up to the fermenter each time I want a reading which will then mean the graphing function of seeing the fermentation change over time will be useless. (Not that it bothers me that much really)
The Ispindel seems to be better suited (using Wifi) and certainly cheaper than the tilt. If I use an ethernet over power device (Which I have) connected to a second router sitting above my fridge should the Ispindle connect to it no worries even when its inside a stainless brewtech chronical?
The Ispindel seems to be better suited (using Wifi) and certainly cheaper than the tilt. If I use an ethernet over power device (Which I have) connected to a second router sitting above my fridge should the Ispindle connect to it no worries even when its inside a stainless brewtech chronical?
Hi Truman42
Ive been looking at what is available to do similar to you. I have just had an ispindel arrive and first impressions are very good. Still waiting for the battery so only been running dry with usb power for demo purposes.
I used a powerline adapter to get the network to the shed then a raspberry pi 3b+ with fermentrack and acting as a wifi access point. I put together a brewpi controller using a cheap wemos d1 mini and all talks to each other nicely. Having the pi as an access point on top of the fermenting fridge allows thr ispindel to connect without issue but im only using plastic fermenter.
A bit of messing about but a very versatile setup
Ive been looking at what is available to do similar to you. I have just had an ispindel arrive and first impressions are very good. Still waiting for the battery so only been running dry with usb power for demo purposes.
I used a powerline adapter to get the network to the shed then a raspberry pi 3b+ with fermentrack and acting as a wifi access point. I put together a brewpi controller using a cheap wemos d1 mini and all talks to each other nicely. Having the pi as an access point on top of the fermenting fridge allows thr ispindel to connect without issue but im only using plastic fermenter.
A bit of messing about but a very versatile setup
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
Hey mate Im wanting to do the same thing as you and use my raspberry pi and fermentrack. Ive ordered my Ispindel through bee2gee.
So you mention using your Raspberry pi as an access point? So does the Ispindel connect directly to the Raspberry pi and the PI plugs into the powerline adaptor?? if so how is this setup and will this work with a Raspberry pi Model b 2? If it doesnt work with the pi on top of the fridge I was thinking about using a wifi usb dongle with a lead and place that on top of the fermenter.
I got my ispindel thru him as well. Does a really nice job. I thought i wouldn't have time to build it myself but the weather has been so bad ive had more time than i thought lol.
I have the pi connected to the power line Adapter and have the pi set up as a wifi access point. The 3b+ has built in wifi. The b2 probably would need a wifi dongle. Raspbian on the pi with fermentrack. You will need wifi to talk to the ispindel. I sit the pi on the fridge. I got the long antenna on the ispindel too. But your idea if the dongle at the end of the usb cable should work also.
Build yourself a wemos mini d1 brewpi controller and connect it also and you are fully set for temp control and gravity monitoring
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
I also ordered the Ispindel with the longer antenna so hopefully that helps.
I just brought a raspberry pi zero with wireless as they were cheap enough and mine doesnt have wifi. Im even thinking of sitting the Pi on top of the fermenter (if I dont get any signal with it on top of the fridge) and running an ethernet cable from it to the powerline adaptor which should work.
Hmmmmm A wemos mini d1 brewpi controller hey??? Sounds like it might have to be my next project. Cheers.
I was really surprised how easily it went together. Only sitting in bread board at the moment. I have ordered some boards but they will be a few weeks.
Check out
https://github.com/thorrak/brewpi-esp8266/tree/master/docs
For the controller.
And here
https://www.fermentrack.com/
For fermentrack
The zero should work fine. Im sure i saw it mentioned somewhere. I had a 3b+ laying around after upgrading a media player to 4k
bee2gee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6/7/17
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 26
@Ferment8 and @Truman42 good to see you here! I've never tried using a Pi as a wifi router for these, it's a decent concept. I did try once to use a Mikrotik mAP Lite via PoE but the iSpindel doesn't seem to work at all with it so chucked my old AirPort Extreme 802.11n on top of the fermentation fridges. I ferment in the 7gal SS Brew Buckets and I do get wifi reception using the standard model in the closer one and use the extended antenna model in the further away fridge.
I personally use Fermentrack and love it, wouldn't use anything else. I did try and use the ESP controller side, however, I found it oscillated my fridges too much and fell back to BrewPiLess which works perfect. I haven't integrated the iSpindels with them purely because I like the recording and graphical output of Fermentrack and I would prefer to modify the temp settings myself.
I personally use Fermentrack and love it, wouldn't use anything else. I did try and use the ESP controller side, however, I found it oscillated my fridges too much and fell back to BrewPiLess which works perfect. I haven't integrated the iSpindels with them purely because I like the recording and graphical output of Fermentrack and I would prefer to modify the temp settings myself.
Hi @bee2gee
Thanks again for the awesome ispindel build i got from you!. I'm in the process of moving at the moment so everything is just prototyping right now. Next week I hope to have it set up and ready for action.
On the bench the pi works great as the AP and fermentrack host. The wemos brewpiless controller appears to be working fine (relays due in next week). I'm having a few dramas getting the LCD to work but its only really bling and not required for operation.
Next step is to try incorporate it into Home Assistant
Thanks again for the awesome ispindel build i got from you!. I'm in the process of moving at the moment so everything is just prototyping right now. Next week I hope to have it set up and ready for action.
On the bench the pi works great as the AP and fermentrack host. The wemos brewpiless controller appears to be working fine (relays due in next week). I'm having a few dramas getting the LCD to work but its only really bling and not required for operation.
Next step is to try incorporate it into Home Assistant
