BruControl: Brewery control & automation software

[BrunDog]

Check this out. I *think* it uses that sensor... but if not the concept is the same, and the work is done for you! Flite project, by @UncleD:

Flite - Keg Level, Temperature, and Pressure Sensor

I am really excited to announce the official release of the Flite sensor and controller for monitoring your keg level, temperature, and CO2 pressure! This was a project that I started earlier this year, and with awesome support and feedback from the homebrewing community, I've been working hard...

www.homebrewtalk.com

 

[VinceBrews]

Check this out. I *think* it uses that sensor... but if not the concept is the same, and the work is done for you! Flite project, by @UncleD:

Flite - Keg Level, Temperature, and Pressure Sensor

I am really excited to announce the official release of the Flite sensor and controller for monitoring your keg level, temperature, and CO2 pressure! This was a project that I started earlier this year, and with awesome support and feedback from the homebrewing community, I've been working hard...

www.homebrewtalk.com

Yes - I saw that. I was curious about your thoughts about using it for vessel volume instead of keg.

 

[exoticatom]

I'd like to use iSpindel data recorded by BC and import it in Beersmith for the specific brew.
Is there an easier way to find out which of the CSV files corresponds to the device/global element, or I have to click through all files until I find it ?

Furthermore, do you think export button from DE would make sense for the future releases?

EDIT: I must have missed something in past releases as I don't see any more CSV files being created. I have localDB instance, which can be also used for export. Now same question remains how to find corresponding table to the element .

 

[BrunDog]

In v1.1 Build 9+, we moved to a database back end to store data rather than text files, so that's why. Here's a way to look at it. If you use the DeviceID property in a script, you can flush out which UUID you are looking for.

BruControl: Brewery control & automation software

I’ll stand as above that resolution without accuracy is a meatless sandwich, but who am I to tell you what to eat? If you want resolution, I can cut you a custom FW with higher 1-wire resolution. We honestly picked 11-but as a good empiric value and never exhaustively tested higher. So perhaps...

www.homebrewtalk.com

 

[oakbarn]

Is my logic correct?

I am about to start my wiring for the Brewery.

I have an HLT that I named "Big Mac". It has a 5500 watt element.

I plan to use the PID Control.

I do not like any hot leg to the vessel unless it is "On".

I always put a Cut Out Safety Switch in my line away from the Brewery

I like to "know" that the heater is commanded "On" by a small LED Bulb.

I will be using 30 amp Circuit Breakers and one standard SSR for Leg 1
The PID will be via an AA-2 Analog Amplifier and a Proportional Control (2-10 input) for Leg 2.


My plan is to command Both the Standard SSR Digital Out (Leg 1) and the PID Proportional Controller (Leg 2) at the same time. The Standard SSR will be hot to the Outlet as well as turn on the Red LED letting me "know" BruControl has powered the standard SSR (Leg 1)

The Outlet will provide PID control via Leg 2 Proportional Control (2-10 input) with the Target and Temp set for that PID.

I know that an HLT may not need the precise control. I have other parts that are similar that do need the precision of a PID, that will be wired the same. My HLT would be a backup for that if I needed it.

Regardless, Is this a good way to use PID Control for a 240 volt Element?

 

[oakbarn]

Thanks guys. I actually did replace my BCS with this system. I used the same thermistor probes, relays, etc. so the upgrade path was fairly easy.

BTW, I need to give a big "Thank You" to @augiedoggy for being a contributing beta tester. He's actually done more brews than I and can probably give unbiased feedback.

I plan to do a brew video soon to show it in operation as well.

I was moving from the BCS to BruControl before my incident. I was going to run side by side for a while. But many of my "wishlist" for a BCS 482 came standard on BruControl. I was always limited on the BCS by:

1. BCS: 64 unique steps available. Only 8 Processes with only 8 Steps.
BruControl: Unlimited
2. BCS: 8 Temperature Probes which must be 10KNTC type.
BruControl: Unlimited Can take 1-wire, RTD or 10KNTC. There is a Limit that the Probe must be on the same Interface as what it is controlling, but Interfaces are easy to add.
3. BCS: 8 Digital Inputs. Only On/Off signal Type.
BruControl: Unlimited Can take On/Off signal, 4-20ma, Counters (Flow), Pressure Sensors, Load Cells (weight), Tilt Hydrometer, ISpindel Hydrometer and I am sure more.
4. BCS: 15 Digital Outputs. On/Off, PID, Hysteresis, Duty Cycle and maybe more (can't remember).
BruControl: Unlimited On/Off, PID, Hysteresis, Duty Cycle, Deadband, PWM

4. BCS: HMI Available from a 3rd Party (Power User)
BruControl: Tons of Widgets for you to create your own. BruControl is HMI natively.

The only plus I can think of for a BCS is that you can have multiple instances running at the same time (web based). BruControl is Windows based and only a single instance can be running. There are APIs that can do what I want to display what I "need" on BruControl.

Another big difference: BruControl Active Forum with lots of help from other users. BruControl is also more prone to consider your "wishes" for future updates. BCS is limited by its proprietary hardware.

I have one BCS that survived, and I might use it for Fermentation, but I just might get another BruControl License.

 

[RiverCityBrewer]

I am reading what you wrote, I am just not sure that we are on the same page.

If I open once DE, after closing it , I can't open it again, ever (unless I restart BC). Nothing to do with lock IMHO (as I originally thought).
It won't help to (me to) close it every time, because there is nothing to close. The Window of DE is nowhere to find (there is a process called DATA EXPLORER).

I could keep the window opened in the background and never close it.

Is that what you are talking about?

I just wanted to second this as having the same issue.

I can open the DE just fine on the initial BC launch. If I keep the DE in the background I don't have any issues (locked/unlocked didn't seem to matter). If I close out of the DE, I am unable to open it again until I close and relaunch BC.

The explanation given as to the source of the issue with locking and unlocking didn't seem to mesh up with what I was seeing, so there might be 2 different issues here.

 

[exoticatom]

I just wanted to second this as having the same issue.

I can open the DE just fine on the initial BC launch. If I keep the DE in the background I don't have any issues (locked/unlocked didn't seem to matter). If I close out of the DE, I am unable to open it again until I close and relaunch BC.

The explanation given as to the source of the issue with locking and unlocking didn't seem to mesh up with what I was seeing, so there might be 2 different issues here.

Brundog confirmed to me both bugs and wrote that they will be fixed.

 

[oakbarn]

Is my logic correct?

I am about to start my wiring for the Brewery.

I have an HLT that I named "Big Mac". It has a 5500 watt element.

I plan to use the PID Control.View attachment 719967

I do not like any hot leg to the vessel unless it is "On".

I always put a Cut Out Safety Switch in my line away from the Brewery

I like to "know" that the heater is commanded "On" by a small LED Bulb.

I will be using 30 amp Circuit Breakers and one standard SSR for Leg 1
The PID will be via an AA-2 Analog Amplifier and a Proportional Control (2-10 input) for Leg 2.


My plan is to command Both the Standard SSR Digital Out (Leg 1) and the PID Proportional Controller (Leg 2) at the same time. The Standard SSR will be hot to the Outlet as well as turn on the Red LED letting me "know" BruControl has powered the standard SSR (Leg 1)

The Outlet will provide PID control via Leg 2 Proportional Control (2-10 input) with the Target and Temp set for that PID.

I know that an HLT may not need the precise control. I have other parts that are similar that do need the precision of a PID, that will be wired the same. My HLT would be a backup for that if I needed it.

Regardless, Is this a good way to use PID Control for a 240 volt Element?

bump Any advice?

 

[UncleD]

Yes - I saw that. I was curious about your thoughts about using it for vessel volume instead of keg.

What are you planning to measure in the vessel? What are the dimensions? What accuracy are you expecting for your volume reading?

 

[BrunDog]

bump Any advice?

You need to use a two pole contactor if you wish to ensure that the element has no voltage on it when it is off. SSR's have leakage voltage that is enough to make for a very uncomfortable experience should you touch the conductor well enough. You can get a 12 or 24VDC coil voltage version of the contactor and control it directly from the UniShield. Use a digital output to turn it on, then a single proportional SSR to control it's power amount.

 

[oakbarn]

You need to use a two pole contactor if you wish to ensure that the element has no voltage on it when it is off. SSR's have leakage voltage that is enough to make for a very uncomfortable experience should you touch the conductor well enough. You can get a 12 or 24VDC coil voltage version of the contactor and control it directly from the UniShield. Use a digital output to turn it on, then a single proportional SSR to control it's power amount.

I plan to cut off the safety switch when not brewing so while a mechanical contractor would be automatic, I will use the manual cutoff. So I can have the one leg hot with the contactor and the other leg with the proportional controller . Do I need to have the contactor a double pole and feed the proportional controller via the contactor?

 

[BrunDog]

If you are going to use a contactor, then I would suggest it be a double pole and cut off both legs. If you don't want to cut off both legs, then you can use a single pole contactor and cut off one leg while the other is "cut off" with the SSR (quotes in this context because SSR's are never fully off).

 

[oakbarn]

Ok, I am going to wire for a double pole contactor on each the 240 Heating Elements. I will likely use an AC SSR and use 24vac Coil contractors and a 110v/24vac transformer due to cost of the dc coil contractors. I will also add an indicator light on the load side of the contactor so I know it is closed.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

@BrunDog so with the use of the double pole contactors, are you suggesting to use the SSR to switch the coil? If so, can the coil handle the high switching frequency it would see through an SSR for a pwm heating element?

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I am looking at a DC motor controller that I would like to control within BruControl to control the speed of my DC brew pump. However it only accepts a 0-10v input signal... is there some workaround where I can use the 0-5v output from my mega to make this work?