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I haven't tried it out yet but I have an SSR with a PCM-1 on it which takes a 4-20ma and converts it to the time proportional signal for the SSR. Bought mine off of ebay.... I think the latest version is the PCM-5. The pulsing is a bit slower than I'd prefer, but given the slow time constant...

Click brew software is here: http://lakehouse.altervista.org/brew/Autobrew_R01_b.ckp You'll need to download the free software to view it here...

What is your background? If you have some programming experience, an Arduino/Pi may be the cheapest approach. Otherwise I would recommend a PLC with user friendly software since ladder logic is pretty straightforward to pick up. I'm in process of using a PLC in combination with an arduino...

I used a Direct Logic D0-05 (which i purchased off craigslist for a steal) to upgrade my home heating boiler control, and its a great little PLC. The directsoft programming software is decent but not as user friendly as the automation direct Click PLC. Also directsoft is ~$400 if your program is...

Sweet setup! 1" should be plenty, since I was pushing just under 1gal/hour through a 1/4"hole with a pressure of about 0.05 psi. But anytime you pressurize a vessle you need to have a secondary pressure relief. you could probably use the three quarter inch opening to vent the steam and...

yep, just for reference the max pressure diff in my setup would be 4 "H20 or 0.15psi. This is equivalent to brewing at a slightly lower altitude (~300ft lower).

Of course I'm over thinking this, that's what makes it fun :mug: I use a propane burner so the heat input into the wort can vary a good amount depending on the time of year I brew (I brew in my garage with the door cracked). I tend to have to babysit the burner and make small adjustments...

So I’ve been slowly working proof of concept ideas for my fully automated brew rig and this week I’m tackling how to manage the boil and eliminate boil over. The simple concept is to seal up the boil pot and drill an orifice in the lid as the only outlet for steam to escape. Then measure the...

My Sam Adams clone. I've found more uses for that mullet wig....

I have an omega pcm-1 that I grabbed off of ebay. I think the latest versions are pcm4 or pcm5. The unit attaches to the ssr and takes a 4-20ma input. It outputs a time proportional signal and is used on zero cross ssr's. the switching rate is relatively slow but fine for brewing. I was able to...

Thanks for the info... I did some proof of concept testing last night on reducing noise, but not with boiling yet. Using the regulated CO2 was night and day vs the aquarium pump (as expected), but the bubble side resulted in about 1inH20 of noise. I was able to filter this fairly well, but...

Would small amounts of CO2 being bubbled during the boil impact the flavor/chemistry of the beer? Background: I'm working on some automation and wrote some code for my bubbler level sensor (http://playground.arduino.cc/Main/Waterlevel). After getting it running last night, I'm looking for a...

I'll throw out another option that I'm planning on trying. I'm using 2 parralel solenoid valves with an orifice (small in one and larger in the other)in each line to run a low/med/high heat setup. Once you get to a boil you can run on a the low setting and cycle the other valve to maintain the...

I just added my recipe calculator that I used to keep in a spreadsheet to my new homebrew webapge. Does the basics including IBU's. http://www.neilrobertsbrewery.com (goto "Recipe Builder" page)

You can give mine a try if you like, its what i use for my recipes.. Please shoot me some feedback if you want to see additional functionality or comment on likes/dislikes. Www.neilrobertsbrewery.com Youll want to go to the "recipe builder" page. Its a bit simpler than some (no water calcs...

Thanks for the info, it keeps me from having to reinvent the wheel. Its also been about a decade since I worked as a mech eng and had to size motors/couplings/etc so I'm slightly rusty. Most of what I do now is controls for thermo/fluid systems. my build right now is still all parts, pieces...

Thanks! Looks like I'll pick up that automation direct VFD off of ebay and keep searching for a good deal on a compatible motor. my automation set up is becoming quite a monster of different actuators and sensors. Picked up some pneumatic actuated ball valves, Electric immersion heater for...

Malador digging up an old thread....I was looking to do a same setup as yours. Where did you get the pump head from and did it include all the mounting pieces that you needed. Also do you happen to have the motor shaft info ( dia/length, keyed, flat etc). I found some Automation direct VFDs...

I think the click has the capability to do what you need. One thing to note is that in order to do PID control there are no pre canned function blocks available. Do a Google search search and you'll find several different methods of creating your own PID block as well as simple filtering. I've...

Some of the simpler plc's do have a limited instruction set, but with a bit of creativity its more than enough for brewing. The automation direct click plc is about as cheap as it gets but I can still code up pid loops, feedforward/model predictive control, and some basic filtering despite not...