Hi guys, I know there's been plenty about beer computers over the years but the one main thing I've always fancied is a way to automate SG measurements, basically so I can just watch it from the computer and then crack it open when it's finished. It's not going to run constantly, just occasionally and then maybe twice a day once it's in the conditioning phase.
I've attached my sophisticated, highly detailed schematic for the design. Basically it samples the beer into a container by pumping it up the grey tube into the sealed blue chamber where it will fill the red container (with the pinch valve closed) by pumping so much wash through that the sampling container fills up and any excess will fall down the side (by overfilling it I guarantee that the volume in the container will be the same each time and any frothy head should be discarded). The pressure sensors will then take a differential pressure reading which can be calibrated in order to determine the SG rating and the pinch valve can open and let the fluid run back into the container.
*Other notes*
The pump will be one of those types of pumps that work like a pinch valve by squeezing the tube to move the fluid.
The measuring thing in the blue is completely out of scale and will be much smaller.
I will have it placed on top of the lid somehow and I will hopefully have it so the top can be screwed off to help sterilizing it.
After it's taken a measurement I'll get it to perform some kind of cleaning routine to try and minimize the settling of sediment (just rinsing with the pump).
Anyone got any opinions on this? I plan to make it all with plastic, PVC tubes, maybe transparent if I can. What kind of glue would I use?
Thanks.
I've attached my sophisticated, highly detailed schematic for the design. Basically it samples the beer into a container by pumping it up the grey tube into the sealed blue chamber where it will fill the red container (with the pinch valve closed) by pumping so much wash through that the sampling container fills up and any excess will fall down the side (by overfilling it I guarantee that the volume in the container will be the same each time and any frothy head should be discarded). The pressure sensors will then take a differential pressure reading which can be calibrated in order to determine the SG rating and the pinch valve can open and let the fluid run back into the container.
*Other notes*
The pump will be one of those types of pumps that work like a pinch valve by squeezing the tube to move the fluid.
The measuring thing in the blue is completely out of scale and will be much smaller.
I will have it placed on top of the lid somehow and I will hopefully have it so the top can be screwed off to help sterilizing it.
After it's taken a measurement I'll get it to perform some kind of cleaning routine to try and minimize the settling of sediment (just rinsing with the pump).
Anyone got any opinions on this? I plan to make it all with plastic, PVC tubes, maybe transparent if I can. What kind of glue would I use?
Thanks.
