BruControl: Brewery control & automation software

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BrunDog said:
So this happened... In my fermenting fridge, I have a wine bottle with a stopper & thermowell with the temp probe is down in the thermowell. Currently it has some drinks (sodas, waters) in it while I do not have a beer fermenting. Somebody (aka one of my kids) knocked the bottle over and didn't bother to stand it up the other day. I fixed it and thought nothing of it. Then I noticed this morning the following temp graph, where the fridge was turning on and off every handful of minutes. I thought something was wrong with the software or interface controller or something, but turns out it was reading correctly... the tip of the temp probe had been pulled to the top of the thermowell as a result of the tip over, so it was reading rapid temp changes as a result (i.e. no damping from the bottle and its fluid). Good thing I saw the graph, else the compressor would have been short-cycling for who knows-how long. Moral of the story... it's good to use the graphical data to demonstrate the history and performance!

View attachment 412049
Click to expand...

yes I rely heavily on mine... I set my chiller to allow a degree window +/- two degrees and I find that with current ambient temps my chiller cycles coolant about every 6 hours to maintain the temps im using vs every 4 hrs when I was lagering at 50
 
BrunDog said:
All kidding aside, this could be done via a script pretty easily! Record the time the output turned off (or on) then the time it turns on again (or off). If that window is short, issue an alarm, which could in turn email you.
Click to expand...

That would be pretty cool, but I think you'd want to build in a minimum delay between compressor cycles to give the system a chance to stabilize.
 
If I understand you correctly, the device we recommend be used to control compressors is 'Hysteresis'. It has a property called "On Delay", which limits the time the output can be turned on after it was turned off. I have this one set to 3 mins, 5 secs (because another on this same circuit is set to 3 mins).

Hysteresis2.png
 
Not a ton to see WRT BruControl specifically, but I did pick up one of the mini-pc's off of Amazon to run BruControl on and thought I'd post my initial impressions and a couple pics of the temporary setup.

Basically, impressions are great. I just went with the 2gb Ram $99 version so as expected it is not the fastest thing in the world (the 4gb Ram version is $149). I ordered it via Prime and had it in two days.

I am just going to run BruControl, Beersmith, Office (really only Excel though), and the internet on it so it is perfect for those needs. I have been using it for about 6 days, and so far really impressed. All of those programs are all installed and running at the moment too. Really love the small form factor and quiet operation. Would have loved an additional USB or two, but that is a small nit pick, and easily remedied. I already had an extra wireless mouse/keyboard setup and for the monitor I found a 32" (bigger than I realized!) HDTV I picked up for $50 from the local Hotel furniture outlet in town. Add that all up, and so far seems hard to argue with.

So in short, if you are trying to figure out what you want to use to run BruControl, this mini-pc seems like a very nice solution.

Oh, and a couple pics-- this is just for testing purposes, it will look much different when the build is complete.

pic-1-68356.jpg

pic-2-68357.jpg
 
Pretty sweet @cyberpacker! More pics when you can!

In other Friday news, we have been updating the firmware to work with the Arduino Primo... and I have to say this is a pretty sweet ride. Wi-Fi is configured via a Web Panel and has proven reliable so far. It has Bluetooth LE too, so we've integrated TILT reading. Therefore this board will make for a very nice fermentation controller for those going wireless!

Here is the diagnostic of BruControl reading TILT values. Note the temp is 83 and SG is 1.056 (its not really in beer!).
Tiltcoming.png

Here is the web panel for setting up the network configuration:
PrimoPanel.png
 
Brucontrol seems to be just what I am looking for. I am in the process of sourcing parts for my new control panel. I was originally going with the Brewtroller and trying to turn it into something like what you have created. This looks great! I am pretty excited that most of the what I wanted to do has already been done in Brucontrol. Too bad I didn't see this before I purchased Brewtroller and 3 RGBIO boards. Don't get me wrong, I think what they were able to accomplish with just that board was pretty impressive. I am hoping to sell it and buy this. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=635064
I have a question? Will this terminal block shield work with a ethernet shield and Brucontrol? Thanks, keep up the great work! https://www.amazon.com/WINGONEER-Prototype-Terminal-Shield-Arduino/dp/B01N2N7LZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505109510&sr=1-1&keywords=arduino+mega+screw+shield
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi, thanks for the complements!

I haven't tested that shield specifically but I think it will work. You will need to add a 2x3 header to allow an Ethernet shield to work. This is the same with the Electronics Salon boards. Why neither includes it is beyond me. The header pins must be as long or longer than the existing pins. I recommend a 15mm pin at least to match.

I am going to post up a demo how to assemble one of these boards.
 
I am in the process of locating a source for my valves. And I had a a few questions:
1. Which wiring do you recommend for the 2 -way and 3-way valves CR03-02?
2. Should I get 5 wire valves for the proportional valves, and what wiring scheme?

Thanks for all your help!

Also as I am building the system for the Brucontrol, I wanted to use my notebook for testing. Can I later transfer the license to my server? And or course delete from my notebook.

plumbing diagram.jpg
 
BrunDog said:
Yes, correct. But the header is not included or assembled.
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand that in order to add the Ethernet shield. I was just explaining why I was asking about the part I found on Amazon. I was curios about it because it was mostly pre-assembled and could save me some soldering.
 
Kmo4040 said:
I am in the process of locating a source for my valves. And I had a a few questions:
1. Which wiring do you recommend for the 2 -way and 3-way valves CR03-02?
2. Should I get 5 wire valves for the proportional valves, and what wiring scheme?

Thanks for all your help!

Also as I am building the system for the Brucontrol, I wanted to use my notebook for testing. Can I later transfer the license to my server? And or course delete from my notebook.
Click to expand...


Regarding 2/3 way valves, you can use whatever wiring you are comfortable with. The relay boards pretty much all have SPDT design, meaning the have a common and both normally closed and open contacts. CR03 receives full time positive and ground voltage signals, then receives a positive voltage in the third wire to open. So this is a very efficient design with respect to wiring. These valves tend to draw power at all times, so just make sure your power supply has enough current to manage them all.

Regarding proportional valves, the ones I typically see are 3 wire: positive, ground, and signal. Some have feedback on other wires but I don't think you need it. If you have a link I can take a look. If you PM me your email I will send you the data sheets and info on the valves I have used successfully.

Regarding license transfer... yes, no problem. Just shoot us an email and we will give you a second license for a while to get up and running, then close the other.
 
Brundog any thoughts regarding my previous post about which valve wiring scheme I should get. Sorry to be a bother, but I am unsure of the best route for the BruControl.
 
Hi all,

I just created the first of some example "Universal" Schematics that builders can use to create their complete control panels. I just put up some for fermenters - brewery is on its way. Link is here but below is the same pics: http://brucontrol.com/build/schematics/. I plan to build one and document the build. These use the Arduino Primo, which is brand-new, but I like the combo of WiFi and BT for TILT data capture.

View attachment Universal Fermenter - Thermistor Probes.pdf

View attachment Universal Fermenter - 1-Wire Probes.pdf
 
Just a heads up that both of the links on your website point to the same file.
 
I finally got my chiller wired up to be controlled by brucontrol so I can easily turn the chiller temp up or down depending on use as well as see how quickly the jackets use brings the temp up and causes the chiller to cycle...

Ignore the fact that the readouts dont all make sense. I'm currently not fermenting and just snapped the pic after a reboot.. (the chiller been off for almost 24 hrs)

The images in the display also make some of the text hard to read in the pic...

Are you still working on transparency for the images Brundog?

I did have to switch from a 1 wire temp probe for the chiller temp to the thermister type because I could not sort of the noise or possible ground loop that caused the sensor to go whacky as soon as the chiller cycled up... the thermistor readout doesn't even flinch however.

I also added fermenter scripts to control fermentation ramping and crashing schedules.

IMG_20170914_114549926[1].jpg
 
Hi AD... the application does not have transparency in the elements, but it is something we are working on adding. However, in the meantime, you can make your images semi-transparent (or just a different color) in an external image editor (I use Gimp). Your images are fairly intense, so they overwhelm the text a bit.

I personally use a semi-transparent color for the Value field, creating a "bar" across which increases contrast:
Fridge.png
 
For the Sherlock Holmes types... what hap'd? Hint: both are powered via the same controller.

Notes: the Dispenser bump 8:00am is the freezer's defrost timer kicking on - this is normal. Blue is temperature and Orange is freezer power on/off.

Refrigeration Gone Wrong.png
 
The transparency is working good to make mine easier to read im glad to say. I am having some issues with my fermentation ramping script.
 
The script should be working fine, per my test. That said, I did make an edit which makes it better I think. I added a timer reset after the wait period and deleted the 10 second sleep at the end. Doing this makes it easier to set different time periods for the next temps. Here is the updated script:

Code: 
[start]
"Fermenter Temp" Enabled = true			// enables fermenter temp sensor device
"Fermenter Control" Enabled = true		// enables fermenter hysteresis device
new value daycounter				// creates a new variable named daycounter
reset "Refrigeration Timer"			// reset the timer (to its default of 0:00:00)
start "Refrigeration Timer"			// start the timer running
daycounter = 0					// set the variable daycounter to zero
"Fermenter Control" Target = 63			// set the starting fermentation temperature

[loop]
wait "Refrigeration Timer" Value >= 23:59:55	// wait for a day to elapse
reset "Refrigeration Timer"			// reset the timer (to default of 0:00:00)
daycounter += 1					// increase the variable daycounter by 1
if daycounter == 7				// if the 7th day, change the fermentation temp
	"Fermenter Control" Target = 65		// increase for diacetyl rest
endif
if daycounter == 8				// if the 8th day, change the fermentation temp
	"Fermenter Control" Target = 67		// increase for diacetyl rest
endif
if daycounter == 9				// if the 9th day, change the fermentation temp
	"Fermenter Control" Target = 69		// increase for diacetyl rest
endif
if daycounter == 14				// if the 14th day, change the fermentation temp
	"Fermenter Control" Target = 33		// decrease for cold crash
endif
goto loop
 
While I am here, I might as well comment on the above graphs.

The controller power failed at around 3:45pm (actually the GFI outlet in the garage where the controller is plugged in popped due to a water leak I have had on occasion on an outside outlet). So even though the dispenser power was being called ON, it wasn't actually cooling. The fermenter turned ON right before 4:00pm, but as you can see it didn't cool either. When the power came on at around 5:30, the compressors actually powered on and started cooling.

Because the controller has a Li-Po battery attached to the microcontroller interface, it kept running and sending data. When the script triggered an alarm (received an alarm email), I investigated and found this problem. See... automation can be a good thing!
 
Maybe i skipped over it in here somewhere but is the end user able to change the background graphic also? i saw the last part about overlay transparency. I apologize if i skipped over it.

Example use an actual picture of each of my vessels as the background for the heating elements or displayed temps in those vessels.
 
Where would you recommend getting the mega 2560? I think adafruit shows it as being discontinued.
 
Get it on Amazon or eBay. These boards are open source - and I think Adafruit (and I am a big fan of theirs) is in a bit of a huff with the Arduino companies (was one, then two, now one again) over some of their open source designs not being open source.

Only issue is some manufacturers take license with the open source design (pun intended), and change some of the chips, most frequently the USB host chip. Both work fine but I have found less issue from those with ATMega chips. This board has it and works well: http://a.co/fBEdVry
 
Jkpatton said:
So you wouldn't be concerned with getting an actual Italian arduino board?
Click to expand...

I use $12 clones for both my brucontrol controlled megas... zero issues once I found the correct usb driver as Brundog mentioned... the genuine boards should work just as well but will be easier to install the drivers for since you can use the ones in the arduino software package.

the drivers you need for the clones are "CH341ser" I have them but cant seem to attach them here... found them with a quick google search.
 
I've had mixed results with the Chinese megas and shields. After a few DOA, I've got them set up and working controlling the brewery as well as glycol control for the fermenters. Note, this is a manufacturing issue, not brucontrol. Been very pleased with the system, controls, and stability once it was set up.
 
Thanks @ryanrates. No doubt there are some bad ones out there. I have personally had good success with the one I linked, though in truth, there is no guarantee you would receive the exact same board when you order it. But for ~$15 and good customer service from Amazon, it's tough to get burned.

Dirty little secret: I have about 20 boards on my desk. I would like to more heavily recommend some other models to replace the MEGA (just newer tech), but the one thing that makes it hard to do so is the loss of 5V compatibility. Relay boards are fine (SSR or electromechanical), but many analog devices will need additional circuitry. For example, analog out devices which put out 0-5V will need resistors to voltage divide down. Analog input devices which accept 0-5V or 0.5 - 4.5V could never get it without some op-amp circuitry, which is no big deal, but extra hardware nonetheless. So the MEGA remains a great option. I know an n=1 is not a large sample, but the one in my brewery has been ROCK solid, plus given the MEGA's availability and cost, I am hesitant to say we should use different boards. I like the new Primo for fermentation control, but the Adafruit Feather is awesome also. In time, in time. One of the best realities is since none of this is proprietary, we have many long runways to work with.
 
Brundog,

I'm pretty much sold on buying Brucontrol, but I have a few questions:

1. If I bought the basic version, and then later decided to upgrade to the advanced version, could that be done via an upgrade fee or would I have to buy the full advanced version?

2. If I communicate with the Arduino via USB, can I also install a wifi shield that would allow me to view things like fermenter temperature probes over my network? I mainly would like to view a web page on a mobile device that shows my fermenter temperatures and heating/cooling status. This would be independent of BruControl - talking directly to the Arudino for status; no control. Given time to learn, I expect I could code the web page.

3. On page 75 of the BruControl manual (thanks for making that available, btw!) you have a chart showing the I/O capabilities of different boards; for most you show the maximum # of RTD sensors is 4. Does that mean if I want more than 4 temperature probes, I have to go with thermistors or One Wire? I'd like to have 6 on my brewing rig, and 2+ on my fermenters. The Mega has 16 analog inputs; why limit the # of RTD's to 4?

4. For the Adafruit flow meter, does that connect to an analog input, or digital? From reading the description, it looks like the sensor sends pulses, and the processor counts the pulses to determine flow.

5. Also for the flow meter, how good is it at low flow rates? The specs says it's sensing range is 1-30 liters/min - if I lauter at 1 qt/min, will it be accurate enough?

Thanks!
 
Hi @Wizard_of_Frobozz,

1. No, just the upgrade. We’re not uncool like that!

2. The upcoming v42 of the firmware will allow simultaneous network and serial communication. So yes, this can be done. We don’t publish the protocol but I can work with you to pull out the data you want.

3. We could technically do more RTDs - it just limits the amount of available I/O remaining. We have been contemplating bumping the number. RTDs are not measured by the interface’s analog input - their impedance changes are too small for these ADC’s to work properly, so you need to add the RTD amplifier boards (see the Order Lists on the website). We make a platform that allows for easy mounting of 4 amplifiers. You could use two of these to get to 8. That said, I think RTDs are a bit overkill for fermenters, but that’s your call. We did put a RTD / Thermistor / 1-wire comparison online for your reference.

5. Assuming you are talking about the adafruit FM, which is sold by many online retailers, I don’t honestly think the unit is accurate linearly across that range. It’s not horribly off though in my testing. The key is to calibrate it, especially at the 1 qpm rate. If it’s off, it doesn’t really matter anyway - you likely wouldn’t sweat the difference between 12 and 13 qpm at the higher rates. Heck even if it’s off around the 1 qpm rate, the sparge will still work well! If you want a good FM, the exist, just be prepared to pay. This little FM, for $15, has been the steal of the century in my mind. I keep beating on it (brews with rogue bits of grain and hot PBW cleaning sessions) but it keeps cranking away.

Hope that helps!
 
Thanks as always for the prompt and detailed responses!

BrunDog said:
1. No, just the upgrade. We’re not uncool like that!
Click to expand...
Excellent! I figured that was the case, but I didn't see that option anywhere on the website. Of course, I have been known to miss the obvious...

2. The upcoming v42 of the firmware will allow simultaneous network and serial communication. So yes, this can be done. We don’t publish the protocol but I can work with you to pull out the data you want.
Click to expand...
Good to hear. I actually don't NEED simultaneous communication, but won't complain if it's there. My brew space is currently under construction out in my pole barn; sure will be nice to be able to check fermenter status without having to trudge out there. Knowing that this is coming helps me decide which screw shield to buy, since I'll want the wi-fi shield.

3. We could technically do more RTDs - it just limits the amount of available I/O remaining. We have been contemplating bumping the number. RTDs are not measured by the interface’s analog input - their impedance changes are too small for these ADC’s to work properly, so you need to add the RTD amplifier boards (see the Order Lists on the website). We make a platform that allows for easy mounting of 4 amplifiers. You could use two of these to get to 8. That said, I think RTDs are a bit overkill for fermenters, but that’s your call. We did put a RTD / Thermistor / 1-wire comparison online for your reference.
Click to expand...
Good; I wasn't sure why the limit of 4 was listed. I have thermisters currently with my BCS based rig, so I'll probably get 1 RTD amplifier board and 1 Thermister board; that will give me 10 total probes, and I'll use the RTD's for the RIMS In & Out, CFC In & Out; the rest will get thermisters. Any issue with that?

5. Assuming you are talking about the adafruit FM, which is sold by many online retailers, I don’t honestly think the unit is accurate linearly across that range. It’s not horribly off though in my testing. The key is to calibrate it, especially at the 1 qpm rate. If it’s off, it doesn’t really matter anyway - you likely wouldn’t sweat the difference between 12 and 13 qpm at the higher rates. Heck even if it’s off around the 1 qpm rate, the sparge will still work well! If you want a good FM, the exist, just be prepared to pay. This little FM, for $15, has been the steal of the century in my mind. I keep beating on it (brews with rogue bits of grain and hot PBW cleaning sessions) but it keeps cranking away.
Click to expand...
In general, I have found that my efficiency really drops off if I lauter much faster than 1 qt/min, so ideally I'd like to be able to limit the flow during that step - that's why I'm concerned about the lower flow rate. Of course, BruControl will help me validate that...For what that sensor costs, it's worth trying out; if I can't get the accuracy I want, I can always look for more expensive options, but I probably won't! Grain is cheap, so if I have to sacrifice a little efficiency for a faster brew day and better control, I'll make that trade.

You didn't answer Question #4; any help on this one?:
4. For the Adafruit flow meter, does that connect to an analog input, or digital? From reading the description, it looks like the sensor sends pulses, and the processor counts the pulses to determine flow.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry... that's what I get from working off the phone!

First, regarding #1: It is in the pull-down list, but we need to make that more apparent - thank you for helping us get better!

Regarding #2: I am excited about some boards coming down the pike which have built-in WiFi. The Primo noted above is pretty nice but it has limited I/O. Arduino is trying to sort out the merger, but then these products should make their way out.

Regarding #3: That should be fine!

Regarding #5: I think the word "accuracy" should be ignored in favor of "repeatability". The key is once you calibrate the FM (at, say 1 qpm), it will generally represent 1 qpm very closely going forward.

OK, now #4: The FM is a hall effect type, meaning it generates a square wave pulse with each passing of the paddle wheel (the pulses per volume is published). The interface reads these pulses, performs some averaging over time (definable by you in the BC software), and reports the pulse rate along with the total. Then you convert the pulse rate into volume rate/total in the 'Calibration' tab of the element which represents the FM device. You wire the FM to inputs which are 'C' capable, per the Interface Wiring Map for that interface (see the website at http://brucontrol.com/build/interface-wiring-maps/)

LMK if you have other ? or !
 
BrunDog - Do you have a link for the RTD / Thermistor / 1-wire comparison? I am slowly purchasing items for my RIMS build and I am down to RIMS tube \ heating element, SSR, temp probe, and your software.
 

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