HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

[kevink]

Did you try a wired connection to the router to re-establish an address? You should be able to connect to a monitor and re-establish a wifi connection if that's how you were connected.

I just wired the Pi directly to the router and I can see the web interface from a laptop via wifi. I'm still sure how to re-establish the wifi connection. Care to give some details? I would appreciate it!

 

[day_trippr]

On my Wheezy machines I originally used the Wifi management desktop wpa_gui.
My Jessie machine has a "WiFi Networks" desktop gui built in...

Cheers!

 

[kevink]

Unfortunately no adapters or networks are found in "WIFI Config". Any other ideas?

 

[day_trippr]

Well now that's interesting.

Got a Windows system with an available USB receptacle?
Might want to test that dongle...

Cheers!

 

[kevink]

Well now that's interesting.

Got a Windows system with an available USB receptacle?
Might want to test that dongle...

Cheers!

yep, device manger says it's working properly.

 

[Mikmonken]

yep, device manger says it's working properly.

I m thinking it might have something so do with what daytrippr said as I've had a similar problem but identical.

I had bought a cheap wifi dongle for a second RPI and plugged it in to the old RPI to see if it worked. All was ok.

So I did a fresh install of Jessie (at the time) plugged in the new wifi dongle and nothing was detected at all it was very similar to your experience as nothing showed up via the gui under wifi interfaces.

I swapped to in the old wifi dongle and bingo it worked (no idea why) set up wifi dongle using that and now it worked. Swapped the dongles again and it picked up the wifi and started working.

No idea why or what I did and obviously it's different in your circumstances as the only thing that's changed is the router.

I know you've not given your RPI a static IP address but I wonder if you can remember what the IP was can you check on your router to see if anything else is assigned to that address.

It might be possible that the RPI is looking to access its old IP address (mine tend to find one they like and stick to that rather than me having ever assistant a static address) but something has already taken it, and rather than trying to find a new IP address to access it gives up. (Although that would explain it not appearing under the GUI)

Failing that you could back up your SD card and try a fresh install? Using raspbian over noobs only takes about 30mins to get set up and running again.

 

[LBussy]

I did what you recommended, but I still can't see the Pi on Fing. I really thought this is what I needed to do so the Pi could connect to the router, and it probably needed to be done anyway, but no dice. The wifi dongle is not flashing like it used to. It will give a quick, single flash when it's plugged in, but nothing after that. Below is what my screen looked like. Not sure if there are any clues there or not.

You've got a number of networks on there. It's possible it's connecting to the wrong one. Unless you know you need them, I'd delete the others. You can make a copy of that file first so you can revert.

Or do you mean the dongle flashes on one then stays off? If that's it, it suggests the driver is not connecting.

Can you paste in here the contents of your /etc/network/interfaces and the output from running ifconfig?

I can get to the desktop via startx, but still can't get anything to happen with the wifi. It's very possible that I am not trying the right things, though. Any other ideas? Thank god I have some time before the next brew.

Is the WiFi manager not launching?

Might be that the router is not configured to allow 2.4 Ghz connections. IIRC, Raspbian and/or Raspberry Pi will not support 5 Ghz. Do you know one way or another?

 

[Gibberoni]

Hi all,

I really hope that this has not been answer many times, but I have been following this thread for since it started on and off and didnt see this issue (I am sure I just missed it).

Whenever my power goes on and off in the house (they are doing construction near me, so its maybe once a week for a split second) my brewpi ALWAYS loads an old profile during its cold crash, and set the temp to 34 (my cold crash temp) and also loads the old profile. It says my beer has been running for almost 2 years now! Haha.

Is there any way to fix this?

 

[CadiBrewer]

Does this look like a normal graph for a chest freezer with no heater? It goes on and on like this for days.

 

[gromitdj]

My guess is that the beer sensor is not insulated very well. Do you have it in a thermowell?

Edit: Or they are actually switched, because the Fridge temp appears to be pretty stable.

 

[CadiBrewer]

My guess is that the beer sensor is not insulated very well. Do you have it in a thermowell?

Edit: Or they are actually switched, because the Fridge temp appears to be pretty stable.

The beer sensor may not be ideally insulated. I have a couple of paper towels folded over like 10 times and taped to the side of the keg (this is a keezer instance, so no thermowell) and the sensor shoved between the keg and the towel. I'm waiting for some package to arrive that has some closed-cell foam in it so I can velcro that to the keg instead. Maybe that will fix it.

I'm also going to check to make sure I don't have the sensors swapped, because you're right about the chamber temp being more stable and that sensor is just dangling near the side of the chamber.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]I'm also going to check to make sure I don't have the sensors swapped, because you're right about the chamber temp being more stable and that sensor is just dangling near the side of the chamber.

I agree that totally looks like cross-assigned probes...

Cheers!

 

[CadiBrewer]

I agree that totally looks like cross-assigned probes...

Cheers!

So I was going to wait until I got home, pull out the chamber sensor and warm it up to see if it is registered correctly. But I'm sitting in jury duty and figured that I have access to the BrewPi remotely on my laptop, so why not switch the devices and see what happens. How cool is that? I'm thirty miles from my garage and I'm configuring stuff.

Not quite on par with figuring out how to get 'Pints working on Jessie via bluetooth and wifi on the same day, but cool enough for a guy who didn't even own a soldering iron a year ago...

edit: here's the point where they were swapped...

 

[gromitdj]

...here's the point where they were swapped...

I'm pretty sure that was the issue, but I'd give it a couple hours to see how things settle in.

 

[BYOBKC]

a link for security assistance:

http://hackaday.com/2016/09/30/lock-up-your-raspberry-pi-with-help-from-google/

 

[tomcho74]

Can you paste in here the contents of your /etc/network/interfaces and the output from running ifconfig?

I was struggling for hours to figure out why my wifi wouldn't connect until i saw my fat finger

instead of wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf I had
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.confg

So the /etc/network/interfaces couldn't find my supplicant info

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
iface eth0 inet dhcp

allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet static
address 192.168.1.88
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1
dns-nameserver 8.8.8.8
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
iface default inet dhcp

 

[LBussy]

Glad you found it. Those can be a bugger to find.

 

[gueykewl]

Encoder

 

[elmito]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered before but I can't seem to find anything.

Is it possible to add more than 2 fermenters to this set up? Would I just build another arduino with sensors and connect that to the computer or raspberry pi?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CadiBrewer]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered before but I can't seem to find anything.

Is it possible to add more than 2 fermenters to this set up? Would I just build another arduino with sensors and connect that to the computer or raspberry pi?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, and exactly that. You build two or more arduino projects and connect them to one Pi or computer to run all of them. There are detailed instructions on the DIYBrewPi Wikia and earlier in this thread for the files that need editing in the software installation process for getting multiple instances to work. Give the resources a look and then ask any questions here. There are plenty of helpful folks that will provide assistance.

 

[elmito]

Yes, and exactly that. You build two or more arduino projects and connect them to one Pi or computer to run all of them. There are detailed instructions on the DIYBrewPi Wikia and earlier in this thread for the files that need editing in the software installation process for getting multiple instances to work. Give the resources a look and then ask any questions here. There are plenty of helpful folks that will provide assistance.

Thanks for the help!

Is there a a section where I can check out your completed DIY BrewPi's? How are you guys mounting these things? I figure a project box similar to my DIY STC Controller might do the trick. I'll need one hell of a box to run 4 fermenter coolers.

 

[day_trippr]

Sadly, there's no provision for structure on these epic threads.
You just have to pour a tall one and paw through.

fwiw, what I did is to build a handful of "mobile" units with the Uno, a shield with all the extra goodies,
a Sainsmart dual relay module, LCD, rotary encoder, HC-05 Bluetooth radio, a pair of 20A DPDT-center-off switches,
a switchable/fused AC inlet, three mini-XLR 3 pin receptacles, Levitton duplex outlet, and a 9V 1A wall wart with the shell removed.

All crammed into a 7-1/2"w x 2-1/2"h x 4"d plastic case (not recommended )





This shot was before I added the LCD and encoder, which necessitated stripping the shell from that wall wart.



Anyway, each is stationed above its respective charge (two fridges and a cold-season/heat-only fermentation chamber) and communicate via Bluetooth with the RaspberryPi host that lives under my keezer and which also runs my RaspberryPints tap list...

Cheers!

 

[SHvanBommel]

So if I know someone who is starting a brewery and wants to use this software/hardware to run his cellar, does the licensing support it? I haven't been able to find it.

 

[GrogNerd]

my Basque cider ferment graph

It's almost like a reverse PID

not worried... been fermenting a couple weeks, temp was steady for the first week & 1/2. almost certain the cider is maintaining 68° and ±.75° is within my tolerance limit

 

[LBussy]

So if I know someone who is starting a brewery and wants to use this software/hardware to run his cellar, does the licensing support it? I haven't been able to find it.

It's in the source code:

/* Copyright 2012 BrewPi/Elco Jacobs.
 * This file is part of BrewPi.

 * BrewPi is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
 * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
 * (at your option) any later version.

 * BrewPi is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 * GNU General Public License for more details.

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 * along with BrewPi.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */

 

[SHvanBommel]

Thanks, broheem. Couldn't find with stupid phone.

 

[day_trippr]

my Basque cider ferment graph
It's almost like a reverse PID[...]
View attachment 372670

That plot would be more interesting if the fridge temp was displayed...

Cheers!

 

[GrogNerd]

 

[day_trippr]

Yup, something ain't right, way too much overshoot there (relatively speaking).
Are you running a heater as well?

Cheers!

 

[gromitdj]

I don't see any heat cycles on the graph, but maybe it's due to the length of time shown. I'd be curious to know where your Beer probe is placed, and how it is insulated from the ambient fridge temperature.

 

[GrogNerd]

am running a heater, but fridge is in the basement with no A/C. temps are just started to dip below 70

beer probe is hanging inside the cider, no thermowell

 

[augiedoggy]

Quick question and im sorry if this has been asked but ill be reading this thread for days till I get caught up...

I currecntly use a chiller with a common manifold and 24v soleniod valves with dual pole relays to actuivate whatever cooling channel needs to be turned on for one or more of my 4 conicals along with the main chiller coolant pump.
I also use 4 24vdc heating strips wrapped around my conicals.

Im currently using 4 stc1000+ units to control the temps both heating and cooling.

Im considering switching to this brewpi setup for a number of reasons, the engineer in me likes the data logging and I just picked up 4 matching 22" monitors for my brew room for free and would like useful ways to utilize them besides beersmith and pandora or browsing..

Do I actually need 2 temp sensors for each conical? That would require work since I only have one thermowell in each. Or are people stuffing 2 probes in the same thermowell in tandem?

Also I know its likely been mentioned but the prices for the required components has dropped considerably, I priced out a 16 relay control board as well as 4 ardino uno (clones) the raspbery pi 3, all the wiring connectors 10 temp probes and it all comes to just over $100 shipped... the rest of the hardware I can use form my current setup. I have extra pcs but the consensus is its still easier to do with the RP right? im not really big on the software programing end of it.

 

[gromitdj]

am running a heater, but fridge is in the basement with no A/C. temps are just started to dip below 70

beer probe is hanging inside the cider, no thermowell

So it is immersed in the cider? I wonder if the probe is close enough to the surface that it is not insulated from the Ambient fridge well enough. It looks to me that the cider temperature follows the fridge's up/down temps pretty closely. If it were in a thermowell, or on the side of the fermenter and insulated enough, I would expect a more stable beer temp. Have you changed the control parameters?

 

[gromitdj]

I currecntly use a chiller with a common manifold and 24v soleniod valves with dual pole relays to actuivate whatever cooling channel needs to be turned on for one or more of my 4 conicals along with the main chiller coolant pump.
I also use 4 24vdc heating strips wrapped around my conicals.

So you are using a glycol loop for cooling? The BrewPi team is of the belief that it isn't that effective at controlling Glycol setups yet, but some have had good results depending on probe placement. The BrewPi forum has more information, maybe.

Or there is this post by FuzzeWuzze regarding probe placement.

I just did a search for "glycol" within this thread to find that post and it got a few hits.

Do I actually need 2 temp sensors for each conical? That would require work since I only have one thermowell in each. Or are people stuffing 2 probes in the same thermowell in tandem?

You do need 2 sensors per conical in order for the control algorithm to function properly. Only one sensor goes in the thermowell. The other is intended to measure ambient fridge temps. This is where the issues with a glycol loop come into play.

I'm pretty sure someone in this epic thread has used it with a glycol loop. Searching this thread may help. But this thread on the BrewPi forum may help.

 

[wbarber69]

Your fridge temp probe would go to your glycol out at each fermenter. Or somehow between the jacket and fermenter.

 

[LBussy]

One of the more common things I see from folks starting this out is how to give their Pi a static IP address simply so they can get to it internally. I've been advocating the use of the avahi daemon and since it's part of the Rasbian builds now, there's no reason not to continue to advocate it's use. Here's a pretty good article, albeit dated, about it:

http://www.howtogeek.com/167190/how-and-why-to-assign-the-.local-domain-to-your-raspberry-pi/

The only part there that's not current is having to install the daemon; as I said its part of Jessie for sure and I think it is part of Wheezy as well.

These days a Windows machine without Bonjour services is rare, but there's a link in the article for that as well.

 

[GrogNerd]

secure from panic mode; false alarm

seems to have squared away itself

 

[Bigdaddyale]

secure from panic mode; false alarm

seems to have squared away itself

But what happen? Did you leave the fridge door open?

 

[GrogNerd]

But what happen? Did you leave the fridge door open?

no idea what happened and it fixed itself on its own

 

[t1m1]

Hello guys!

I was wondering did you guys try to use this combination offline?

Here is the thing, my "brewery" is on different location from my home and I don't have Internet connection there. I have it at home, of course.

Is it possible to assemble all at home, connect to Internet, "pull" all software and scripts and after that use it offline?

I plan to use my old HP mini notebook with Debian OS installed on it (or it works with another Linux based OS too? windows are installed now) combined with Arduino, early explained in this DIY project?

Looking forward for some suggestions, with best regards to all of you.