Corny level monitoring

[gromitdj]

Really?! If placing a strip on a keg is and then looking at it periodicaly is "a lot of work"... oh my!

If you read the directions, it's more than just looking at it. In order to determine a level, you have to spray the strip down with warm water and wait for the strip to change colors to indicate fluid level. Not "a lot of work", but more effort than the impression that you just look at the strip to check your level.

 

[ClaudiusB]

I remember seeing somebody with a keezer that displayed, using lights, the approximate amount of beer left I'm each keg.

So I'm wondering if anybody knows how this might be done in a simpler, more sanitary manner than 4-5+ level switches in every keg. And if you've done something like this, I'd especially appreciate any insight you might have.

I have a level sensor inside my dispensing tanks, simple Reed switch and a float with magnets.
Needs to be connected to a display device like a lamp or controller.
Tells you the tank is almost empty, less than a gallon in my case.
The floats are sold by most float switch vendors.

Inside tank view

You can install multiple Reed's and resistors inside the tube and make the design to give increasing or deceasing resistance as tank empties with two wires, requires a controller or multimeter with conversion chart.

kerber's idea to use Flexiforce sensors is better if you require constant volume information.

Really?! If placing a strip on a keg is and then looking at it periodicaly is "a lot of work"... oh my!

Can you see the SmartStrip™ inside a full chest freezer?

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[pinback]

Could you just get a digital weight scale then wire the display to the outside of the keezer? Terr the weight of the corny then just have it display the weight of the beer inside?

i like this idea with this scale

 

[Hoosierbilly]

If using a scale set for lbs like a fish scale, the number of lbs would equal the number of remaining pints right? At least close enough to it. That seems simple enough. The tricky part would be finding a scale that doesn't turn off after a few minutes, or if you have the on/off button next to the display on the fridge door you could just hit the button and have the weight/number of remaining pints show up...if you did this you would need it to save the tare weight...at least I know I wouldn't want to have to subtract the empty keg weight from what it displays, that's no fun. I'm going to start searching around for something like this

Recap: I need a scale that either doesn't turn or, or one that I can hit the on button and it saves the tare weight of the empty corny

 

[emjay]

If it doesn't turn off, you'd probably run out of batteries more often then you'd like.

Other than that, I guess it could work for some people, but, as I mentioned in the OP, it's not what I'm looking for. The ability to display it all in columns of LEDS, or on a single display, on the *exterior* of the keezer, is really important to me.

On a related note... how cool would it be to watch the display change in real-time AS YOU POUR?

 

[day_trippr]

i like this idea with this scale

I wonder how long a digital scale would survive at the bottom of a keezer considering the puddles of condensation and cycles of sub-freezing temperatures...

Cheers!

 

[ClaudiusB]

Could you just get a digital weight scale then wire the display to the outside of the keezer?

Scale with remote display is a better choice.

I have taken a few scales apart for my automatic grain dispensing and weighing system and the displays where not wired into the board.
The displays had a conductive rubber strip connecting the pcb to the display.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[bctdi]

If those strips work off of temp differential , then I don't see any advantage to getting them over just spraying the keg with hot water and looking for the condensation line. The condensation line will be level with the beer level.

 

[TheAleMaster]

Not necessarily simple, but pretty rad.

http://engineeringblog.yelp.com/2010/08/yelp-makes-beer-more-fun.html

EDIT: I'm not sure why, but HBT seems to append some things to this URL that redirects to some Yelp business page. Copy/paste the URL to get there.