PID question.

[Banshee]

I am looking for a unit which I can programme to do step mashing, stepping up automatically.

I want to wake up with water in system already at strike temperature, add malts then hit the ok button and go through a programed step mash schedule. Also alerts me when the process is finished and waiting a sparge.

Would I be correct in thinking that an Auberins ramp/soak pid will do such a thing???

 

[brzt6060]

An arduino or raspberry PI plus a relay board could do the job with a little effort.

 

[lael]

Look up the brauduino buy thread

Full disclosure: I'm the guy organising it all. That said - a friend borrowed the new controller to test it and now wants to upgrade from his old controller... It's awesome.

 

[TSMill]

And yes you are also correct assuming an auberins with ramp/soak can achieve what you want.

 

[fraser_john]

I am looking for a unit which I can programme to do step mashing, stepping up automatically.

I want to wake up with water in system already at strike temperature, add malts then hit the ok button and go through a programed step mash schedule. Also alerts me when the process is finished and waiting a sparge.

Would I be correct in thinking that an Auberins ramp/soak pid will do such a thing???

Yes, this is what I use the Auberins Ramp/Soak. I have a $5 electric timer that turns on at 6am, I set the PID to the step I want it to start at the night before (there are thirty programmable steps, enough for three or four mash programs). It turns on at 6am, starts at say step 8, my PILS program and when I come down at 6:30am or thereabouts, it is at dough in temp of 52c, in HOLD mode. I dough in, press the button (RUN) and off it goes. Come back down at around 9am and the mash is done and sitting at 77c.

 

[Yob]

THIS is the one Ive been looking at, QLDKev linked me it some time ago in another PID thread about the place somewhere

 

[fraser_john]

THIS is the one Ive been looking at, QLDKev linked me it some time ago in another PID thread about the place somewhere

Yeah that is the sucker, looks like it has had some minor updates, but that is the one. The 30 steps are excellent and enough room for four programs if you have mash programs of only 2-3 temps, such as dough in, sacch & mash out. I even used to have it programmed with an alarm when mash out was reached, but got tired of the damn buzzing.

Here is a bit of a snapshot of the program "steps", with the columns PID Step, C and t being the actual program in the PID:



<edit, fix table and replace with image>

 

[Yob]

What probe do you use with it mate?

 

[fraser_john]

The RTD one, without it, you cannot use the one decimal place feature from memory.

 

[Banshee]

OK, so today I bought myself an Arduino Uno. I went for this instead of the Auberins because I want it to do quit a bit of thinking and tasks. It will have 3 temp sensors (HLT, MLT and HX). I figure I will have many more questions to come in regard to programing and hardware. So now the fun begins.

 

[TheWiggman]

I'll be watching closely for your build thread Banshee. With many pics.
Good purchase.