Conversion from BCS-462 to Brucontrol, you have to do it!

[canmorebrewguy]

I installed a BCS-462 on my 50 amp HERMS system and I was never really happy with it. In fact I never did a brew with the BCS due to that I found it very clunky to edit and run and it did not handle automation well.

Then I saw Brudogs Brucontrol and got really excited as I have no programming or logic experience it was a perfect thing to try.

I will be posting the transplant as I go so others can see.

 

[canmorebrewguy]

Here is the BCS all wired in and about to get removed. It is for sale in the for sale forum!

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[canmorebrewguy]

I have decided to use the Arduino Mega as my interface and got it on Ebay for $9.99 and also purchased a screw shield for $15.

I have never built a board kit, and it was super easy

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[canmorebrewguy]

First row of screw connectors on

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[canmorebrewguy]

All screw connectors on

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[canmorebrewguy]

Soldering was completed with a Weller iron at around 50

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[canmorebrewguy]

The Mega pins were a little tedious but still was really easy to solder. I placed the pins into the Mega to line up then soldered a few pins on each set to make sure it was all aligned.

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[canmorebrewguy]

A test for for the Mega and the TF-3 Brucontrol board for my thermostat temp probes. I mounted it all with DIN clips

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[canmorebrewguy]

I hooked it all up to a Windows 10 mini pc and had the firmware installed in about 4 mins. Super easy to do. The Mega installed itself as soon as I plugged it in and I was up and running

 

[golfindia]

You lost me at "Windows 10".

 

[BrunDog]

Nice! Good work on the soldering. That board is a sweet screw-shield, but the soldering takes a bit of patience... especially around the two-row header pins.

Curious... how did you mount the screw shield? Did you use an Arduino/MEGA-DIN mount of some sort? The best one I have found is the one from ruggedcircuits.com, but have to believe there are other/better options.

 

[BrunDog]

You lost me at "Windows 10".

As tempting as a dialog on Windows vs Unix might be... I understand people have their preferences and respect it. In my opinion, Win10 has been remarkably reliable and I would suggest it as a good platform for automation, especially BC.

 

[canmorebrewguy]

Nice! Good work on the soldering. That board is a sweet screw-shield, but the soldering takes a bit of patience... especially around the two-row header pins.

Curious... how did you mount the screw shield? Did you use an Arduino/MEGA-DIN mount of some sort? The best one I have found is the one from ruggedcircuits.com, but have to believe there are other/better options.

The Mega is mounted on 1 DIN clip only, not the best but the holes were not lining up well and I just screwed into the plastic din clip as the holes were off by a few mm.

I will check into the rugged circuits.

The soldering was not bad, but you do need a good iron with a small tip to do that double row!

Cheers
CBG

 

[canmorebrewguy]

Well first brew was performed on the Brucontrol and was it ever Nice! The ease of changing things on the fly was amazing and the program and interface performed flawlessly.

The chap in the pic is a Brew master at a local brewery and stated the panel control was very simular to the one he uses at work, and could not be live the capability that it can do.

The inaugural brew for my system was a pale ale.

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[canmorebrewguy]

The start to the vorlauf.

 

[canmorebrewguy]

Whoops forgot to attach the picture

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[cyberbackpacker]

What pumps are you running there canmore? HP? Food grade? I've got two 1HP C114 pumps for my sanitary build I have been working on (for like 2 years!)... just really never seen many others here using larger pumps.

For my pumps I am using a VFD and will be able to control pump speed via the brucontrol...

 

[BrunDog]

OMG @canmorebrewguy... that rig is SWEET!! I think BruControl is marrying up! I hope you bolt on a monster touch monitor to match the infinite gorgeousness is SS that your rig is. Wow!

 

[canmorebrewguy]

What pumps are you running there canmore? HP? Food grade? I've got two 1HP C114 pumps for my sanitary build I have been working on (for like 2 years!)... just really never seen many others here using larger pumps.

For my pumps I am using a VFD and will be able to control pump speed via the brucontrol...

They are a March TE-5-5S-MD Magnetic Drive Pump and are rated for beer and temps. The pumps are awesome but you need a diaphram valve to control the finer processes like sparking and vorlauf.

I got them on Ebay for a screaming deal brand new in the box.

I wish I could run a VFD but these are only single phase.

Cheers,
CBG

 

[canmorebrewguy]

OMG @canmorebrewguy... that rig is SWEET!! I think BruControl is marrying up! I hope you bolt on a monster touch monitor to match the infinite gorgeousness is SS that your rig is. Wow!

The touch screen will defiantly be in the works after I get the flow and volume sensor figured out.

Thank for the compliments, it has been fun learning this new craft!

 

[shadow160]

Whoops forgot to attach the picture

Nice where does one find this part?

 

[SanPancho]

you lost me at "windows 10".

hahhahahhahahahhhhahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+1

 

[canmorebrewguy]

Added a few things to the brewery today. The most tedious was the CIP.

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[canmorebrewguy]

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[canmorebrewguy]

A few more pic of the process

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[canmorebrewguy]

A new attachment for the Vorlauf

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[canmorebrewguy]

The CIP assembly

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[BrunDog]

So cool. Are you going to use this lid just during the CIP, and use a stock lid otherwise?

 

[canmorebrewguy]

So cool. Are you going to use this lid just during the CIP, and use a stock lid otherwise?

I just put a blank on the lid and use it during the brew day.

 

[augiedoggy]

What pumps are you running there canmore? HP? Food grade? I've got two 1HP C114 pumps for my sanitary build I have been working on (for like 2 years!)... just really never seen many others here using larger pumps.

For my pumps I am using a VFD and will be able to control pump speed via the brucontrol...

they look a lot like the milk pumps I was considering for my nano

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/110...lgo_pvid=5a6c94a2-e26e-4c73-994f-880cbb60f89b

BTW this setup is extremely well done and impressive... I'm jealous!