ThePell
Active Member
A friend sent me this link today. Someone has built a sensor that will measure the bubbles escaping the airlock.
http://alternet.us.com/?p=1388
http://alternet.us.com/?p=1388
Now if he invented something that could digitally track gravity changes, THAT would be usefull.
It's moronic to say that the device is useless. In the vast majority of cases, it would have at least some value indicating the status of a fermentation.
I've read several times that fermentation isn't directly related to bubbles, but I'm finding it hard to get my head around it. If a yeast eats a sugar, and makes an alcohol, is it possible that it does not make a CO2? How else is it possible to ferment without bubbles?
It's moronic to say that the device is useless. In the vast majority of cases, it would have at least some value indicating the status of a fermentation.
One of my favorite pictures ever!
Anybody ever tried to put a sightglass in the side of a fermentation bucket wide enough for a hydrometer, and place a cap on the top? Wouldn't work with a carboy, obviously, unless you are brave enough to drill glass. Then you could see in real time what the gravity is without taking a sample, etc.
I see a couple problems with this, like how different the gravity is in the tube compared to the rest of the bucket, but it's still kind of a funny idea.
Yeah, I think it would be too much trouble to even mess with. It would also probably cut the number of new posts in half here if people could simply look at the fermenter and tell what was happening with the gravity...
yeah, great, then instead of walking to the garage to pop the lid on my ferm freezer 8 times a day just to my beers work a little I can stare 18 hours a day at a miniscule change in gravity reading on my laptop screen. This hobby takes up so much time already.
really, the best idea would be to set up an old smart phone to read miniature qr codes printed on the hydrometer as it passes by a small viewing window, which would then be sent to a computer controlled wall mounted scrolling marquis screen displaying the constant gravity readings. I could put it in my living room above the tv.
:rockin:
But bubbles really mean nothing. And some fermenters never bubble. And even if an airlock stops bubbling it doesn't mean fermentation is finished. So it's really useless.
All that work on programming something that means nothing.
It's cute, but useless in reality.
Now if he invented something that could digitally track gravity changes, THAT would be useful.
How can you say that? when the bubbles slow, it indicates slowed fermentation and it's time to take a reading. I measure with a stop watch to get a feel for how far along the beer is and it's boring. It'd be nice if you can check digitally how often it's been bubbling. You could easily check to see when peak fermentations occur for more accurate timing when switching to secondary. Does look like a bit of work though...
All in all awesome ingenuity. Good find.
Not a fermentation monitor, but I have built a system that monitors temperature, and it surely could reside in a tiny browser window in the corner of your PC if you wish...
I wonder if there is any kind of sensor for detecting alcohol content in liquids...
Homercidal,
Pics of said temperature monitoring device? I hate this forum, always some sweet DIY project I find myself getting excited about!
Sounds like we need to make a prototype... Can someone program this into a Windows "gadget" on the desktop screen so I can monitor it continuously... A little live video and a readout of the actual value? I think there needs to be some sort of laser adapted into this build too...
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