Yeah, I'm a Computer Engineer, too. It's just this BrewTroller looks like a nice little package at a decent price, about half what the BCS cost.
I think the BrewTroller will interface with a PC, I saw mention of an optional USB port. Need to read more on their site. It would be REALLY nice to have a bluetooth or even WiFi option.
By the time you add a lot of the additional sensors and a case and power supply etc, I think the Brewtroller will end up pretty close to the price of a BCS460. There is a USB port option on one of the boards. There are some apps in process by other developers to interface it with your PC for display but I don't know much about them yet.
IMHO it depends on just how much automation you want, how much information you want back from your system and/or how turn-key you want it. The BCS is a much more turn-key application that looks like it would do anything you could need it to do. The Brewtroller takes a lot more work, but will do anything you could imagine or want it to do.
Neither would be a bad choice and both are more economical than the equivalent number of Ranco/Johnson/Love/PID controllers that would be required to get the same functionality.
+1 on figuring out what you want to get out of the system. Both systems will allow you to make beer.
Ultimately I went the BrewTroller route because I really like the open source concept, and the fact that I can literally make it from scratch, including the coding if I wanted to satisfies my "tinkering" needs. In my mind this allows me to very easily expand it to just about anything that I could want it to do.
Building the hardware is the easy part of the last catagory of automation, translation of physical system operations to code is the time consuming part of the build. In the quest for a fully automatic hands off system, the development of the code and monitoring graphics has consumed far more time than the actual construction so far, here is a link to screen shots of the directories of files and icons built so far in this quest Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Phase 2 Brewe....
I'm now the documentation lead at brewtroller. We've got a basic implementation guide and some other docs there, I'm hoping to explain in more detail how you can put one together. Basically, you order a board, temperature sensors, some kinds of temperature wells, some relays, and add it to your existing setup of MLT, HLT, BK etc. You can control either all heating elements, if wanted, or a march pump recirculating through a element heated HLT w/ HEX coil, or a recirc pump through a RIMS setup. Mines one of the easier setups I have two elements that are automated. I have a 1650 watt 120v element in my HLT, and use the brewtroller to keep that (using PID software algorithm) to the right temperature, and I have a HEX coil in it, that I pump my wort from the MLT into the coil w/ the march pump. I still have to manually reconnect all my QD hoses to the right setup in between steps. BUT you can also control solenoid valves to automatically open and close at the right times to make everything hard plumbed. You can also setup pressure sensors to detect volume of liquids transferred, etc. There are a lot of ways to get done, what you want done, how you want it done, and thus, why I think brewtroller is the best bet, you can start simple like I have, and w/ the same control board, add on all kinds of automation. Right now we're also working on a logging feature so you can see things over time, like temperatures etc. In the end, you just need to decide what is the best bet for you.
__________________
~Phil
Fermenting: 10 gals Phil's Phlavorful Brown Ale, 5 gals pLambic in secondary
Kegged: Best Bitters, Peach Mead
Bottled: Pear Mead
Drinking: All of the above :)
I'm now the documentation lead at brewtroller. We've got a basic implementation guide and some other docs there, I'm hoping to explain in more detail how you can put one together. Basically, you order a board, temperature sensors, some kinds of temperature wells, some relays, and add it to your existing setup of MLT, HLT, BK etc. You can control either all heating elements, if wanted, or a march pump recirculating through a element heated HLT w/ HEX coil, or a recirc pump through a RIMS setup. Mines one of the easier setups I have two elements that are automated. I have a 1650 watt 120v element in my HLT, and use the brewtroller to keep that (using PID software algorithm) to the right temperature, and I have a HEX coil in it, that I pump my wort from the MLT into the coil w/ the march pump. I still have to manually reconnect all my QD hoses to the right setup in between steps. BUT you can also control solenoid valves to automatically open and close at the right times to make everything hard plumbed. You can also setup pressure sensors to detect volume of liquids transferred, etc. There are a lot of ways to get done, what you want done, how you want it done, and thus, why I think brewtroller is the best bet, you can start simple like I have, and w/ the same control board, add on all kinds of automation. Right now we're also working on a logging feature so you can see things over time, like temperatures etc. In the end, you just need to decide what is the best bet for you.
So, in place of a PID, I can just plug the SSR that controls my heating elements straight into the BrewTroller? Does it include a RTC and timers?
FWIW, I went with PID's. I deal with programming and systems engineering all day and night sometimes. Brewing is supposed to be relaxing, I don't want to worry about code, interfaces, bugs, etc. on brewday. PIDS are nice and simple and "just work."
Of course, I've been at the programming thing for a while, so I need breaks from it...
Yorg,
Here is the last shot of the system from last R&R trip Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Panels. The touch screen panel is installed and needs OS upgrade before control program will function. After 15 years of brewing there were few challenges left so automation was the next challenge to implement on the one off steam injection Rims system I use. Gathering the hardware took a couple years, construction about 4 months, now the code for automatic operation is nearing completion after starting from minimal knowledge of Java. With evenings and weekend time to fill while away from home it has not been hard to devote time to learning and writing code for this system, a much larger task than first envisioned. With a background in piping and industrial instrumentation this has been an interesting challenge to see how much function can be fit into a 4' X 8' foot print suitable for a garage or shed installation.
Linear Mode
