MerryMonk
Member
It would also be nice if it had the ability to monitor more than one beer at a time. So you could just hit a button and scroll through up to say 4 beers at any given time.
Digital Hydrometer
- Thread starter baron
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Sawdustguy
Well-Known Member
Just out of curiousity how much would you pay for such a device?
Sawdustguy
Well-Known Member
For the technology required for such a device, $150 just won't cut it.
mal209
Member
that might not be the case...
use an arduino development board and you could control and interface 15 digital signals for 35$ (cost of board + usb connector to computer interface).
As for the actual measuring, i had a few ideas... ive thought about this extensivly, and i guess the first unknown which my ideas are based off of would be could you assume a sight glass in your fermentor/mash tun/keggle/etc. there are two possible methods you could use. If you had a closed loop sightglass (to prevent oxidation of course) you could simply
a) place a hydrometer in that and just read it....
b) make something hydrometer shaped... maybe a testtube or the like. and place a Potentiometer on the outside of the sightglass. you put something ferrious in the testtube, and as it moved up and down, like a hydrometer, it would electronically register on the potentiometer... an analog version of reading the numbers on the hydrometer.
c) tether a float to the bottom and attach a strain gauge to the line. The strain gauge would register high resistances (when strained) for low SG and low resistances (when un-strained) for high SG. you could place this float in a bracket of some sorts, and you could make it movable instead of permanent mounting. Strain gauges are linear over most of their range, so you would only have to make it sanitary.
B or C could then be interfaced to an arduino and run to a computer and output a CSV file which excel could read. Run a few macro's in excel, and Bamm, for 35$ + either 20$ or 1$ (potentiometer or strain gauges) plus some mounting equipment, you have a modular digital hydrometer that can do easy data logging.
let me know if im missing something and ill go back the the drawing boards.... if not, im gonna try and build one of these after i finish my masters thesis haha...
use an arduino development board and you could control and interface 15 digital signals for 35$ (cost of board + usb connector to computer interface).
As for the actual measuring, i had a few ideas... ive thought about this extensivly, and i guess the first unknown which my ideas are based off of would be could you assume a sight glass in your fermentor/mash tun/keggle/etc. there are two possible methods you could use. If you had a closed loop sightglass (to prevent oxidation of course) you could simply
a) place a hydrometer in that and just read it....
b) make something hydrometer shaped... maybe a testtube or the like. and place a Potentiometer on the outside of the sightglass. you put something ferrious in the testtube, and as it moved up and down, like a hydrometer, it would electronically register on the potentiometer... an analog version of reading the numbers on the hydrometer.
c) tether a float to the bottom and attach a strain gauge to the line. The strain gauge would register high resistances (when strained) for low SG and low resistances (when un-strained) for high SG. you could place this float in a bracket of some sorts, and you could make it movable instead of permanent mounting. Strain gauges are linear over most of their range, so you would only have to make it sanitary.
B or C could then be interfaced to an arduino and run to a computer and output a CSV file which excel could read. Run a few macro's in excel, and Bamm, for 35$ + either 20$ or 1$ (potentiometer or strain gauges) plus some mounting equipment, you have a modular digital hydrometer that can do easy data logging.
let me know if im missing something and ill go back the the drawing boards.... if not, im gonna try and build one of these after i finish my masters thesis haha...
bricklayer38
Member
I am new to homebrewing. On Sunday I broke my hyrometer and cut my hand, blood everywhere, pretty nasty. I googled hydrometer and this thread popped up. I would gladly pay to have something safer and easier to read. Baron, Any progress on this?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
camiller
Well-Known Member
Don't know if Baron has pursued this but do a search on refractometer for something that is safer and pretty easy to read.
smmcdermott
Well-Known Member
I too would be interested in this, more of a simple one for me, but it seems like there is no progress. Let us know what the deal is...
bricklayer38
Member
Cool, I will check out the refractometer idea. Also, I found this website -sounds like exactly what I want. Anybody know anything about this?
http://fermonitor.com
http://fermonitor.com
Sawdustguy
Well-Known Member
It looks like someone came up with a sensor back in 1990 but nothing ever came of it:
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 90 10:21:10 PDT
From: c9a-aa at dorothy.Berkeley.EDU (Todd Matson)
I submitted this file a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think it was
ever posted. I have talked to some large brewers, and they have been
responsive, but I am having trouble getting feedback from home
brewers. If you can not post it for some reason, please send me a note.
Subject: Digital Hydrometer
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a small, inexpensive sensor that
can measure the density of a liquid. I have learned that such a device
would be useful for home brewers to measure the specific gravity of a
fermenting wort or must. If home brewers are responsive, my group would
consider producing a digital density sensor and marketing it through home
brew shops and clubs.
The hydrometer will consist of a small box with a digital display that
contains the necessary electronics. A switch will select the active sensor
(the hydrometer will accept input from as many as four sensors). Each sensor
will be the size of a toothpaste cap and will be attached to one end of a
six foot wire (the other end of the wire will plug into the box). The wire
will be inserted into the carboy through the stopper. The sensor will remain
in the brew throughout fermentation and the display will be updated
continuously. Thus, measuring the density will be convenient and will
introduce no risk of infection. We anticipate that the hydrometer will be
sold with one sensor, and that additional sensors will be sold separately.
I would like some feedback: Are people interested in a digital hydrometer?
If so, please give me an idea of what you would pay for such a device. If I
get a good response from home brewers, my colleagues and I will certainly
proceed with the project.
Todd Matson / c9a-aa at dorothy.berkeley.edu
Date: Thu, 5 Apr 90 10:21:10 PDT
From: c9a-aa at dorothy.Berkeley.EDU (Todd Matson)
I submitted this file a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think it was
ever posted. I have talked to some large brewers, and they have been
responsive, but I am having trouble getting feedback from home
brewers. If you can not post it for some reason, please send me a note.
Subject: Digital Hydrometer
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a small, inexpensive sensor that
can measure the density of a liquid. I have learned that such a device
would be useful for home brewers to measure the specific gravity of a
fermenting wort or must. If home brewers are responsive, my group would
consider producing a digital density sensor and marketing it through home
brew shops and clubs.
The hydrometer will consist of a small box with a digital display that
contains the necessary electronics. A switch will select the active sensor
(the hydrometer will accept input from as many as four sensors). Each sensor
will be the size of a toothpaste cap and will be attached to one end of a
six foot wire (the other end of the wire will plug into the box). The wire
will be inserted into the carboy through the stopper. The sensor will remain
in the brew throughout fermentation and the display will be updated
continuously. Thus, measuring the density will be convenient and will
introduce no risk of infection. We anticipate that the hydrometer will be
sold with one sensor, and that additional sensors will be sold separately.
I would like some feedback: Are people interested in a digital hydrometer?
If so, please give me an idea of what you would pay for such a device. If I
get a good response from home brewers, my colleagues and I will certainly
proceed with the project.
Todd Matson / c9a-aa at dorothy.berkeley.edu
dozer4412
Well-Known Member
I really hope something comes of this. Some really cool monitoring could be done if this product does what its claiming to.
Have you tried to contact Todd Matson? That thing sounds *awesome*.
dozer4412
Well-Known Member
Looks like this would do the trick. Problem is I'm sure it's pricey. Would be nice to find just the raw sensor off something like Digikey and make a DYI sensor or logger with an micro-controller. I was unable to find anything, but didn't spend long looking.
http://www.densityanalytics.com/
http://www.densityanalytics.com/
camiller
Well-Known Member
He is a member here. Here is a thread with an update as of yesterday.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/fermonitor-lives-93194/
Erroneous
Well-Known Member
Really sorry to bring up an old thread but since I can't seem to find any recent news on Fermonitor, looking at the description for
it seems that this is just a cylinder (probably sealed) with a hall sensor on one end, float on the other and spring between them. Or a float on top, weight on bottom and spring in the middle. Calibrate the float/weight and spring well enough and you have a simple digital hydrometer. Anyone try this or something similar?
it seems that this is just a cylinder (probably sealed) with a hall sensor on one end, float on the other and spring between them. Or a float on top, weight on bottom and spring in the middle. Calibrate the float/weight and spring well enough and you have a simple digital hydrometer. Anyone try this or something similar?
I will be working on a project for school that will include a data logging digital hydrometer. My current plan is to use a stainless steel object of known weight and volume immersed in the beer, and attached to a strain gauge. Using Archimede's Principle the density of the beer can be calculated based on the weight of the object in beer. Whether or not this works will depend greatly on the sensitivity of available affordable strain gauges (or whatever else I may be able to use to measure weight). I've gone through a number of different ways to approach the problem of automatically measuring SG over time while collecting data, and this seems to be the best approach thus far.
It will be a while before I have any more concrete information on the project, so don't get your hopes up yet! :cross:
russellqwerty
Member
Keep us posted on that
What about using a digital refractometer sensor? I am very happy with my Milwaukee digital refractometer (~$110) and would be even more happy if the sensor was in my conical and connected to somthing like my BCS460 controller for monitoring, logging and control.
This would allow me to monitor fermentation temp and gravity remotely. :rockin:
I'd see paying $150 - $200 for a probe that could be mounted in my conical and interface with the BCS controller.
http://www.milwaukeetesters.com/MA871.html
http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/
The magic is in making the probe affordable, all the other jive is already done.
This would allow me to monitor fermentation temp and gravity remotely. :rockin:
I'd see paying $150 - $200 for a probe that could be mounted in my conical and interface with the BCS controller.
http://www.milwaukeetesters.com/MA871.html
http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/
The magic is in making the probe affordable, all the other jive is already done.
LordUlrich
Well-Known Member
I have been working on something very similar for a brewery automation project (because i can, and like to learn)
So far I have run some calculations for using copper pipe for a weight, and low cost hanging scale (stripping the sensor out) would give me reasonable accuracy (0.01 SG), at this point i am looking at using it in the boil kettle to set boil off to hit my OG....i have yet to find a way to compensate for the bubbles though i have a work around for my situation.
I was looking at <$50 for the sensor, and everything else will tie into my control system (embedded ardunio thing)
russellqwerty
Member
I'm also workign on an embedded sensor to use with an arduino. Likewise, I want it to be a cheap way < 50 to do so. There should probably be a new thread on this to reduce redundancy
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/digitial-hydrometer-sensor-267405/
Will do. I hadn't planned on posting anything until I had something more concrete other than some math and an idea that it "should work", but then this thread was revived. After all, my idea may end up as vaporware just like so many of these plans.
I am both a brewer and a winemaker. I'd like to find a way to get SG data into my PC every 30 minutes during fermentation. This would have lots of advantages in wine making. Automating and logging the samples is straightforward. Where I am stuck is in finding a low cost way to obtain the SG data in some type of electronic form. I see expensive systems out there, but if I can figure out how to collect the SG information, designing/building the rest of it should be easy. Does anybody know if a specific gravity "sensor" exists?
jpalarchio
Well-Known Member
Look into the "Brew Bug"; it seems to be designed to just that. Doesn't appeared to be fully released to production yet but it might give you some ideas if you're looking to come up with something of your own.
The way I imagine this working best is not actually a SG sensor but rather a floating hydrometer of sorts that is electronically measured. Determining the distance of the hydrometer above/below the liquid line should be achievable.
Mrcrowley269
Well-Known Member
I am very interested...this would be a great tool. Am going to check into the brew bug as well.
Got a link for that, all I can find on google is people talking about being bit by the brew bug!
Interesting idea. But, I take samples to not only check the gravity, but to taste my product as well. Now if a digital taster could be developed, and the flavors downloaded directly into my brain, sampling my beer may become a thing of the past.
thyirishmen
Well-Known Member
Def interested!
jpalarchio
Well-Known Member
Sorry, guess it would have helped if I gave the right name: "The Beer Bug".
Either way, information still seems a bit scarce although the Twitter feed was updated last month.
http://twitter.com/#!/theBeerBug (Check the images for some picture of prototypes in action)
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tophmck
Well-Known Member
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The beer bug website finally went live yesterday. Looks like the price point will be $99 for the ThermoBug (temperature only), $119 to test a prototype BeerBug (temperature and specific gravity), and $199 for a production BeerBug. Apparently they're launching a KickStarter page next month (I don't think they've announced yet when they're planning to ship).
