HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

jhenry · Sep 22, 2015

AnthonyUK said:
Have you got the probe attached to anything at the moment?
If it is just in air then it will cycle more often then when it has some thermal mass to dampen the rate of change.

Hmm, mine seems to do this too, but my fermentation came out great. I'm wondering what you all attach the fridge probe to while the unit is underway? Beer line probe in the Thermowell and what, fridge probe in a glass of water? Taped to the side wall?

gromitdj · Sep 22, 2015

jhenry said:
Hmm, mine seems to do this too, but my fermentation came out great. I'm wondering what you all attach the fridge probe to while the unit is underway? Beer line probe in the Thermowell and what, fridge probe in a glass of water? Taped to the side wall?

Because the software uses the fridge temp to accurately "learn" your system and control the PID values, I would not insulate (or isolate) the fridge temp sensor. If you do, it may negatively impact the control constants. That's just my (uneducated) guess.

I would (and do) leave the sensor hanging in the open air out of the way

thekraken · Sep 22, 2015

Agreed.

day_trippr · Sep 22, 2015

Yup. You don't want to add thermal mass to slow the response time of the fridge probe, so stick it out in free air where it won't rest against anything...

Cheers!

Bluesfastduce · Sep 22, 2015

Thanks guys going to run my first 2 beers on the chamber this weekend so want to have most of the bugs out.

gezzanet · Sep 23, 2015

+1 Sensor hanging in the breeze is the go

AnthonyUK · Sep 23, 2015

gezzanet said:
+1 Sensor hanging in the breeze is the go

For the fridge sensor.
The beer sensor should be attached to the FV or in a thermowell.

Just added that for clarity

gezzanet · Sep 23, 2015

Bluesfastduce · Sep 24, 2015

Any one know what might cause my chambers temp sensors (beer and refrigerator) to jump up to around the 105 marks. This happens on both probes. But when I open up the chamber its around 50. After I turn it back off the temp drops back down and matches the garage temp around 75.

Guper · Sep 24, 2015

Did you happen to plug the sensors in after the brew pi was already powered on?

Bluesfastduce · Sep 24, 2015

Guper said:
Did you happen to plug the sensors in after the brew pi was already powered on?

I dont think so.

here is what it did last night

virgil1 · Sep 25, 2015

Bluesfastduce said:
I dont think so.

here is what it did last night

Did they work prior? I thought an earlier post you had it all running? Are the resistors in right? I would unplug it all and just hook up one sensor. Make sure that works, then do the next one.

GrogNerd · Sep 25, 2015

Bluesfastduce said:
I dont think so.

here is what it did last night

I would guess you had your heater plugged in the cooling side

virgil1 · Sep 25, 2015

Read every single post over the last several weeks and built my brewPi. Older Raspberry Pi I bought back in October 2013. I had used it for several small projects, nothing perm. though. Bought a Sainsmart Uno and relay on Amazon. Shoved into a tiny black plastic toolbox for now. Using an old 3rd gen iPod as my 'LCD display'. Had it lying around. Its only controlling my newly built keezer right now. Beer probe is the garage temp. Going to use it for Ferm control this weekend(using the keezer for ferm...just going to let the kegs warm up for a few weeks). Thanks to EVERYONE for their hard work. Especially FuzzeWuzze(for starting the thread), Elco(for his amazing work and software), day_trippr for all his amazing help and posts, and wbarber69 for all your smack downs. Good times!

Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 7.01.25 PM.png

Screen Shot 2015-09-25 at 7.10.08 PM.png

Bluesfastduce · Sep 25, 2015

virgil1 said:
Did they work prior? I thought an earlier post you had it all running? Are the resistors in right? I would unplug it all and just hook up one sensor. Make sure that works, then do the next one.

They work when its not running. As soon as I change the mode to running it jumps up. Thanks will give that a try.

GrogNerd said:
I would guess you had your heater plugged in the cooling side

They are hooked up right it was my first though also. Thanks for asking though.

day_trippr · Sep 26, 2015

virgil1 said:
[...]Using an old 3rd gen iPod as my 'LCD display'. Had it lying around.[...]

Cool! How did you make that happen?
What kind of interface does an iPod have?

Cheers! (thanks for the kind words :mug:

)

virgil1 · Sep 26, 2015

day_trippr said:
Cool! How did you make that happen?
What kind of interface does an iPod have?

Cheers! (thanks for the kind words )

I am just using Safari on the wifi. I looked at a couple tips for the php page that people had up to use old phones for the same task. I created my own "touch.php", "touch-panel.php" and "touch_stype.css". The first two were just stripped down from the original php files to almost nothing. The third was only to change the width and height. I load it up in the safari browser on the iPod, and then I zoom in a tiny bit. I have the lock/sleep disabled. So it just stays on all the time. I haven't updated the iPod in quite a while, so the version of Safari for the ipod might be a bit old. It doesn't seem to have any trouble. On ebay, the last one I looked at went for $36.00 with free shipping(I am sure if you were patient, you could do better). I suppose you could use it to play music a the same time

.

Edit: I just saw one on ebay go for $29.00. It was a Gen 2 iPod though, which would work.

day_trippr · Sep 26, 2015

Ah - ok, I know zip about iPods. Along with actual displays, I didn't realize they have network connectivity and can even run web browsers.

The only iPod I've ever had was a first-gen Shuffle.
It has a tiny green led

Cheers!

wbarber69 · Sep 27, 2015

Bluesfastduce said:
They work when its not running. As soon as I change the mode to running it jumps up. Thanks will give that a try.

They are hooked up right it was my first though also. Thanks for asking though.

You need to show pics of your setup. I'd be willing to bet you forgot to cut the tab

Bluesfastduce · Sep 27, 2015

wbarber69 said:
You need to show pics of your setup. I'd be willing to bet you forgot to cut the tab

no tab to cut im wired in did not use plugs

wbarber69 · Sep 27, 2015

Ok so since we can't actually see the build or any kind of schematic then we can't even try to begin to relate to your issue when your question is basically here is a graph of temperature while my system is off, what's wrong?

FuzzeWuzze · Sep 28, 2015

virgil1 said:
Read every single post over the last several weeks and built my brewPi. Older Raspberry Pi I bought back in October 2013. I had used it for several small projects, nothing perm. though. Bought a Sainsmart Uno and relay on Amazon. Shoved into a tiny black plastic toolbox for now. Using an old 3rd gen iPod as my 'LCD display'. Had it lying around. Its only controlling my newly built keezer right now. Beer probe is the garage temp. Going to use it for Ferm control this weekend(using the keezer for ferm...just going to let the kegs warm up for a few weeks). Thanks to EVERYONE for their hard work. Especially FuzzeWuzze(for starting the thread), Elco(for his amazing work and software), day_trippr for all his amazing help and posts, and wbarber69 for all your smack downs. Good times!

Looks good! Was concerned a bit by the graph and how spiked out it looked until you explained what the sensors were

Once controlling your chamber it definately should not be moving up and down that fast.

FuzzeWuzze · Sep 28, 2015

Bluesfastduce said:
no tab to cut im wired in did not use plugs

If your not using the standard wiring diagram then we need to know how things are hooked up. In general probe issues are due to an improper connection(bad solder joint) or insufficient voltage.

Have you tried swapping probes with one like your beer one that "works" and doesnt exhibit this behavior?

day_trippr · Sep 28, 2015

Don't forget the pull-up resistor for the temp sensor data signal...

Cheers!

virgil1 · Sep 28, 2015

FuzzeWuzze said:
Looks good! Was concerned a bit by the graph and how spiked out it looked until you explained what the sensors were Once controlling your chamber it definately should not be moving up and down that fast.

Thanks! I am still designing my case to hold it all, I'll post when I get it setup. I put my first brew in it last night. Its a SMaSH all grain with Simcoe. I don't have a heater yet, so its a little confused, but it is keeping really close to my set 65 just using cooling. I am using Safale US-05. Just so folks know, you can do this without a heater if you want(if the fermenting room doesn't get too damn cold). Funny part is that the heater is cheapest by far. I am using the same chamber for a keezer. I only brew about once every 5 or 6 weeks. The beer is still in the keg, I'll just put some in flip tops and put it in the fridge so I have some to drink.

See my graph now:

Screen Shot 2015-09-28 at 8.08.40 PM.png

virgil1 · Sep 28, 2015

I want to put a AC to DC power module in my brewpi box so I don't have to use a couple of wall warts. Anyone use one like this from ebay? Worried that the pi seems to need 5V 1.2A, and most of what I see on ebay is just at 1.2A or is 1A. The 12V 1A for the Arduino is fine. Anyone tried one of these?

http://r.ebay.com/oj1m5r

FuzzeWuzze · Sep 28, 2015

virgil1 said:
Thanks! I am still designing my case to hold it all, I'll post when I get it setup. I put my first brew in it last night. Its a SMaSH all grain with Simcoe. I don't have a heater yet, so its a little confused, but it is keeping really close to my set 65 just using cooling. I am using Safale US-05. Just so folks know, you can do this without a heater if you want(if the fermenting room doesn't get too damn cold). Funny part is that the heater is cheapest by far. I am using the same chamber for a keezer. I only brew about once every 5 or 6 weeks. The beer is still in the keg, I'll just put some in flip tops and put it in the fridge so I have some to drink.

See my graph now:

Not to rush you, but now is the best time on Amazon to buy the Lasko MyHeat ceramic heaters w/ fan i recommend. In another few weeks it will be winter and they will have huge demand as the cold fall/winter hits the US and shoot up to $35-40 each instead of the $16 they are now.

FuzzeWuzze · Sep 29, 2015

virgil1 said:
I want to put a AC to DC power module in my brewpi box so I don't have to use a couple of wall warts. Anyone use one like this from ebay? Worried that the pi seems to need 5V 1.2A, and most of what I see on ebay is just at 1.2A or is 1A. The 12V 1A for the Arduino is fine. Anyone tried one of these?

http://r.ebay.com/oj1m5r

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LT2PGY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I use that in my Strangebrew Elsinore control panel to power my RPI and it works fine. I cut a USB cord, wired it into the outputs and plug the USB end into the RPI. You will need a Multimeter so that you can test between the two output screws to see if your at 5V and turn the adjustment potentiometer on it with a screwdriver to increase/decrease the voltage. I ended up needing about ~5.17V at the output to get my RPI to turn on for whatever reason im guessing due to some losses going through the USB cable? DO NOT go above 5.25V into the RPI or you may screw it up.

Its nice because it has an enclosure to keep it safe, terminals are easy to access, a LED for when its on...and its tiny

virgil1 · Sep 29, 2015

FuzzeWuzze said:
Not to rush you, but now is the best time on Amazon to buy the Lasko MyHeat ceramic heaters w/ fan i recommend. In another few weeks it will be winter and they will have huge demand as the cold fall/winter hits the US and shoot up to $35-40 each instead of the $16 they are now.

Thanks FuzzeWuzze! I was going to go with the Heat Tape, any reason that's a bad idea?
http://www.reptilebasics.com/12-heat-tape

virgil1 · Sep 29, 2015

FuzzeWuzze said:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LT2PGY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I use that in my Strangebrew Elsinore control panel to power my RPI and it works fine. I cut a USB cord, wired it into the outputs and plug the USB end into the RPI. You will need a Multimeter so that you can test between the two output screws to see if your at 5V and turn the adjustment potentiometer on it with a screwdriver to increase/decrease the voltage. I ended up needing about ~5.17V at the output to get my RPI to turn on for whatever reason im guessing due to some losses going through the USB cable? DO NOT go above 5.25V into the RPI or you may screw it up.

Its nice because it has an enclosure to keep it safe, terminals are easy to access, a LED for when its on...and its tiny

Thanks! That would work. I could use that and the eBay one....or I could just continue to power the Uno from the USB port. I actually haven't had a single problem with it.

HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

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