Fermentrack: Fermentation monitoring & BrewPi-www Replacement for Raspberry Pi

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The new fancy fermenters in my brewery wants me to ditch the STC1000s I’ve been using to control fermentation temps up until now, and BrewPi/Fermentrack looks like a perfect fit for controlling and logging temps (thanks a lot for a that work Thorrak!). After some tests running Fermentrack on a RPi 3 with an SD card, the plan is to get an SSD and a RPi 4 to run Fermentrack and I suppose that shouldn’t give me too much of a headache. But before starting to collect the hardware I have a couple of questions about PCB and board and would greatly appreciate some input.

Up until now I’ve had a single jacketed fermenter and a 1/3 hp DIY glycol chiller. A STC100 is controlling the chiller temp and another STC1000 is switching a pump on and off to control the fermenter temp. Now I’m adding two more jacketed fermenters and will also use electromagnetic valves to control the glycol flow to each fermenter. I haven’t yet decided how to control the pump but it’ll likely be either a pressure control that’ll switch the pump on when a valve opens, or if the same signal that opens the valve also will switch on the pump. Regardless, I’d like to control the valves and pump with the BrewPi controllers and log it all with Fermentrack.

I have some old Wemos/Lolin D1 (with the 8266 chip) for testing but after reading the suggestions on how to select a board on the Brewpi esp8266 Github page, I consider getting some Lolin D32 pro board instead. However, looking at the ESP32 Brewpi boards page on Github, Thorrak warns about using the info on that page to build a controller. It’s a bit unclear to me if it suggests to stick to one of the old PCB designs for 8266 board and get Lolin S2 mini boards (which seems to have their own issues according to earlier posts here?), or if it’s ok to use the new “all-in-one” PCB design and a Lolin D32 pro with some additional info that hasn’t yet been published there?

If it boils down to choosing between a bit old/low performance but solid vs new fancy and fast but buggy, in this particular case it’s probably better for me to have something that is fairly reliable as I’m a bit short on time at he moment.

Please forgive me if this is already explained in detail somewhere but some admittedly sloppy searching didn’t enlighten me much.
 
Sorry for any confusion - I’ve been wrapped up in other projects, and need to revisit the hardware documentation here soon.

The “all-in-one” board has been out in the wild for awhile now, and works well. For a new build, that will result in the most feature-rich, future-proof option.

For your setup, you’ll likely want to keep the STC-1000 controlling your glycol bath and get one PCB/controller per fermenter that you want controlled, all pumping off that bath. Your setup of actuated valves/single pump is an interesting one and will almost certainly require some ingenuity on your part to make work. Generally most glycol setups have a single pump per fermenter, where the pump is switched on/off by the controller.

I’ll have to leave it to others in this thread to comment on (current) best practices for glycol as that’s not (currently) a setup I have/use. More to come on that front soon, though. ;)
 
Thanks a lot for your quick reply Thorrak, and no worries about my confusion - it's more than compensated by the time and effort you've put down here! I'll go for the all-in-one boards and D32 pro.
And if anyone has opinions about running a system with a single pump and solenoid valves I'll be happy to hear/read them!
I'm also looking forward to learn more about a glycol setup that you may have in mind :)

Thorrak said:
Sorry for any confusion - I’ve been wrapped up in other projects, and need to revisit the hardware documentation here soon.

I’ll have to leave it to others in this thread to comment on (current) best practices for glycol as that’s not (currently) a setup I have/use. More to come on that front soon, though. ;)
Click to expand...
 
Im back to brewing after my normal Summer/fun/too hot to brew. I see I need an update, but after fallowing the instructions, ./install.sh did not work. So I then inserted sudo./install.sh That seemed to get the update moving along but then came back with this message after a while -
Screenshot from 2023-11-27 16-11-16.png

Thanks John!
 
bloombrews said:
Im back to brewing after my normal Summer/fun/too hot to brew. I see I need an update, but after fallowing the instructions, ./install.sh did not work. So I then inserted sudo./install.sh That seemed to get the update moving along but then came back with this message after a while -
View attachment 834978
Thanks John!
Click to expand...
It's cliche, but any luck after restarting the Pi?

What do you see if you run "sudo docker ps"?
 
SurPopp said:
Thanks a lot for your quick reply Thorrak, and no worries about my confusion - it's more than compensated by the time and effort you've put down here! I'll go for the all-in-one boards and D32 pro.
And if anyone has opinions about running a system with a single pump and solenoid valves I'll be happy to hear/read them!
I'm also looking forward to learn more about a glycol setup that you may have in mind :)
Click to expand...
@SurPopp
I have been running chilled water with very small inexpensie acquarium pumps, and switching them via Fermentrack and Brewpi for years now. Pumps and Heaters just switch on/off with a 110 vac relay modules, switched by the low voltage from the UNO Seinsmart (or others)
I do not use Solenoid valves (can get expensive), just electrical outlets connected to the Relay Modules. Each Fermenter is just another "Chamber".
 
@Thorrak , when I run sudo docker ps,. after I did a reboot, I got this -
Also, now when I try to log onto the IP address of the connected Raspberry Pi, I get 502 Bad Gateway
Maybe I will do what Plumbers do, when they do not know Script too well - Reformat a SD card, and reinstall Fermentrack from scratch....
Thanks!
 
Thanks for the input Bloombrews! Perhaps that's the way to go for me as well.

bloombrews said:
@SurPopp
I have been running chilled water with very small inexpensie acquarium pumps, and switching them via Fermentrack and Brewpi for years now. Pumps and Heaters just switch on/off with a 110 vac relay modules, switched by the low voltage from the UNO Seinsmart (or others)
I do not use Solenoid valves (can get expensive), just electrical outlets connected to the Relay Modules. Each Fermenter is just another "Chamber".
Click to expand...
 
SurPopp said:
Thanks for the input Bloombrews! Perhaps that's the way to go for me as well.
Click to expand...
I can send you some pictures of what I do. The only thing that may not be doable for you, is a big 55 gallon drum of 35F water. This sits inside my walkin cooler and I pump out of this for the chilled water. you can probably get by with garbage can of water inside a freezer or fridge. Other then how you keep the water cold, the rest is cheap and the controls are done with the great Fementrack or BrewPi.
[email protected] if you want any pictures
 
Here are the last few logs of the stderr log:
Code: 
Nov 27 2023 20:30:16   BrewPi version received was 0.2.4 which this script supports in 'legacy' branch mode.
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:16   Bound to TCP socket on port 2280, interface localhost 
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:18   Installed devices received: [{"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 3, "h": 1, "p": 26, "x": false, "d": false, "r": "Cool", "i": 0}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 6, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "28CD1594970203AB", "j": "0.000", "i": 2}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 5, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "289F0E94970103B2", "j": "0.000", "i": 3}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 2, "h": 7, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "78:8C:B5:6B:79:F7", "n": "", "r": "BrewPi Heat 1", "i": 4}, {"c": 1, "b": 1, "f": 9, "h": 6, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "d4:84:8d:5b:df:50", "r": "Orange", "j": "0.000", "i": 5}]
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:21   JSON decode error: Invalid control character at: line 1 column 96 (char 95)
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:21   Line received was: h:[{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":2,"p":13,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"28415B94970A0301","j":"0.000","v":"≡CY\rÇ","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":25,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Heat","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":34,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Door","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:E0:8D","n":"","r":"RO Water Pump","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:DB:60","n":"","r":"Kitchen Blacklights","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"10:27:F5:E5:66:04","n":"","r":"Front Floods","i":-1}]
 Nov 27 2023 22:42:24   Controller debug message: INFO MESSAGE 17: Positive peak detected: 70.2, estimated: 70.2. Previous heat estimator: 0.000, New heat estimator: 0.000.
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:13   Installed devices received: [{"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 3, "h": 1, "p": 26, "x": false, "d": false, "r": "Cool", "i": 0}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 6, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "28CD1594970203AB", "j": "0.000", "i": 2}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 5, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "289F0E94970103B2", "j": "0.000", "i": 3}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 2, "h": 7, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "78:8C:B5:6B:79:F7", "n": "", "r": "BrewPi Heat 1", "i": 4}, {"c": 1, "b": 1, "f": 9, "h": 6, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "d4:84:8d:5b:df:50", "r": "Orange", "j": "0.000", "i": 5}]
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:15   JSON decode error: Invalid control character at: line 1 column 94 (char 93)
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:15   Line received was: h:[{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":2,"p":13,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"28415B94970A0301","j":"0.000","v":"mY\rÇ","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":25,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Heat","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":34,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Door","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:E0:8D","n":"","r":"RO Water Pump","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:DB:60","n":"","r":"Kitchen Blacklights","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"10:27:F5:E5:66:04","n":"","r":"Front Floods","i":-1}]
 
danb35 said:
Here are the last few logs of the stderr log:
Code: 
Nov 27 2023 20:30:16   BrewPi version received was 0.2.4 which this script supports in 'legacy' branch mode.
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:16   Bound to TCP socket on port 2280, interface localhost
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:18   Installed devices received: [{"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 3, "h": 1, "p": 26, "x": false, "d": false, "r": "Cool", "i": 0}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 6, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "28CD1594970203AB", "j": "0.000", "i": 2}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 5, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "289F0E94970103B2", "j": "0.000", "i": 3}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 2, "h": 7, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "78:8C:B5:6B:79:F7", "n": "", "r": "BrewPi Heat 1", "i": 4}, {"c": 1, "b": 1, "f": 9, "h": 6, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "d4:84:8d:5b:df:50", "r": "Orange", "j": "0.000", "i": 5}]
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:21   JSON decode error: Invalid control character at: line 1 column 96 (char 95)
 Nov 27 2023 20:30:21   Line received was: h:[{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":2,"p":13,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"28415B94970A0301","j":"0.000","v":"≡CY\rÇ","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":25,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Heat","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":34,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Door","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:E0:8D","n":"","r":"RO Water Pump","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:DB:60","n":"","r":"Kitchen Blacklights","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"10:27:F5:E5:66:04","n":"","r":"Front Floods","i":-1}]
 Nov 27 2023 22:42:24   Controller debug message: INFO MESSAGE 17: Positive peak detected: 70.2, estimated: 70.2. Previous heat estimator: 0.000, New heat estimator: 0.000.
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:13   Installed devices received: [{"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 3, "h": 1, "p": 26, "x": false, "d": false, "r": "Cool", "i": 0}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 6, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "28CD1594970203AB", "j": "0.000", "i": 2}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 5, "h": 2, "p": 13, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "289F0E94970103B2", "j": "0.000", "i": 3}, {"c": 1, "b": 0, "f": 2, "h": 7, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "78:8C:B5:6B:79:F7", "n": "", "r": "BrewPi Heat 1", "i": 4}, {"c": 1, "b": 1, "f": 9, "h": 6, "p": 0, "x": false, "d": false, "a": "d4:84:8d:5b:df:50", "r": "Orange", "j": "0.000", "i": 5}]
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:15   JSON decode error: Invalid control character at: line 1 column 94 (char 93)
 Nov 28 2023 01:12:15   Line received was: h:[{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":2,"p":13,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"28415B94970A0301","j":"0.000","v":"mY\rÇ","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":25,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Heat","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":1,"p":34,"x":true,"d":false,"r":"Door","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:E0:8D","n":"","r":"RO Water Pump","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"48:22:54:34:DB:60","n":"","r":"Kitchen Blacklights","i":-1},{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":7,"p":0,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"10:27:F5:E5:66:04","n":"","r":"Front Floods","i":-1}]
Click to expand...

Oof. I'm pretty sure that what is happening is that BrewPi-Script is dying when it hits the value for the assigned Tilt Pro (the bold/underlined bit):
Nov 27 2023 20:30:21 Line received was: h:[{"c":1,"b":0,"f":0,"h":2,"p":13,"x":false,"d":false,"a":"28415B94970A0301","j":"0.000","v":"≡CY\rÇ","i":-1},

This is weird, as it indicates an issue with the way the value is being generated/sent by the controller.

I spent a chunk of time yesterday in between meetings digging through code, and best I can tell this value should always end up sanitized before use. I'm going to continue to think through some things, but I would be curious if you tried a newer copy of the firmware if that would solve the problem. Notably: I have a ferment going right now at home using a Tilt Pro acting as the beer sensor without issue.

I'll send you a PM with more info.
 
Hi,
I have a fresh install of Raspberry Pi Desktop for PC (2022-07-01-raspios-bullseye-i386.iso)

When I install Fermentrack using:
curl -L install.fermentrack.com | bash

It goes through the process but at the end I get:
ERROR: no matching manifest for linux/386 in the manifest list entries
::: Waiting for Fermentrack install to initialize and become responsive.

If I do the install without the Docker (sudo fermentrack-tools/non_docker_install/install.sh), it goes through the install and I then get an Error:
could not find updatecroncircus.sh


Any ideas in how to resolve would be appreciated.

Thanks Brett
 
The issue is that you're using an i386 operating system. If you're going for desktop architecture, I _highly_ recommend using a 64 bit version of Ubuntu or Debian rather than Raspbian.
 
Thorrak said:
The issue is that you're using an i386 operating system. If you're going for desktop architecture, I _highly_ recommend using a 64 bit version of Ubuntu or Debian rather than Raspbian.
Click to expand...
Hi
I will give that a try and report back. Thanks
 
Hi Thorax,
Below is my update after loading Debian 12

Had difficulty installing Fermentrack without root privileges. It would indicate ERROR ERROR after entering the sudo password. No additional info provided with the error.

So I tried to install as root (using the semi automated process).
I did get a "Port 80 is currently in use" message but it continued with the install as I did not react quick enough.

Then had some errors towards the end:
Building Postgres
ERROR: Service Postgres failed to build: Build failed

ERROR: Cannot locate the specified Dockerfile: ./compose/production/postgres/Dockerfile

Unable to prepare context: unable to evaluate symlinks in Dockerfile path: stat /root/fermentrack-tools/compose: no such file or directory

ERROR: Service Postgres failed to build: Build failed

ERROR: Unable to find an initialized, responsive instance of Fermentrack

Thanks for any help
 
kjab said:
Hi Thorax,
Below is my update after loading Debian 12

Had difficulty installing Fermentrack without root privileges. It would indicate ERROR ERROR after entering the sudo password. No additional info provided with the error.

So I tried to install as root (using the semi automated process).
I did get a "Port 80 is currently in use" message but it continued with the install as I did not react quick enough.

Then had some errors towards the end:
Building Postgres
ERROR: Service Postgres failed to build: Build failed

ERROR: Cannot locate the specified Dockerfile: ./compose/production/postgres/Dockerfile

Unable to prepare context: unable to evaluate symlinks in Dockerfile path: stat /root/fermentrack-tools/compose: no such file or directory

ERROR: Service Postgres failed to build: Build failed

ERROR: Unable to find an initialized, responsive instance of Fermentrack

Thanks for any help
Click to expand...
@Thorrak I got a similar error attempting to install in a fresh ubuntu server VM running 22.04.3 (fully updated). I tracked it down to the install script being unable to download the compose directory using svn export for some reason. When I tried that command by itself, I got the following error:
Bash: 
svn: E170013: Unable to connect to a repository at URL 'https://github.com/thorrak/fermentrack/branches/master/compose'
svn: E160013: '/thorrak/fermentrack/branches/master/compose' path not found
I manually downloaded the compose directory and commented out the line of code that deletes the compose directory (before downloading a fresh copy) and the install worked.
 
ToDo List.jpeg

Hey Everyone,

I've been a bit quiet here for the past several months, and there's a good reason for that: I've been diligently working on something exciting behind the scenes, and it's almost ready for you all to experience. You've probably noticed that most updates to Fermentrack over the last year and a half have focused primarily on bug fixes, addressing issues with upstream dependencies, and ironing out environmental quirks. While working on these, I realized that Fermentrack needed a new start.

I'm thrilled to introduce Fermentrack 2. This new version incorporates the past seven years of knowledge and experience with advancements made while developing TiltBridge and BrewPi-ESP. It features a modern, single-page interface, offers optional cloud support, and incorporates features that have long sat on Fermentrack's issue list. It has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, bringing a fresh, user-friendly interface. It incorporates many of the features you've requested over the years, while preserving the functionality that you've always enjoyed.

The release isn’t quite ready for public consumption (and I’m about to head to Orlando for a week, and would rather focus on the Mouse than pushing out bugfixes!) but it should be ready for anyone interested in testing the bleeding edge here soon. I have a post on my blog with more information - anyone who is interested in playing with the alpha when it’s released should take a look!
 
Woohoo! Sounds like a great update; I'm looking forward to playing with it. I presume a similar one-line installer will be available as for the prior version. Will there be an upgrade path, or does that look more like "blow it away and reinstall"?
 
danb35 said:
Woohoo! Sounds like a great update; I'm looking forward to playing with it. I presume a similar one-line installer will be available as for the prior version. Will there be an upgrade path, or does that look more like "blow it away and reinstall"?
Click to expand...

Probably! The focus hasn’t been on the “tools” until this point but on the front/backend so I can’t say for certain, but I expect to end up with a similarly easy installation method.

There is a defined migration path for your Fermentrack data but not for a Fermentrack installation. Your data (logs and profiles) can be exported from Fermentrack and then imported into FT2. Devices are not part of an export because of the communication model, but setup takes about 30 seconds per device.

The alpha release is going to be via fermentrack.net only - once I achieve feature parity with legacy Fermentrack I’ll shift the focus to the “tools” and open things up. Data will be freely exportable from, importable to, and migrate able between Fermentrack 2 instances - including cloud to local or vice-versa.
 
Hi @Thorrak. Looking to migrate to ESP32 from 8266 for fermentrack 2. Have a few 30 and 38 pin ESP32s that aren't Lolin D32 ones. For a non tech savvy person will the firmware be compatible with these?
 
Hezza101 said:
Hi @Thorrak. Looking to migrate to ESP32 from 8266 for fermentrack 2. Have a few 30 and 38 pin ESP32s that aren't Lolin D32 ones. For a non tech savvy person will the firmware be compatible with these?
Click to expand...
Do you happen to have either a link to the boards you have or a photo of them?

The short answer is that the existing firmware is almost certainly compatible, but you may need a custom PCB (or otherwise have to wire things up manually).
 
Without having tested the board myself I can’t guarantee anything, but looking at the specs it seems like a standard ESP32 so you should be perfectly fine. If you’ve already got the controller just flash the ESP32 IIC LCD firmware to it with BrewFlasher and see if the WiFi AP spins up. If it does, you’re good to go.

If you are designing your own PCB/circuit then it’s your call as to whether you use a TFT or an old-school LCD. Pinouts for both are on GitHub.

If you want to use an LCD, you will need an LCD2004 module with an I2C backpack. This one looks like it might work, but you can probably get it for half the price on Amazon. Depending on the specific board you get, it may expect 5V logic, so you may need to add a bidirectional level shifter to your design.

For TFTs, you’ll need a 320x240 TFT with an ILI9341 driver. This one should work if you only use the SPI pins, but it’s not a backpack style I’ve personally used so I can’t guarantee it. Like with the LCD, you can probably get one (with just an SPI interface, which is all you need) for half that price on AliExpress or Amazon. The size is a matter of personal preference, but it needs to have the right driver chip (ILI9341), resolution (320x240), and expose/run off the SPI pins (MOSI, MISO, etc).
 
Hey all, I have a strange problem. Long story short, but chest freezer seems to be acting as a faraday cage and not allowing my Tilt signals to get out...

Slightly longer... I replaced my chest freezer fermentation chamber a few months ago, and since then I haven't been able to log Tilt gravity readings in Fermentrack. When the Tilt is in water outside of the freezer it works. It also logs to the Tilt app on my phone when I put my phone in the freezer, and also seems to work when the chest freezing lid is open. I thought maybe the bluetooth signal wasn't getting through me stainless fermenter and the freezer, so I put a TiltBridge inside the freezer in hopes it would help. It doesn't seem to work either.

Any thoughts on a good way to get the Tilt signal out of my chest freezer?

Thanls!
 
There is a tilt repeater firmware that is out there that works on an ESP32 which - if placed in the freezer but outside the fermenter - might “boost” the signal enough that it could be read by a tiltbridge (or other device) outside of the freezer. The nice thing is that the hardware is the same as the tiltbridge so you could reflash a tiltbridge, test it out, and make a decision about acquiring additional hardware after you’ve confirmed if it works.
 
Thorrak said:
There is a tilt repeater firmware that is out there that works on an ESP32 which - if placed in the freezer but outside the fermenter - might “boost” the signal enough that it could be read by a tiltbridge (or other device) outside of the freezer. The nice thing is that the hardware is the same as the tiltbridge so you could reflash a tiltbridge, test it out, and make a decision about acquiring additional hardware after you’ve confirmed if it works.
Click to expand...

Ahh interesting, okay. My Fermentrack RPi is about 2 feet from the fermentation chamber. What you described is what I was trying to use the TiltBridge for. I will try for find the repeater firmware and try that instead and see how it goes. Okay, thanks!
 
BrewCityBaller said:
Ahh interesting, okay. My Fermentrack RPi is about 2 feet from the fermentation chamber. What you described is what I was trying to use the TiltBridge for. I will try for find the repeater firmware and try that instead and see how it goes. Okay, thanks!
Click to expand...
The radio for Bluetooth and WiFi is the same, operating in the same band and having similar attenuation concerns. Typically, I would expect that your fermentation chamber is far further from your wireless router than from your Pi, so I’m not surprised that the TiltBridge alone wasn’t sufficient to solve the problem in this case. If you can use the repeater to at least remediate the signal drop you’re getting through the wall of the fermenter then that may be just enough to pick the signal up outside the fermentation chamber, where a dedicated TiltBridge could see it and then talk to your router.

I’ve been fortunate in that when I had a keezer build I had a wooden collar and never had this issue. I also live in a postage stamp of an apartment, so my fermenter, RPi, and wireless router were all within a 10’ radius of each other. ;)
 
Thorrak said:
The radio for Bluetooth and WiFi is the same, operating in the same band and having similar attenuation concerns. Typically, I would expect that your fermentation chamber is far further from your wireless router than from your Pi, so I’m not surprised that the TiltBridge alone wasn’t sufficient to solve the problem in this case. If you can use the repeater to at least remediate the signal drop you’re getting through the wall of the fermenter then that may be just enough to pick the signal up outside the fermentation chamber, where a dedicated TiltBridge could see it and then talk to your router.

I’ve been fortunate in that when I had a keezer build I had a wooden collar and never had this issue. I also live in a postage stamp of an apartment, so my fermenter, RPi, and wireless router were all within a 10’ radius of each other. ;)
Click to expand...
Interestingly, I have a pretty crazy setup in my garage where my garage router and RPi are right next to each other. So I had hoped it would help. But it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I will try this repeater route and see if that works. Otherwise I will have to get more creative!
 
BrewCityBaller said:
Interestingly, I have a pretty crazy setup in my garage where my garage router and RPi are right next to each other. So I had hoped it would help. But it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I will try this repeater route and see if that works. Otherwise I will have to get more creative!
Click to expand...
Observation window in the keezer.
With inert gas, double pane glass of course.
Allow RF in/out.
 
Thorrak said:
Doesn't LG make a refrigerator with an observation window? I always wondered why I needed to be able to watch my milk spoil -- I didn't realize it was actually to let the radio waves out!
Click to expand...
The bluetooth internet of things telling you when you have only two eggs left, which you can see, with your eyes, if you look, you know, in the fridge, but, you know, bluetooth.
 
Well, sure, but without IoT FridgeCams how would you check to see if you only had those two eggs while you're halfway home from the office and bearing down on a crosswalk full of choir kids? Huh? Answer that one!

Cheers! 😁
 
day_trippr said:
Well, sure, but without IoT FridgeCams how would you check to see if you only had those two eggs while you're halfway home from the office and bearing down on a crosswalk full of choir kids? Huh? Answer that one!

Cheers! 😁
Click to expand...

Somehow I remember you building an IoT camera to watch some eggs. The details escape me, but are you speaking from experience here?

🤔
 

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