More of a Brew INFO Box than a full bown controller.

[Mick0s]

G'day all,

So I'm massively one single brew into my BIAB adventure, and all reports thus far are pretty good, though I've still got a crate or two of leftover kit beers to drink before I hook into the 50-odd stubbies of my "Maiden Galactic Voyage" Pale Ale.

But I've been thinking of what additions I'd like to make to the current setup, and one thing that would be nice, is what I'm going to call an info box. Not a controller box as such, as I don't want thing thing to control power to the urn or anything like that, but it would be nice to easily keep track of the current temp (primarily during steeping) and a timer, with the possibility of some sort of audible / visual alarm at pre-determined intervals (ie 90 minute steep, or whatever hopping intervals I want to set during boil).

I have an STC, which I guess could be used for the temperature side of things (once I get this BrewPi all sorted), but surely there's a better option that would free up the STC for lendings to friends (or sous-vide steaks).

And I don't even know where to start on the timer side of things.

I'm not really that interested in going down the eBIAB / recirc route, so all up, it would probably be just displays for temp, time, and maybe a light / buzzer for waking me up.


Any suggestions?

 

[Camo6]

In for a penny, in for a pound I say.

Personally, if I'm going to that kind of trouble I'd rather add a few features that will come in handy down the track. You may find that after another dozen or so brews you may want to upgrade your system, then again, you may not.

When I biabed I progressed from a thermometer to an STC to measure mash temp. A digital alarm clock was my first timer but progressed to mobile apps down the track. Now I use the beersmith mobile app for my brew sessions. I export my recipe to cloud and all my brew data is in my pocket on brewday. The timers reliable and I can be alerted to additions wherever I am. That way it's easier to plan a recipe on the PC instead of reprogramming a timer every time I brew.

Not trying to rain on your parade, just my opinion. Keen to see where you go with this and any progress you make.

 

[mr_wibble]

Arduino, couple of digital temperature sensors (DS18B20), 16x2 LCD display, buzzer, maybe a pot' to set the timer interval.
Power supply, case, etc. Bit of programming. Maybe a real-time clock would be a nice addition.

Sort of a "brewing dashboard", I like the idea.

Could add some alam LEDs too. Can't have too many LEDs

Doesn't sound too complex. The kids in my after-school electronics class have built this sort of thing. (LCD with temp graph, etc.)