eBIAB using a raspberry pi project

[CMutney]

Hi everyone

I'm starting research on a project I plan to finish in hopefully under a year

I want to build a mash temperature controller to convert my biab into an eBIAB using a raspberry pi (or arduino if it ends up being simpler). I'm going to use this thread both to document my progress as well as looking for advice.

Final product goals:
A mash controller that uses a PID and SSRs to control an element
A closed box, well made with hidden wiring and external connectors
A display (maybe touch) to display and/or interact with mashing
more to come I guess


Components I'm considering to use:
- My raspberry pi 2 that I already own.
- A ds18b20 temperature probe that I will mount in a tee, currently to keep things simple I think I will get this: https://store.brewpi.com/temperature-control/temperature-sensors/threaded-onewire-temperature-sensor
- loads more later?


I'm thinking of trying to get going with something that is already available and currently leaning towards the brewberry but I'm open for any ideas.

I am a software engineer and what really tickles my fancy is tinkering with software/building my own product there or improving existing.

Some ideas I am excited about and would love to implement in the future:
- importing mash profiles from beersmith (if it makes sense) or being able to create a mash profile on my computer and upload on the raspbery.
- Displaying the "intended" mash profile on the display (temp as function of time ofc) of the controller and then plotting the "actual" temperature on top of the profile as I mash.
- These features ofc involve fully automated mash.


A far out there idea of how I would love to see the user interface ending:
- Mash profile uploaded with strike temperature
- Press a button (or touch the screen, whatever way I end with how I'd interact with this)
- Controller starts heating to strike and displays current temperature.
- I take a nap
- Controller heats to strike and regulates temp there and displays that mash is reached.
- Press button again and turn off pump - this should turn off the element completely and display ready to mash
- Insert grain
- Press button again
- Not its displaying the intended mash and starts plotting where it's at.
- Anxiously watch the system for grueling 70 minutes - automation makes everything so simple!
- After mashout (or whatever depending on mash profile) the display goes to "ready to boil" - I guess the element is turned off here again
- Maybe I should have a beeper
- press button or touch screen to start boil - maybe I would continue to recirculate here and have it beep at 95°C or something
- Press button when its boiling to start a timer
- beep at configured hop additions?

Questions:
- So the DS18B20 can be connected directly to the raspberry, right?
- The GPIO controls a transistor which controls the SSR then, right?
- Would you recommend any specific display to go for with the raspberry? I also have a few old laptops which I was thinking of using the display (they are not touch) to start with - but it seems a controller for those come close to a simple TFT 4" touch screen. Any recommendations here?

Edit 1: Alright, been looking into it and seeing as the mashberry is pretty idle and that it is an OS and was developed for the pi 1 I don't see myself being able to use that (without going and getting a pi 1). I think I will go for strangebrew instead as a starting point.

Edit 2: I have found a potential display to use, http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-inch-HDMI...518097?hash=item4aedd1a011:g:vSEAAOSwymxVJfQg

Will probably order it on wednesday if I haven't found anything more tempting. It's nicely cheap, offers the touch option and an adequate size at 5 inches.

Edit 3: pump: http://shop.solarproject.co.uk/cata...id=29&osCsid=3a3090556e7df2f3cc34091d91461754

 

[bbentley40]

I have been working on a RPi project to do similar work on my brew rig. Although, I will admit I have been sidetracked by life and I have not really been able to work on it in a while now. The issue I have had is all the software out there does not seem to work as advertised. I have tried a number of them too. Last one I tried was StrangeBrew, but I didnt have any luck with it either. I am sure it is a configuation issue somewhere along the line, but I have gone round and round trying to configure things. I would be interested to know if you are able to get StrangeBrew up and running and if so does it take any steps that are not outlined in their tutorial.

The setup I am working on is similar to the ideas you have. Except I am still running a gas system so I will have to light the fires when I want to heat Strike/Sparge and Boil water.. I am working on a RIMS tube setup for my MLT though. So once I have things going I should be able to pump the strike water over and push a button and let it recirculate the mash.

 

[Rhumbline]

I have a BrewBoss system. It operates much the same way you describe and it is a huge help in taking some of the drudgery and clock watching out of the brew process.

Based on my experience using it, I'd suggest that you include audible alarms for steps that require your intervention such as turning on/off pumps, opening/closing valves, etc. those are very helpful.

Although the BB allows you to save and load specific mash/brew profiles I've found it's easy and convenient to just have two basic ones. a standard mash and a step mash. the important part is being able to adjust temps and times on the fly as the program is running.

Also, it's a huge help to have it communicate wirelessly with a pad or other device. I can start it and go about my business easily monitoring temps etc.

 

[CMutney]

I have been working on a RPi project to do similar work on my brew rig. Although, I will admit I have been sidetracked by life and I have not really been able to work on it in a while now. The issue I have had is all the software out there does not seem to work as advertised. I have tried a number of them too. Last one I tried was StrangeBrew, but I didnt have any luck with it either. I am sure it is a configuation issue somewhere along the line, but I have gone round and round trying to configure things. I would be interested to know if you are able to get StrangeBrew up and running and if so does it take any steps that are not outlined in their tutorial.

The setup I am working on is similar to the ideas you have. Except I am still running a gas system so I will have to light the fires when I want to heat Strike/Sparge and Boil water.. I am working on a RIMS tube setup for my MLT though. So once I have things going I should be able to pump the strike water over and push a button and let it recirculate the mash.

Yeah I'm gong to have to buy a prototyping board or something to get started with strangebrew, but it really should do most things I've listed. In addition to that strangebrew can theoretically control my pump as well although I'm going to leave that as a feature for later. I'm going to rig up a test in the coming weeks and see if I can at least get reading off the thermal sensor, and then connect a diode as the "element" and see if it does anything.

But I have to say to your question, yes, I'm fairly sure there are steps not listed in the instructions that you "should know", I'm fairly confident in figuring this thing out though. What strangebrew tutorial are you using btw?

 

[bbentley40]

Mainly used the instructions on the github site for SB.

https://github.com/DougEdey/SB_Elsinore_Server

I need to take some time to set things back up and see where I messed up. At this point it might almost be worth formating the SD card and starting over. I was trying to get everything set up for a big brew day where I hoped to use my RIMS, the RPi and all that, but I was also training for my first body building competition at the time so I had no free time and was just trying to force it all together in a rush. I would really rather write all my own software (I am a Software Engineer too) but I never seem to have the time to really sit down and dedicate toward it.

 

[CMutney]

I'm curious, are you using raspbian (is there even another option?)?

Here are instructions which might supplement the ones you have:
https://www.reddit.com/r/StrangeBrew/wiki/installation

 

[bbentley40]

Yes, I am using Raspian. I think there are other options, but I have not really tried any. I will give that link a look. Thinking I will be able to get out in the garage and tinker with it some this weekend.

 

[bbentley40]

Finally had some time to work on my RPi. I ended up formatting my SD card and starting over from scratch. Used the Reddit site for install instructions this time and finally had some success. Like I figured, something I had done in my first setup wasn't right. For now I am just getting things working using and LED to signal when it would turn the SSR on for my RIMS tube and pump. I did have an issue where I could not create a PID using the Temp Trigger. I added the GPIO pin in the setup, but when I go to add a trigger it doesn't do anything. I am sure its something simple I am missing, but I ran out of time to investigate it.

 

[NoH20]

Has anyone looked at loading Windows 10 (for IoT) on there? It's pretty straightforward.

Todd

 

[bbentley40]

Has anyone looked at loading Windows 10 (for IoT) on there? It's pretty straightforward.

Todd

Youre running Win10 on a RPi?

Edit:
Ok.. nevermind.. I had to look up the IoT part. I didn't know this existed.. so now I have something to research instead of working today.. lol

 

[thekraken]

Are you going to be programming your own controller or are you using another project?

 

[restill]

These are all great ideas. I have been wanting to do something similar. I love brewing with my small eBIAB system, that being said, I don't always like to babysit the system. I will use a RPi for some automation of some sort. One thing I have been prototyping is Instapush. I would like the RPi to alert me when something needs done. As long as I have my phone, I can hear the push notification to me saying, 'stir mash', 'mash too cold, starting to heat', 'mash complete'. Even during boiling, 'Add hops'.

 

[burnthesheep]

I have an Arduino Uno that I put on a subpanel with din rail and some wire ducting a while ago. I put it inside an old desktop case and am using its power supply to run it.

I have about 90% of the coding done for my automated batch system for BIAB.

The route I took was writing a very basic HTML page hosted on the Arduino to run the batch. I didn't have cash for a true HMI or any PLC stuff. And a webpage is a free HMI if you already have an Arduino.

The page is set to update every 15 seconds. It has 3 tables: batch status, batch contol, batch setup.

Batch status shows the current step, current temperature and time SP's and PV's and a step description.

The batch control table gives you options to hold a step, skip a step, abort batch, start batch, etc.....

The batch setup table allows me to edit up to 5 different batch steps and enable/disable them. Each step has setpoints for temperature, time, etc...

If you're interested in seeing it, I can post it when I've debugged it and ran it dry without any hardware hooked up.

All I have left is the actual logic to run the batch. That's easy, the hard part was getting the webpage to work properly.

 

[thekraken]

I have an Arduino Uno that I put on a subpanel with din rail and some wire ducting a while ago. I put it inside an old desktop case and am using its power supply to run it.

I have about 90% of the coding done for my automated batch system for BIAB.

The route I took was writing a very basic HTML page hosted on the Arduino to run the batch. I didn't have cash for a true HMI or any PLC stuff. And a webpage is a free HMI if you already have an Arduino.

The page is set to update every 15 seconds. It has 3 tables: batch status, batch contol, batch setup.

Batch status shows the current step, current temperature and time SP's and PV's and a step description.

The batch control table gives you options to hold a step, skip a step, abort batch, start batch, etc.....

The batch setup table allows me to edit up to 5 different batch steps and enable/disable them. Each step has setpoints for temperature, time, etc...

If you're interested in seeing it, I can post it when I've debugged it and ran it dry without any hardware hooked up.

All I have left is the actual logic to run the batch. That's easy, the hard part was getting the webpage to work properly.

I'd be interested to see your code.

I keep my controller logic separate from my GUI, arduino wireless talks to a computer that serves up a GUI webpage. Also, the computer has the room to save a database.

I *might* be converting it all over to an esp8266 sometime this year.