Fully Automated Brewery Senior Design

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I agree, not everything is simple. And things that appear simple frequently aren't.

I agreed with the rims point. V it is a simple solution, but may require running two hearing elements at the same time, so you can get the sparge water ready.

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Working on the 3D model tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully itll be done by Sunday

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I would say to try to stick with a BeagleBone Black. I posted a thread a while back and wanted to do this but time has held me. It has a LOT of capability on it alone. If its possible to keep it down to one simple system it becomes both more affordable, and looks nice to TI since you would be showing that you can use it for everything. Great going no matter what.
 
Oh, and something like this would be easy for controlling most everything(with proper voltages wired through relay of coarse). The heating elements would need SSR's but this can control your valves, pumps, and most everything else with these. I have the 4 relay version that was 5v and had it connected to my BeagleBone Black and did a quick bonescript to turn them on and off a few times.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057OC66U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
RickH said:
Oh, and something like this would be easy for controlling most everything(with proper voltages wired through relay of coarse). The heating elements would need SSR's but this can control your valves, pumps, and most everything else with these. I have the 4 relay version that was 5v and had it connected to my BeagleBone Black and did a quick bonescript to turn them on and off a few times.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057OC66U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Click to expand...

I'll be printing my own PCB and soldering the relays on myself. I haven't decided if I'm using high power MOSFETs or SSR for controlling different elements. The beaglebone has a very nice ability to MUX analog inputs, something I'm going to abuse to high hell. Thus, to incorporate this and multiple other auxiliary devices, I'll be using a second board

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Last edited by a moderator:
3D mode is completed. Going o upload once I find a freeware program for everyone to use to open it. Its nothing extremely novel, but it has its tweaks

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Attached is my 5th P&ID design. I believe the piping is now correct. I will upload a more detailed image soon complete with heating elements and flow soon. Please excuse the incorrect symbols. This is definitely outside my major lol. Note the hex inside the BK

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1391288580297.jpg
 
Looking for some input gents:

To simplify the CIP process and volume measurements, I'm debating placing the kegs on scales (not directly of course, we'll make it look nice on a wood bench). This would also allow me to use bottom drains for the kettles. In the boil kettle, I'd only use the bottom drain for CIP. I'll have a pickup tube on the side to avoid trub, and allow me to whirlpool. Does anyone have any experience with weighing kegs as a form of 1) measuring volume of water. 2) Matching flow rates during the lautering process. 3) Checking if a keg has emptied its contents.

Second question: Has anyone experimented with an external gas heat exchanger for converting water input to steam, and then recirculating this steam, (or really really hot water) back into the original vessel as a way of bringing the liquid to the set temperature more quickly? This process would be useful mainly for 1) Bringing the kettle to a boil quicker, and 2) bringing the mash up to 176 to halt attenuation.

Thanks,
-JG
 
jgalati said:
Second question: Has anyone experimented with an external gas heat exchanger for converting water input to steam, and then recirculating this steam, (or really really hot water) back into the original vessel as a way of bringing the liquid to the set temperature more quickly? This process would be useful mainly for 1) Bringing the kettle to a boil quicker, and 2) bringing the mash up to 176 to halt attenuation.

Thanks,
-JG
Click to expand...

Talk to kladue.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/phase-2-brewery-build-progress-shots-70821/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/sanchs-official-all-tri-clover-rig-build-242040/
 
jgalati said:
Second question: Has anyone experimented with an external gas heat exchanger for converting water input to steam, and then recirculating this steam, (or really really hot water) back into the original vessel as a way of bringing the liquid to the set temperature more quickly? This process would be useful mainly for 1) Bringing the kettle to a boil quicker, and 2) bringing the mash up to 176 to halt attenuation.
Click to expand...

Like a calandria? An external, steam heated RIMS tube?
 
In both of my steam injection systems, wort is heated by mixing steam into the wort to hit desired leaving temperature for stepping. It is a simple setup that allows for strike water, wort, and sparge water through the same mixer, no plumbing changes during brewing cycle. Temperature control is managed by flash boiler gas flow, more gas = more and hotter steam and higher fluid temperatures, boiler water flow is constant. The wort dilution is handled by using a single container with all brewing water in manual system, and monitoring mash tun level in automated system.
The other system I helped build was Sanch's system in Arizona while I was working on a chipzilla project, it is a copy of the manual steam system with a copper tube boiler.
 
kladue said:
In both of my steam injection systems, wort is heated by mixing steam into the wort to hit desired leaving temperature for stepping. It is a simple setup that allows for strike water, wort, and sparge water through the same mixer, no plumbing changes during brewing cycle. Temperature control is managed by flash boiler gas flow, more gas = more and hotter steam and higher fluid temperatures, boiler water flow is constant. The wort dilution is handled by using a single container with all brewing water in manual system, and monitoring mash tun level in automated system.
The other system I helped build was Sanch's system in Arizona while I was working on a chipzilla project, it is a copy of the manual steam system with a copper tube boiler.
Click to expand...
On average, does diluting your mash really change the final ratio of your water:grain?

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With a 6 gallon batch size, mash stepping adds about 1 quart of water to the mash for a 10 degree step. With the calculations programmed into the automated system, sparge water volume is reset to accommodate the change in mash tun liquid level during stepping to reach needed boil kettle volume. The formulas involved took a bit of time to find, program, and verify through testing. The formulas are all available if you look for them, the challenge is which ones are needed and how to implement them to achieve the desired results.
The Beagle Bone Black platform is a good starting point, add an AMC7812 chip by TI and you would really have something, both analog input and 0-10V analog output for proportional control.
 
UPDATE:

http://www.tescopumps.com/servlet/the-530/March-809-dsh-PL-dsh-HS-12VDC/Detail

I'm going to be using 2 of these bad boys. When taking in the cost of controlling flow rate, given all the options including AC pump, solenoid valves, stepper motor ball valve, DC pump, PWM AC pump, AC 3 tap transformer, FET rectification, generating an AC waveform, etc.

Spending the extra cash on a 12V DC pump really is the cheapest and most reliable way to control flow rate.
 
jgalati said:
UPDATE:

http://www.tescopumps.com/servlet/the-530/March-809-dsh-PL-dsh-HS-12VDC/Detail

I'm going to be using 2 of these bad boys. When taking in the cost of controlling flow rate, given all the options including AC pump, solenoid valves, stepper motor ball valve, DC pump, PWM AC pump, AC 3 tap transformer, FET rectification, generating an AC waveform, etc.

Spending the extra cash on a 12V DC pump really is the cheapest and most reliable way to control flow rate.
Click to expand...

I just picked up a 12v dc pump from solar pumps with stainless connections for 75 bucks. I think the GMP is about half the one you linked to but for 5-10gal batches it's plenty.

That being said though, the solar pumps pumps have soft starts. I'm not sure how well that would jive with PWM.
 
Kegs arrived! I partnered with the local Irish pub here to take all of their decommissioned kegs. In return, I'm designing them a 10 gallon unautomated herms system. Baby steps ya. I'm also going to be experimenting with designs for a water chilled sanke fermenter tower. My hope is to stack of 5 sankes on top of each other and have solenoid valves controlling coolant water. I'm going to install heat exchangers inside the sanke fermenter and use lightbulbs to keep them warm. I haven't seen a sanke fermenter with a heat exchanger inside of it to date so here's hoping it works! Attached some eye candy.

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1393603237469.jpg
 
100' of 304 stainless. Going to use for immersion chiller in boil kettle, hex in hlt, glycol chiller in sanke fermenters, and dip tubes for sanke fermenters. Thickness is .02"

1395775246806.jpg
 
Update: kegs have been cut, parts are coming in Wednesday to be welded. All components (besides valve and pump connections) are tri clove. Welding tri-clove to a stainless pump head wasn't deemed "worth the cost" :p
 
Kegs cut! I'm building a small brewery for a friend as well. Note that all of my vessels are going to be bottom drain. I live in Oregon so using whole hops is a great option for me. I'll be using a false bottom in the boil kettle.

1397054176329.jpg
 
@jgalati said:

Kegs arrived! I partnered with the local Irish pub here to take all of their decommissioned kegs.
Click to expand...

Man I dont want to be a dick but I'm thinking your local didn't get permission from Microstar to decommission their kegs. If you're going to make a serious project out of this, and publish it as such, at least contact Geemacher and become the rightful owner of your cooperage.
 
Well shoot. Thanks for the insight ebstauffer. Don't want to make a bad name for homebrewers. I'll look into it
 
Oh I'm sure homebrewers already have a bad name for nicking kegs! I will admit two of mine came from neighbors who had them in their garages for goodness knows how long. I suppose I could have returned them to their rightful owners (in this case Miller & AB) but wouldn't even know how to go about doing this. Bottom line: Im not judging!!

Eric
 
Kegs are silver soldered. Took a hammer to them and they didn't badge. Copper coils will be drop in to reduce cleaning time. They're both 30' long 1/2" diameter

1399160686271.jpg
 
jgalati... we do admire your passion for brewing/distilling but would really appreciate it if you bought your own kegs. Local bars do not own the kegs they simply pay a deposit to the distributor until they are returned. We spend a lot of money on our kegs and it's disappointing to see them cut up.

Thanks,
MicroStar
 
Hey guys my local pub was obviously wrong. Can you give me a number of a sales rep so I can send microstar a check?
 
A good person to speak with in the office would be Derek V. 303-468-9458. Thank you for your integrity. Would you be able to let me know the name of the bar as well? Seems they might not understand the return process.

thanks
 
Called my pub and he has paid for all the kegs in full a couple months ago. Thanks for your concern guys! I'll call Derek later today.
 
Doubtful. We've never sold any of our kegs... so if they did buy them from someone they purchased stolen property.
 
I'm in the process of moving back as I just graduated. I'll call you guys as soon as I can... Sorry for the wait
 
MicroStarKeg said:
Hey jgalati.... haven't heard from you...
Click to expand...

You're giving yourself a bad name. First and foremost, this guy clearly had no clue that the pub was not permitted to sell or give away the kegs that they essentially rented. According to jgalati he asked the pub and the pub claims they bought them outright. jgalati is not the fish you need to fry, you need to narrow down the pub where he got them from (consider jgalati's location) and find out who is selling off their "rented" kegs. It sounds like jgalati wants to do right but just because he didn't call you right away (he is clearly a senior in college thus the thread), doesn't mean you need to get all up on him here. You need to send him a private message. Right now you just look like you're looking to hang the poor kid for having no clue that he was sold/given something that he wasn't supposed to have.

I for one had no idea that a kicked keg from a pub wasn't fair game. It makes logical sense now that I think about it considering the cost of a sixtel of craft beer at a distributor price, but still.
 
Man, I wish I would have entered my build into my senior design project expo. I just redesigned the campus network, all logical and no physical representation. I'm really liking the plans, keep up the good work!
 
BigTuna said:
Man, I wish I would have entered my build into my senior design project expo. I just redesigned the campus network, all logical and no physical representation. I'm really liking the plans, keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

The only problem I see of just submitting a home brewery as senior design project is to step back and check if any engineering advancement has been made. A group a couple years before me apparently entered:
  • An off the shelf camcorder
  • A of the shelf "endoscope" attachment
  • A larger battery pack
  • A backpack
Through it all together and said they "developed" a "shoulder mounted camera"... needless to say they failed.
I sure their is a lot you can do in a home brewery for a senior project, just don't get caught out by just cobbling already designed items together and saying you "designed" the system. Make sure that you have research, use of the knowledge you have learnt over the last 3-4 years and a pratical product/solution to a real problem.

And Microstar - You have said you piece, made sure everyone has been (re)told that kegs are the property of the brewery (or you in the case of your rented kegs) and that pubs/off-licences do not have the right to sell them. Now you need to talk to jgalati privately so that you can make sure the pub that sold him the kegs knows that.
 

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