Bottling automation ideas

[Sir Humpsalot]

What about a splitter in the hose going to the bottling wand so you can use 4 bottling wands at once? Attach them to a block of wood, keep the bottles in rows of four, and have at it.

It's far from full automation, but it is a step which can be taken cheaply and easily.

 

[AnOldUR]

5. Use a bottling bucket with a spigot and rigidly attach a bottling wand for one handed operation.

I'd like to add to this putting the bucket on a chair on top of the counter. It's nice not to have to bend over.

 

[Khirsah17]

I had the same question a while ago... before I started to keg

I never came up with a serious plan, however I was toying around with trying to find to cut down time by at least filling the bottles up faster. Capping was another story, and quite honestly, probably too hard to do. A good bench capper and a friend will probably do the trick. However, this is what I envisioned for filling up the bottles faster. I think it sounds similar to what clutch brewer was talking about:

If I did a lot of bottling, I'd setup a PVC system. Have a 1/2 or so pipe that is connected to the bottling bucket spigot. Then have 4-5 small vinyl or pvc tubes go into the beer bottles, open the valve, fill a few bottles at once, then move on. That'd work great if you especially had a box you could put the beers in. Then you could build the rig to that.

Alternatively, since you'll risk overflow until you get the timing right, is to set up a couple of those wands, attach them to a 2x4 over your bottle row. lightly press the board down into the bottles and lift it back up.

Sir humpsalot too!

Anyways, here's a rough picture I made in paint while my boss wasnt looking. It doesnt explain everything mechanically, cause DIY doesnt come naturally to me. Such as what the manifold would look like. But maybe it'll stir up some ideas.

So basically you would have your beer come out of your bucket or whatever via a spigot or racking cane. That would sit high on a table and just be gravity fed into the manifold. The manifold would separate the flow into 4 (or more) bottling wands. The manifold would mount into the top of a wooden box or something, that could be lowered by a lever. The bottles would be lined up by some holes cut into the bottom of the frame. So hopefully you could fill up 4 bottles at the same time. The more bottles you could fit in the frame, the faster the filling.

My only question is if you had 4 bottling wands, if gravity could pull the beer through the tube fast enough to fill up 4 bottles at the same rate as you would fill one.

Anyways, just an idea. Tear apart my paint skills if you have to, but maybe some feedback would be nice!

 

[ClutchDude]

Khirshash, looks good! That was the general idea I was aiming at. The pressure from the liquid inside the bucket'll control the flow rate. It will just get slower sooner since you are filling quicker.

If you positioned the wands(just a tube with a tapered nozzle, no mechanism it) just right. you could turn a spigot that'll allow the wands drip it into the bottles.
No need to raise or lower the tubes.

Problem with the approach here is that without the mech. , you'll have slight drippage from the tubes after shutting the valve and if you misplace, spillage.

I also had a quick draw out for automating it.

You'd need a constant pressure in order to keep the fill rate constant. Any draft system has the needed components and would work with a carboy + carboycap.

A simple motor be needed to raise and lower the bottling wand. It would draw a string to lift/lower the connector. You'll probably want to attach the wand to something to keep it accurate. probably a tongue and groove situation. The motor needs a timing mech on it to keep it accurate.



After filling, the bottle needs to be pushed onward. I've got no clue on what the best way to do this would be. maybe set up on a incline so the bottle can slide down once they reach the target weight.

After that, capping. No clue on that one either. So much pressure is required to get one on and must be in such a manner.

EDIT: Grammer and clarify.

 

[Grimsawyer]

Just remember, when making a manifold to split beer from one tube to multipule tubes you want to have some to restrict flow on all the tubes individualy. A simple needle valve might work. Maybe some set screws in a machined solid manifold would work. All depends on how much/little you want to spend/build. There needs to be consistant flow between all the tubes. I believe pressurizing the system to keep the flow constant is a MUST as well. It wouldn't have to be much pressure, but I believe some kind of psi is required. Of course, the more pressure there is the faster it'll fill. We need repeatable results. For that to occur we need all the factors we can controll to remain the same.

 

[ClutchDude]

2-3 psi should be enough. You could even filter on your way to the bottler if you were inclined.

Wouldn't having pipe reductions in the manifold also achieve the same results as set screws?

Yet another idea for liquid control is to setup a solenoid valve. You could then just have a pour into the bottle instead of lowering the the wands. See my above post.

I've never dealt with solenoids but it might be a bit more difficult/expensive to find a food-grade one.

 

[shafferpilot]

old soda pop dispensers have many food grade solenoids.

 

[Jesse17]

Yet another idea for liquid control is to setup a solenoid valve. You could then just have a pour into the bottle instead of lowering the the wands.

If you're talking about having the bottling wand/fill tube above the bottles when it's filling (rather than at the bottom of the bottles) won't you will BADLY aerate the beer while you fill the bottle?

 

[ClutchDude]

I imagine it would depend on how fast you fill the bottle. A slow, stead pour would help reduce the aeration like those who do not use a filling wand. You'll also have a little bit of CO2 driving the beer, but not enough to force carbonate or really foam for that matter.

 

[iamjonsharp]

If you're talking about having the bottling wand/fill tube above the bottles when it's filling (rather than at the bottom of the bottles) won't you will BADLY aerate the beer while you fill the bottle?

You could make the manifold movable so the fill tubes could be lowered down to the bottom of the bottles.

 

[ClutchDude]

Looks like the solenoid valves aren't as expensive as I expected. Still a bit expensive to consider.

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=SV100-SV200&Nav=grej05

looks to be anywhere from $31(http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=SV3100&Nav=grej05) to the $80 for a stainless steel. You could hook it up to a Solid State relay with it using 120vAC (See the Arudino Temperature Control post) and depending on the response times, could easily automate the bottle filling.

To counter the aeration, I wonder if it would be possible use liquid pressure to lower the wand/drip tube into the bottle and have a spring counter-push it upwards. The downward pressure could be created by reduction fittings. Would that cause too much foam if used with the higher pressure you think? Or would it even work?


EDIT: clarify pressure source(jeez, i should re-read before posting thank goodness for editing) and adde

 

[5 Is Not Enough]

To counter the aeration, I wonder if it would be possible use liquid pressure to lower the wand/drip tube into the bottle and have a spring counter-push it upwards.

This makes me think of the party favors that you blow in the end and they unroll themselves...

 

[shafferpilot]

Instead of trying to move the filling tubes up and down, why not move the bottles up and down?

 

[ClutchDude]

All right. I think I've got an idea that'll be workable for just FILLING the bottles. What you'll basically do is make a controlled pneumatic piston.

Parts list so far:
1/4" Air Regulator
1/4" Solenoid Valve
15" of 1/2" tubing
1 1/2" T-Joint
1 ft 1/2" Plunger (If you can find a 1/2" plunger, great. Otherwise, I'll post either how to make one or find one once I get it. I'm not a mechanic)
1/2" Plug
1/2" plug with hole drilled for plunger rod
A spring that'll push the plunger 9-10" up.

Put the tubing into the one of the long sides of the T with the non-drilled plug going into the otherside.

The idea is that you hook up a regular air compressor up to the reg, then into the solenoid valve. You hook up your timing circuit (for those noobs like me, this'll be an arduino with a Solid-State Relay) into the solenoid valve. Attach the solenoid to the T-Junction.

Put the spring then the plunger into the tube. There should be a few inches sticking out for you to place another T junction, clamp or join with the filling wand. Perhaps a 1/4" compression T. I imagine with a few inches, you could clamp as well.

What should happen is that you open the valve with your timing circuit, the air pressure that flow through will push the plunger down, lowering the wand with it. You'll figure out how long it takes, and have the timing circuit keep the solenoid open for that time. The pressure will then push the plunger down, assuming it's pretty airtight and the right PSI is achieved on the regulator. The loose plug will act as a pressure relief, allowing a little, but not a lot of pressure to leak out.

After the bottle is filled, the timing circuit'll close the valve, allowing the wand to come back up and out of the bottle due to the pressure relief. After a certain amount of time, it'll do another cycle.

Problems I see:
1. You'll have to take steps to ensure that the wand is accurately lowered and raised. I think clamping the top of the wand that won't enter the bottle to the plunger will be the best way to achieve this. Also, guide cutouts could be used.

2. Ghetto Pressure Relief will not be enough. In this case, you'll need another solenoid that is closed. while the other opens. You close the first solenoid once the wand is lowered. After the bottle is filled, you open the second one to allow the wand to raise back up. It'll close then and then allow the first solenoid to open.

As for moving the bottles onward afterwards and crowning them, I've got an idea or two, but they aren't nearly as drawn out yet.


EDIT: I was thinking of the wrong thing. A plunger (metal rod with a disc at the top?) is what I think I'm wanting here. Of course, correct me if I'm off.

 

[senorfartman]

alright i've done a bit of thinking on this (primarily because the lab supervisor is out to lunch ) and I'm thinking a purely mechanical way to do this would be to line a series of valves in a row underneath the "beer hopper" or whatever is used to store the fermenter brew.

attach a long rod to the end of each valve handle similar in fashion to how doors in prisons used to be opened (one lever opens them all because they're attached) and that seemingly would take care of that part. of course solenoids would be the next logical evolution in this.

perhaps a series of bench cappers fashioned the same way to cap multiple bottles at once.

i agree that despite my original post, bottling really isn't to difficult. i've abandoned the aforementioned method in the OP and bottle out of my HLT using the ball valve and some hose. but then again this is homebrewing which as we all know, lends itself to basement engineering. certainly spending $100 on this would be wasteful in my opinion but with so many other gadgets out there that we use, if the costs are reasonable then why not?

 

[Grimsawyer]

I keep goofing with the idea of building a large shed in my backyard and going through all the proper channels to leagaly sell beer commercially, on a very small scale. I'm sure it's crossed the minds of 85% or more of all homebrewers. 50 gallon batches aren't out of the league of homebrewers. One batch every week and have 4 fermenters. To do this in one's free time would be really sweet, but bottling is time consuming. The idea of this basment engineered bottle filler actually sounds MUCH more appealing to me than buying some $10,000+ machine to make my life easier and definately wouldn't be a waste of money. There would be some real world applications to this manual/automated capper. Just remember, the lower the tech the less that can go wrong with it.

 

[remilard]

My experience:

If things are set up just right, your bottling wand will sit in your bottle, filling it, while you let go of both, freeing your hands to cap the last bottle filled. Since discovering this, bottling takes me only as long as it takes to fill all the bottles, since I am capping as I go, with no stopping.

Yeah I do the same thing. People always seem so happy about the short tubing "bottle with one hand thing". I've tried to explain that you can bottle with zero hands before but it doesn't seem to appeal to anyone.

 

[ClaudiusB]

Here is a simple dual head long tube counter pressure bottle filler I made 1995.

The filler was made just as a design challenge, now it is a museum piece.
I never bottled any beer, kegs for me.
The only filler I use twice a year is my 5 L party keg filler.

100 % automatic, CO2 bottle and fill head purging, production counter, etc.
Capper and outfeed conveyor not shown.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[illnastyimpreza]

^ thats friggin AWESOME ! how long did it take to make that ? how much $ ??? how fast does it operate ??

I am curious about opening my own micro brewery/pub. But bottling is my biggest battle...

anyone get a price on one of those stations from applied bottling ?

 

[hcarter]

Just for fun, I emailed applied bottling for a price on the single station (6BPM) bottle filler. I'll post when I get a reply.

 

[hcarter]

Just a note....This thread is in the DIY section....we all love gagets and things that make our brewing easier...I would love to see some postes on ideas for making something like the applied brewing device from cheep home depot parts. I don't think we need to hear any more about how easy the regular method is. If you are happy with the traditionl methods and dont think there is a need for more innovation.....please refrain from posting and adding clutter to this thread.

Welcome to the forum!! Bad form though.

 

[citabria]

I've been thinking about this whole idea. Everything seems conceivable and can be done on the cheap with stepper motors and/or pneumatic actuators, all controlled with an Arduino board or something similar. The real stumbling block in my mind is how do you know when the bottle is full? Anyone know of a cheap and easy way to automate that?

I have a few ideas but they all have their drawbacks.

 

[camiller]

I've been thinking about this whole idea. Everything seems conceivable and can be done on the cheap with stepper motors and/or pneumatic actuators, all controlled with an Arduino board or something similar. The real stumbling block in my mind is how do you know when the bottle is full? Anyone know of a cheap and easy way to automate that?

I have a few ideas but they all have their drawbacks.

Couple of stainless needles along side the fill tube that just go into the top of the bottle 1/4" or so. Use a sensor to measure resistance between the two. When resistance goes from &#8734; to <&#8734; bottle is full. If the fill wand is metal you would just need one pin and measure the resistance between the fill tube and the pin.

Or am I missing something?

 

[virus692]

Here is you next Build... the UnBottler.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAQ_c1C1JfQ&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Rube Goldberg machine from Waiting[/ame]

 

[ClutchDude]

I've been thinking about this whole idea. Everything seems conceivable and can be done on the cheap with stepper motors and/or pneumatic actuators, all controlled with an Arduino board or something similar. The real stumbling block in my mind is how do you know when the bottle is full? Anyone know of a cheap and easy way to automate that?

I have a few ideas but they all have their drawbacks.

Easy!

If you apply CO2 pressure to push the beer in the first place, you can apply a standard pressure. Knowing your pressure and your hose diameter, you can figure the flow rate. The CO2 tank keep the pressure standardized and you don't have any flow drop offs until the end of the tank.

 

[jajabee]

After reading this thread, this was my idea:

I've got two friends who want to help with the bottling, so with two people filling 4 bottles at once, and one person capping, it should go pretty quick. Cheap to build and easy to clean, too. I'm going to set it on top of my round rubbermaid MLT next time, so it's easy for 2 people to sit around it and use the wands.

 

[EisBerg]

Here is a simple dual head long tube counter pressure bottle filler I made 1995.

Throughout reading this entire thread I was thinking of ClaudiusB and wondered if he was going to chime in. This man surely deserves some sort of award for the most tricked out brewery ever to be assembled in a garage. I would love to see a detailed description of all of what he has going on there There is a write up in an old 2002ish BYO. Truly impressive!! My hats off to you ClaudiusB!

 

[illin8]

After reading this thread, this was my idea:

I've got two friends who want to help with the bottling, so with two people filling 4 bottles at once, and one person capping, it should go pretty quick. Cheap to build and easy to clean, too. I'm going to set it on top of my round rubbermaid MLT next time, so it's easy for 2 people to sit around it and use the wands.

That'll be like milking a cow!

 

[IrregularPulse]

It wouldn't be hard to do, but doing it with off the shelf products from Lowes/HomeDepot might turn more into a Rune Goldberg Bottling machine.

If you're looking into automation only because the current process is difficult, then i have two things.
1) follow the other suggestions
2) *not ment a s a slam* If you cannot manage manuall filling bottles with valves popping off, how do you manage to build an automated system that works? DIY Skill level in question. Not a slam, just puting it in to realistic perspective.

If you're looking into automation because you enjoy electronics and automation and it's about the DIY/tinkering aspect then kudos to the guy with the coolest toys he made himself!

My suggestion for automated line.

Let's do 4 bottles at a time.

Design with description coming. Just need tro transfer from paper to electronic copy.

 

[jajabee]

That'll be like milking a cow!

That's exactly what it feels like, yes. I figured Nature knows what it's doing, right?

 

[IrregularPulse]

Theory of Operation

1. Use Proximity Sensors to stop conveyor when bottles are aligned under Bottling wands.
2. Air Lifts then lift conveyor table up to pre-determined height to allow bottling wands to begin dispensing beer
3. A set of contacts placed on a determined Height of one of the bottling wandswould give continuity when the beer reaches that level. These contacts closing will trigger the conveyor to begin lowering via the airlifts, stopping the flow of beer.
4. Another Proximity Sensor will determine when the conveyor is &#8220;parked&#8221; at it&#8217;s low position. Beginning the conveyor to cycle in the next 4 empty bottles and repeat the process.
5. You would need some sort of bottle catcher that would allow the bottles to slide to a capping area (manual station or another automated machine) to catch the full bottles. Or manually unload the while the next four are filling.

*There are &#8220;cups&#8221; on the conveyor that hold bottles for consistent alignment.
*All tubing from bottling bucket to manifold and manifold to bottling wands is solid tubing as to not allow any flexing.
*PLC Controlled
* This design would require consistency in bottles. ie All SA's, All Sierra Nevadas, ect


Most of this could be made from hardware store/locally available stuff.
A simple DC motor to turn conveyor
Rocker switches from radio shack
You supply the PLC or Arduino or whatever you have from control

I'll like to make this now just to see if I can........

 

[lebshiff21]

I like that setup. I might give it a try but without the automation, just manually lowering the manifold into the 4 bottles.

 

[McKBrew]

Building an automated bottler is probably well within the DIY realm of some of the people here at HBT. The cost would be the biggest issue and in the long run it would be far cheaper just to keg it.

 

[ClaudiusB]

I'll like to make this now just to see if I can........

Go for it, you can do it.

IrregularPulse I have a few questions if you don't mind.

1. How do you load and unload the bottles from the holders (cubs)

2. Are the bottle holders deep enough to prevent a tip over during conveyor
startup or is your conveyor equipped with a soft start.

3. Should you hand load and unload, is the conveyor required

4. Are you purging the bottles before filling to prevent some of the O2
diffusing into the beer

5. Any design options to bottle carbonated beer

6. Do you have a way to shot off the flow from the monifold in case of
bottling wands failure

7. Why not lift the conveyor from the center
Two cylinders lifts may give problems during raising and lowering
if the flow rate and pressure is not equal

Hope to hear from you soon,
ClaudiusB

 

[IrregularPulse]

Go for it, you can do it. I could definitely handle the automation electrically and pneumatically, but I'm no fabricator. Plus I don't bottle anymore. But if someone wants to take the idea and run with it that'd be cool. I just through the design together in about 10 minutes off the top of my head. More thought could probably improve it quite a bit, but it's a fairly simple solution to a simple idea. Not to mention the 45 other brewery builds I'd prefer.

IrregularPulse I have a few questions if you don't mind.

1. How do you load and unload the bottles from the holders (cubs)
It would be by hand for loading and something TBD for unloading.

2. Are the bottle holders deep enough to prevent a tip over during conveyor startup or is your conveyor equipped with a soft start.
They would have to be deep enough to steady the bottles. I would use a soft start on the motor starter.

3. Should you hand load and unload, is the conveyor required
It would at least allow you to load the next four empties while the current four are filling. The conveyor I imagine would be long enough to hold 12 bottles. One batch to unload, one batch to prep and one batch filling. Drawing just kept it short for general idea.

4. Are you purging the bottles before filling to prevent some of the O2
diffusing into the beer
I (and most) wouldn't do this normally when bottling, so no, I wouldn't do it here either. I suppose you could add a second row of nozzles next to the bottling wands hooked up to Co2 to drop down, purge, then raise up, shift over, and lower with the bottling wands.

5. Any design options to bottle carbonated beer
Not with that setup. It could be done I'd imagine with a couple pressure regulators.

6. Do you have a way to shot off the flow from the monifold in case of
bottling wands failure
The spigot on the bottling bucket feeding the manifold. This set up would just be using your standard "Ale Pail with Spigot" bottling bucket.

7. Why not lift the conveyor from the center
Two cylinders lifts may give problems during raising and lowering
if the flow rate and pressure is not equal
This is a good thought.
Hope to hear from you soon,
ClaudiusB

Answers/Thoughts under questions in Quote in Bold

 

[Hang Glider]

a thought - flex hose between bottling bucket and manifold - then use the air to lower the manifold to the conveyor instead of raising the conveyor... less mechanics involved.

 

[robbiex0r]

After reading this thread, this was my idea:

I've got two friends who want to help with the bottling, so with two people filling 4 bottles at once, and one person capping, it should go pretty quick. Cheap to build and easy to clean, too. I'm going to set it on top of my round rubbermaid MLT next time, so it's easy for 2 people to sit around it and use the wands.

This was my idea, though I was only going to add one more spigot. If each has its own dip tube, there is no reason to worry about pressure.
The most valuable addition to bottling though, is a helper.

 

[IrregularPulse]

a thought - flex hose between bottling bucket and manifold - then use the air to lower the manifold to the conveyor instead of raising the conveyor... less mechanics involved.

I don't see whats different about lowering the manifold is pneumatics or raising the small table with pneumatics. it's be the same process. a conveyor big enough for 12 beer bottles is not going to be big or heavy at all.

 

[pizzaman]

Thinking.....

Attach 20-40 tubes to a bucket, each pointing straight down with a filling wand tip attached to the end of each tube. Build individual spring loaded bottle holders, all attached to a single tray. The bottle holders use springs to slowly lower the bottle as it is filled. Once each bottle is a certain weight, it drops down to a certain point. To fill your bottles you would:

1) Rack beer into bottling bucket
2) Place bottles into bottle holders and position under bucket
3) Raise bottle tray to filling point which will activate filling wand tips, filling each bottle.
4) As each individual bottle is filled to the preset weight, it will be lowered low enough to disengage the wand tip.
5) Once all bottles have been filled, move to crowning machine of some sort....

 

[Hang Glider]

I guess I was thinking the conveyor might be something continuous, with an off-feed; and raising/lowering would have to take that into consideration, where dropping the manifold instead would allow the conveyor feed and off ramp to be more continuous...
your build. it's all good.