BCS compatable with brewing software

[TipsyParrot0265]

I am wanting to build an automated system my hopes is that the Bcs-460 is compatible with either of the current brewing software programs out there. I am ready to pull thee trigger for the Bcs controller but only if it's compatible, if I have to remember all the settings and reenter them each time I brew one of my Fav 5, then I see no point. I'll just stay with pid. I'm hoping that somewhere in the collaboration I can just point and click; brew Fav 1, fav 2, ect. The whole idea behind going with the Bcs is consistency. Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

 

[ChuckO]

Once you set up your BCS for a particular HLT, MASH and Boil schedule you may save it on a PC. You can then reload it to the BCS the next time that you make that recipe. There isn't a way that I know of to have any brewing software automatically set the BCS for a specific recipe though.

I have broken down the BCS processes for my system into the following:

HLT-temp - heats and holds the HLT to 'temp' degrees.
Strike-temp - heats and holds the MLT to 'temp' degrees.
Mash-temp-time - recirculates RIMS and holds 'temp' for 'time' before pausing for pump to boil. Also does mash out.
Boil-time - controls the BK and pumping through the CFC.
Boil Additions - working on this as a timer to alert me to add hops at proper time. Definitely not ready for prime time.

In addition, I have programs set up for sous vide cooking and system cleaning.

It's not too hard to load the process setups for any recipe once it has been developed, it only takes a logical file naming system and notes added to my BeerSmith recipe file as to what processes are used.

 

[microbusbrewery]

+1, what ChuckO said. The BCS is so customizable that no two implementations will be exactly alike. One person might have everything programmed under a single process, one might have it spread across several processes. So it'd be difficult to make it automatically import recipe settings from brewing software. For 90% of my brew sessions, the only thing I end up changing is the mash temp, something you'd have to do anyway.

 

[TipsyParrot0265]

not exactly what I was wanting to here, But, not exactly ruling it out either. May take more time to make a decision.
Thanks!!!

 

[JonW]

Once you set up your BCS for a particular HLT, MASH and Boil schedule you may save it on a PC. You can then reload it to the BCS the next time that you make that recipe. There isn't a way that I know of to have any brewing software automatically set the BCS for a specific recipe though.

You can currently save and restore any BCS process, so you could technically save them for specific recipes. However, it's usually just as fast to enter the specific values for your new recipe's temp/times. The new BCS software will make this even easier.

The new 4.0 BCS software has a web interface for defining variables for your brew recipes. E.G. you can map a variable for the mash temp into the locations within the BCS where you would normally enter the mash temp. Any temp/time can have a variable created and mapped into the BCS. This then allows you to pull up a simple screen on brew day and just enter the temps & times without having to go into each process/state that needs modification. I've been using it this way for months and it works great. This functionality will be publicly available very soon.

 

[bcrawfo2]

Love the variable feature. Bring it on

 

[ChuckO]

Variables sounds like a good feature. I've been simulating it by semi-automated editing of the files on my PC with a custom program, but this sounds much easier.