Arduino Keg Sensor for Level, Temperature, and Pressure with Display

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Any updates?

Yes! I've got a handful of these in the hands of homebrewers that are testing as we speak. I am putting together documentation and integration support as well so this will be something that folks of any technical level can set up, and use in various different applications.

I appreciate the follow up and the patience. I want to make sure all the "bugs" are worked out before rolling it out to you guys! I'm hoping to have something solid in the next few weeks!

Cheers!
 
Not sure if Derrick wants us to post pics, since there may be changes from what we have in our hands. That said I can tell you that this is very well thought out.

I find it interesting, as a guy who tries to support Homebrew software, the way he's approached this. A lot of our projects have a common theme even if it's a completely different product. I think that comes from us having used the other Homebrew products. Derrick has come at this with a clean slate and, well, it's just cool how he's done things so uniquely.

I'm not sure he was ready for me to be as honest as I was in some places, but he took it like a champ and is addressing those areas. Also, keep in mind this is in "productive use" right now on his stuff, so what I mentioned to him qualifies more as edge case stuff and is a product of what I've seen some of you break in the past. ;)
 
To @Dexlor, load sensors have been tried, but there are intrinsic issues - like putting devices at the bottom of a cold cabinet that might get swampy at times (which pretty much kills any notion of using an actual digital scale) along with load cell drift innate to the tech...

Cheers!

I have a Wi-Fi load cell hookup in my keezer that works fine. I put my load cell unit on a platform that is itself suspended off the keezer floor, sitting on 4 screw legs. Thus, it shouldn't get wet.
Drift is very minimal so far, less than a pints' worth. Plus, perfection is the enemy of good. To me, worrying about absolute exactitude in volume left seems overly type-A.

The advantage of a load cell is that it can also be used as a proxy for fermentation gravity. I ferment in kegs, so when the weight of the keg stops decreasing, via CO2 being released, fermentation is done!
 
Here's a couple of pics:

IMG_0339.jpg IMG_0340.jpg

And no, you can't see much. Thats the point. :) It's a solution, not a box of parts. A well thought-out solution. All I had to do was plug it in and attach it to my network.
 
So we'll never see a picture of the sensor side?

There will be plenty of pictures and documentation on this. I am still working on getting it put together and changes are being made based on user-feedback. The last thing I want is a bunch of people repeating the mistakes I've made when building this ;)

Not sure if Derrick wants us to post pics, since there may be changes from what we have in our hands. That said I can tell you that this is very well thought out.

I find it interesting, as a guy who tries to support Homebrew software, the way he's approached this. A lot of our projects have a common theme even if it's a completely different product. I think that comes from us having used the other Homebrew products. Derrick has come at this with a clean slate and, well, it's just cool how he's done things so uniquely.

I'm not sure he was ready for me to be as honest as I was in some places, but he took it like a champ and is addressing those areas. Also, keep in mind this is in "productive use" right now on his stuff, so what I mentioned to him qualifies more as edge case stuff and is a product of what I've seen some of you break in the past. ;)

Thanks for posting pics @LBussy, and thanks for your feedback!

I have a Wi-Fi load cell hookup in my keezer that works fine. I put my load cell unit on a platform that is itself suspended off the keezer floor, sitting on 4 screw legs. Thus, it shouldn't get wet.
Drift is very minimal so far, less than a pints' worth. Plus, perfection is the enemy of good. To me, worrying about absolute exactitude in volume left seems overly type-A.

The advantage of a load cell is that it can also be used as a proxy for fermentation gravity. I ferment in kegs, so when the weight of the keg stops decreasing, via CO2 being released, fermentation is done!

Load cells are another great measurement methodology. I had thought about doing something like this instead of the lid, but I did like the pressure capability of the lid. Even bought some load cells to play with...

I'd be really interested in the success you had with measuring a change in gravity. It seems like the accuracy of the load cell would have to be pretty high to be able to measure the change in specific gravity of a known volume. I experimented quite a bit a while back with differential pressure of submerged transducers at a known height differential and those sensors had to be extremely accurate. Not to derail the conversation too much... 😂
 
...

Load cells are another great measurement methodology. I had thought about doing something like this instead of the lid, but I did like the pressure capability of the lid. Even bought some load cells to play with...

I'd be really interested in the success you had with measuring a change in gravity. It seems like the accuracy of the load cell would have to be pretty high to be able to measure the change in specific gravity of a known volume. I experimented quite a bit a while back with differential pressure of submerged transducers at a known height differential and those sensors had to be extremely accurate. Not to derail the conversation too much... 😂
CO2 density at STP is 1.977 g/L. A 5 gal fermentation of a medium gravity wort results in 400 - 500 L (@ STP) of CO2 being generated, so weight loss of the fermenter would be in the range 791 - 989 g ( 1.74 - 2.18 lb.)

Brew on :mug:
 
Wait... what? You saying that 5 gals of fermenting liquid loses about 2 lbs worth of mass??
Yes, although I didn't correct for the CO2 that remains in solution, which would be about 15 L or a little over 1 oz.

Brew on :mug:
 
The mass loss actually doesn't surprise me - there's a hella flow of CO2 roaring through two ball lock kegs being fed by 11 gallons of wort in the throes of fermentation and that's gonna keep chugging for 2-3 more days.

Has to come from somewhere :)

Cheers!
 
We can do the weight loss math another way. Assume 5 gal of wort at an OG of 1.050, and FG of 1.010, and that there is insignificant volume change during fermentation. The density of water at 68°F (20°C) is 8.33 lb/gal. Thus the weight loss during fermentation is:
Weight Loss = 8.33 lb/gal * 5 gal * (1.050 - 1.010) = 8.33 * 5 * 0.040 = 1.66 lb​

Brew on :mug:
 
Here's a couple of pics:

View attachment 704693 View attachment 704694

And no, you can't see much. Thats the point. :) It's a solution, not a box of parts. A well thought-out solution. All I had to do was plug it in and attach it to my network.
I had seen the picture with the cover before. I am interested in seeing the parts below the cover. But thank you for your effort.
 
Well, as you see it’s potted in. I could crack it open but I am pretty sure that’s a one way street. We’ll just have to wait till he releases more info.
 
Good morning guys! I am still getting all of the literature together, I am hoping to have something formal "released" in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience, stay tuned!

Well, as you see it’s potted in. I could crack it open but I am pretty sure that’s a one way street. We’ll just have to wait till he releases more info.

Thanks for not destroying the sensor I sent you, haha!
 
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