BrewPi Remix – What’s Old is New Again

[neoresin]

Ah, gotcha. I'll leave Bookworm enough alone right now then. Could you go into more detail about the userland suggestions you were thinking of implementing? Maybe I can try to help somehow. I'd certainly help with testing.

 

[neoresin]

Also, are the updates to the firmware absolutely necessary? Or is it still okay to stay on 0.2.10? I don't have glycol (I use a chamber).

 

[LBussy]

Could you go into more detail about the userland suggestions you were thinking of implementing? Maybe I can try to help somehow. I'd certainly help with testing.

Another user detailed how he got iw working here: https://github.com/brewpi-remix/brewpi-tools-rmx/issues/72

Also, are the updates to the firmware absolutely necessary? Or is it still okay to stay on 0.2.10? I don't have glycol (I use a chamber).

No. Differences are in how the screen is supported, adding I2C LCD capability, and Glycol.

If it works now, it will continue to do so.

I know it seems like I am slacking here but I have another project I am trying to finish and there's hardly any time left at the end of the day anymore.

 

[neoresin]

Oh, dude, no worries - I totally get it - I have 4 kids, a wife, a job, she has a job, there's family, THEN there's hobbies lol
Thank you for the links, I'll be taking a look. Gosh, THANK YOU. You're truly one of those guys who's a hero. Keeping something alive that really shouldn't be, but... well, I, for one, prost to you. If there's anything I can do to help, please ask. I don't have much time, but this is a great project. Always was.
... What project are you working on?
The brewpi appears to work without the Tilt, and honestly, it's a luxury, isn't it? Not a need-to-have. That's what the Spundit is for... :cheers:

 

[LBussy]

Exactly!

My current project is not beer-related *gasp!* It's a ham radio project that I inherited (like BrewPi!) and I finally got tired of fixing someone else's code so I am rewriting it.

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

hi, I have a brewpi arduino, from back in the day, I’ve come back to brewing and want to enjoy pressure fermentation. But can I use my original brewpi in its nice case to control 2 fermentation fridges? Also, can I use a rapt temperature/sg or do I have to use a tilt or ispindel? Also, considering the miniuni 30 if it will fit my fridge. I’d love to hang it off the wall with glycol etc, but I want to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

hi, I have a brewpi arduino, from back in the day, I’ve come back to brewing and want to enjoy pressure fermentation. But can I use my original brewpi in its nice case to control 2 fermentation fridges? Also, can I use a rapt temperature/sg or do I have to use a tilt or ispindel? Also, considering the miniuni 30 if it will fit my fridge. I’d love to hang it off the wall with glycol etc, but I want to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[LBussy]

but I want to keep it as simple as possible.

None of what you described is simple.

An Arduino Uno, no matter what software you use, will not control all that. If you want to control pressure, BrewPiLess is the only one I know that messes with it. That said, I would rather let a mechanical spunding setup govern pressure than rely on software not to screw it up.

If you want to use your Uno, with one chamber, there is firmware for glycol. You can run more than one Uno from BrewPi Remix (multi-chamber.) Your list of requirements or wants is not cleanly handled by any of the shareware solutions that I know of. (@Thorrak keep me honest here.)

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

Thanks for the reply. I do t want to control pressure, I can maybe consider that in the future, but for now I am happy to set a pressure and leave it, and use brewpi to control temperature in a fridge. I have considered glycol but am leaning to brewpi. But if I can’t use what I have for 2 fridges, it is no good. :-(

 

[Thorrak]

Yeah - unfortunately, all the solutions out there at the moment use a single controller (Uno, ESP8266, ESP32, etc.) per fermenter to be controlled.

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

Ok just found what brewpiless means. I have several esp devices lying around….. can I use brewpiless to control a fridge compressor and a heater belt and take readings from a rapt pill…? Or am I better off using the rapt controller, one per fermenter…?

 

[Thorrak]

Ok just found what brewpiless means. I have several esp devices lying around….. can I use brewpiless to control a fridge compressor and a heater belt and take readings from a rapt pill…? Or am I better off using the rapt controller, one per fermenter…?

I have a write up on the various options here: https://blog.fermentrack.com/brewpi-comparison/

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

I have a write up on the various options here: https://blog.fermentrack.com/brewpi-comparison/

Is the table there correct because i understood that the remix does support the tilt and ispindel?

 

[Thorrak]

Is the table there correct because i understood that the remix does support the tilt and ispindel?

The table is accurate for on-controller firmware, but you're misconstruing the firmware with the web interface. Admittedly - this is completely understandable, as the naming of things is admittedly a bit confusing, at the moment.

There are currently three web interfaces for BrewPi - Fermentrack, BrewPi-Remix, and the original BrewPi interface.

Fermentrack and BrewPi-Remix all support Tilt Hydrometers & iSpindels for tracking your gravity alongside your temperature. The original BrewPi interface does not.

In terms of firmware for your device, for an ESP32/ESP8266 there is BrewPiLess and BrewPi-ESP. For an Arduino, there's BrewPi-Remix (firmware). The BrewPi-ESP firmware can use a Tilt Hydrometer as a temperature sensor directly. The BrewPi-Remix firmware cannot (since Arduinos do not have bluetooth radios).

 

[bloombrews]

@EccentricDyslexic, @Thorrak , and @LBussy
I asked my paid subscription to Grok -
BrewPi and Fermentrack are mentioned here also


https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg==_0e90d3fe-5518-4690-8db2-cbb28454f719

 

[Thorrak]

Hah! I’ve contemplated adding pressure monitoring to Fermentrack 2 but not control for the reasons the AI noted. There have been a few write-in responses to the feature survey asking for it — while it’s not on the roadmap yet, once I hit feature parity with legacy Fermentrack I may revisit it.

 

[EccentricDyslexic]

Chat gpt also did not recognise that fcs exists also for home brewers, the price for the kit is not as cheap as DIY but is professional and shiny…
The Brewtools Fermentation Control System (FCS) is one of the only commercially available systems that offers true software-based pressure control for fermentation, including spunding-like functions, and it’s designed for professional or serious homebrewers.














What Brewtools FCS Can Do:

Feature	Capability
Pressure monitoring	Built-in pressure sensors (0–4 bar)
Pressure control	Can maintain target pressure via automatic CO₂ release
CO₂ venting	Uses electronic valves to precisely bleed CO₂
Temp control	Integrated glycol control & sensor inputs
Carbonation profiles	Supports ramped pressure control over time
Remote access	Cloud and local browser access via the Brewtools app
Fermenter integration	Designed to work with Brewtools Unitanks and conicals, but adaptable to others with TC fittings

How it Works (Simplified):

1. Pressure sensor continuously reads headspace pressure.
2. If pressure exceeds setpoint, the FCS opens a solenoid vent valve for controlled CO₂ release (like a digital spunding valve).
3. You can set:
   • Constant pressure (e.g., 1.0 bar throughout)
   • Ramping profiles (e.g., start low, raise pressure after X days)
   • Final carbonation pressure (ready for kegging)

Hardware Requirements:

• FCS Unit (expensive but well-made)
• Compatible pressure sensor (included or optional)
• Solenoid vent valve
• CO₂ backpressure valve (optional for precision carbonation)
• Fermenter with TC ports (for clean integration)

Considerations:

Pros	Cons
Industrial-level precision	Expensive (~€800+ for full kit)
Seamless app/browser control	Requires Brewtools or compatible hardware
Reliable, tested system	May be overkill for simpler setups
Great documentation and support	Less flexibility than a DIY system

Verdict:








If you’re serious about automating spunding, carbonation, and fermentation pressure, the Brewtools FCS is currently the best turnkey solution on the market. It’s far more advanced than anything Tilt, Plaato, or even BrewBlox currently offers, unless you’re building your own system.





If you’d like, I can help you:

• Compare it against a DIY build (cost vs functionality)
• See if it can integrate with your existing fermenters
• Design a pressure profile for your fermentation goals

Would you like to go down that path?

 

[bloombrews]

@EccentricDyslexic , this is what I got when I did an AI of your proposed system above -

https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg==_0be83d6d-889d-459d-855a-03e4007d2d34

scroll down the results page to see my question about FCS

 

[LBussy]

The geek in me sees those “push button get beer” systems and says “hell yeah!” But another part of me remembers crazy manual brew sessions like my triple decocted Doppelbock.

I planned that brew on paper for days (this was late 1990’s) and an expected three hour brew session turned into eight. That beer froze in the fermenter when my Johnson Control thermostat broke, and I just left it sitting in the fridge after that (running of course) for almost a year before I had the heart to dump it out. I tasted it and it was transcendental. Took BOS in St Louis that year.

You can’t get serendipity in a fancy system and a beer like that will never be made again.

 

[Thorrak]

@EccentricDyslexic , this is what I got when I did an AI of your proposed system above -

https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg==_0be83d6d-889d-459d-855a-03e4007d2d34

scroll down the results page to see my question about FCS

The AI is wrong in this case. Here's the link to the actual product (see: the electronic spunding valves) for purchase: https://www.brewtools.us/products/control-systems/fcs

 

[bloombrews]

The geek in me sees those “push button get beer” systems and says “hell yeah!” But another part of me remembers crazy manual brew sessions like my triple decocted Doppelbock.

I planned that brew on paper for days (this was late 1990’s) and an expected three hour brew session turned into eight. That beer froze in the fermenter when my Johnson Control thermostat broke, and I just left it sitting in the fridge after that (running of course) for almost a year before I had the heart to dump it out. I tasted it and it was transcendental. Took BOS in St Louis that year.

You can’t get serendipity in a fancy system and a beer like that will never be made again.

Sounds like you made an Eisbock ! Cheers!
And, thanks for all the work you put into BrewPi Remix!