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

[uSlackr]

For grins, I've removed the device and re-added it.

 

[Thorrak]

I need to go dig in the TiltBridge code and see if it is set up to post to HTTPS endpoints, but if you attempted to use http (and you don’t have your server set up to auto redirect to HTTP, or network set up to block outgoing HTTP traffic from IoT devices) then it should work.

 

[uSlackr]

I need to go dig in the TiltBridge code and see if it is set up to post to HTTPS endpoints, but if you attempted to use http (and you don’t have your server set up to auto redirect to HTTP, or network set up to block outgoing HTTP traffic from IoT devices) then it should work.

It is set to redirect. Let me try to shut that down.

 

[uSlackr]

It is set to redirect. Let me try to shut that down.

OK - that did it. I set the url to http using the local address and it worked. I'll open a issue if you'd like.

 

[Thorrak]

OK - that did it. I set the url to http using the local address and it worked. I'll open a issue if you'd like.

TiltBridge was built before there was reliable HTTPS library support that would also play nice with Bluetooth. That said, I have a different, similar project that has switched to use the secure client for everything which I think I can port back to TiltBridge easily enough.

I’ll take a look and track against the issue you opened. Thanks for that!

 

[Bago-0]

Someone earlier had this problem:
"So everything was great until I tried to assign pins/sensors....
I was able to add my ESP8266 controller without much issues, but when trying to assign sensors/pins, It keeps failing to write configuration to controller. I have reset the eprom multiple times and restarted the controller too. It see's the sensors, but won't assign them."

I m stuck at the same point. was there ever a solution?

 

[Thorrak]

Someone earlier had this problem:
"So everything was great until I tried to assign pins/sensors....
I was able to add my ESP8266 controller without much issues, but when trying to assign sensors/pins, It keeps failing to write configuration to controller. I have reset the eprom multiple times and restarted the controller too. It see's the sensors, but won't assign them."

I m stuck at the same point. was there ever a solution?

Which version of the firmware are you using? The v14 beta or v11?

 

[Bago-0]

V11 WiFi . It shows the 2 temp probes but can’t write eeprom. Tried reboots etc . No luck

 

[Thorrak]

V11 WiFi . It shows the 2 temp probes but can’t write eeprom. Tried reboots etc . No luck

Try v14. There are a looooot of fixes in v14.

 

[Bago-0]

It won't flash correctly (Im using brewflasher on mac). I get error at the very end. I used V14. Did not try the low Delay version. Maybe something wrong with my controller. I have the Lolin D1 mini V4.0.0 from Ali express. This version has the I2C built in as well. Not sure if this affects attaching the LCD.

 

[blmcga]

@Thorrak can you point me in the right direction? my cooling cycle will come on for just a minute or 2, id like to avoid it and increase the idle time prior to cooling. I have no idea what Control Constrain i should be using to get this. See below.

Also is there a way to remove the Heat/Cooling bars similar to how you can deselect the various Temp lines? Makes the plot hard to read having them full height of the graph. And while I'm asking... any way to change the Temp sensor line colors & or weight?

 

[Bago-0]

I flashed with the v14 no spiffs and was able to configure the temp sensors. Working fine so far!

 

[Mightydob]

Hi all,

I've been using fermentrack on a raspberry pi for a couple of years and it's been working great. I've just checked on a brew when is nearing fermentation and the fan heater I have in the fridge has been on for 7 hours meaning the beer temperature has risen to 40c I looked at the graph and it was not calling for heat for that period, and the fridge was also on trying to cool.

I guess I was wondering how/where I start to problem solve this as I don't want this to happen again so it does not ruin the beer, but also the cost of running that Fan heater for 7 hours

I wondered if it could be the relay maybe?

Thanks in advance

 

[rkhanso]

Hi all,

I've been using fermentrack on a raspberry pi for a couple of years and it's been working great. I've just checked on a brew when is nearing fermentation and the fan heater I have in the fridge has been on for 7 hours meaning the beer temperature has risen to 40c I looked at the graph and it was not calling for heat for that period, and the fridge was also on trying to cool.

I guess I was wondering how/where I start to problem solve this as I don't want this to happen again so it does not ruin the beer, but also the cost of running that Fan heater for 7 hours

I wondered if it could be the relay maybe?

Thanks in advance

Is your wiring secure? Not just a loose nest of Dupont wires? And you're saying "relay" which means to me a mechanical relay and not an SSR.

If Fermentrack was not turning the heat on at the time it went bad, I don't suspect a bad relay (though it certainly could be a bad relay). I'd expect a relay to go bad (overheat and develop an issue) if it were run too long at too high current and get stuck/melt in the on position. The relay going bad or bad wiring could cause what happened. But out of curiosity, how many amps is the relay rated for vs. the load you're putting on it? If you've been running this relay for years at close to the maximum capacity, maybe it just finally gave up the ghost.

I'd measure the voltage out of the pin on the 8266 that is going to the relay input and see if it is triggering the relay. If it's not, then you have an issue with the relay or wiring. If the 8266 is sending the "on" voltage to the relay, then check Fermentrack. This should get you looking in the right area. Replace the relay or wiring as needed. If you have to replace the relay, be sure to use one rated for well above the max current draw of your heater.

 

[uSlackr]

Question - I'm using a Fermentation profile - how can I tell how far along through the profile it's progressed?

 

[Mightydob]

Is your wiring secure? Not just a loose nest of Dupont wires? And you're saying "relay" which means to me a mechanical relay and not an SSR.

If Fermentrack was not turning the heat on at the time it went bad, I don't suspect a bad relay (though it certainly could be a bad relay). I'd expect a relay to go bad (overheat and develop an issue) if it were run too long at too high current and get stuck/melt in the on position. The relay going bad or bad wiring could cause what happened. But out of curiosity, how many amps is the relay rated for vs. the load you're putting on it? If you've been running this relay for years at close to the maximum capacity, maybe it just finally gave up the ghost.

I'd measure the voltage out of the pin on the Pi that is going to the relay input and see if it is triggering the relay. If it's not, then you have an issue with the relay or wiring. If the Pi is sending the "on" voltage to the relay, then check Fermentrack. This should get you looking in the right area. Replace the relay or wiring as needed. If you have to replace the relay, be sure to use one rated for well above the max current draw of your heater.

Thanks for info, was in a bit of a rush yesterday, so just had to get the beer cooled down asap. Will have a proper look today and have a look at some of the above areas you mentioned

 

[BrewCityBaller]

I recently installed a room temperature sensor and it worked well for a few hours, but then pegged at 185°F. Since then, it will randomly cycle from reading the correct room temperature, to displaying the (what I assume is) max temp of 185°F. I have used two different sensors now, with the same results.

Any idea what might be causing this?

I am running the non-docker version, controlling an Arduino.

 

[Thorrak]

I recently installed a room temperature sensor and it worked well for a few hours, but then pegged at 185°F. Since then, it will randomly cycle from reading the correct room temperature, to displaying the (what I assume is) max temp of 185°F. I have used two different sensors now, with the same results.

Any idea what might be causing this?

I am running the non-docker version, controlling an Arduino.

View attachment 767363View attachment 767364

Which version of the firmware are you using? The latest one (v14)?

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, 185°F (85°C) is what one receives if the ds18b20 isn't actually ready to send converted temperature data.
May indicate insufficient voltage to the sensor...

Cheers!

 

[Thorrak]

Which version of the firmware are you using? The latest one (v14)?

fwiw, 185°F (85°C) is what one receives if the ds18b20 isn't actually ready to send converted temperature data.
May indicate insufficient voltage to the sensor...

Cheers!

@day_trippr has it on this one. There’s a long standing bug with the sensor reading routine that can cause an 85deg reading to be seen as valid. This should be fixed in v14 if you upgrade.

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Which version of the firmware are you using? The latest one (v14)?

I am honestly not sure, but I update regularly. I think the most recent before docker support.

fwiw, 185°F (85°C) is what one receives if the ds18b20 isn't actually ready to send converted temperature data.
May indicate insufficient voltage to the sensor...

Cheers!

Interesting. The room temp sensor in on the same bus as the chamber and beer temps, and those have worked fine for years, and continue to work well. I will check the connections though.

@day_trippr has it on this one. There’s a long standing bug with the sensor reading routine that can cause an 85deg reading to be seen as valid. This should be fixed in v14 if you upgrade.

After this beer finishes I will update to the docker version. Perhaps that will solve my problem.

 

[Thorrak]

I am honestly not sure, but I update regularly. I think the most recent before docker support.



Interesting. The room temp sensor in on the same bus as the chamber and beer temps, and those have worked fine for years, and continue to work well. I will check the connections though.



After this beer finishes I will update to the docker version. Perhaps that will solve my problem.

Ah, I think I see the confusion -
Fermentrack and the BrewPi-ESP8266 firmware are completely independent — when you’re updating Fermentrack, it doesn’t update the firmware on your controller. The v14 beta update was released a few weeks ago and would have required you manually update. I’m guessing you’re almost certainly running v11 at the moment.

You can update your controller to v14 using either Fermentrack, BrewFlasher, or BrewFlasher Web Edition.

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Ah, I think I see the confusion -
Fermentrack and the BrewPi-ESP8266 firmware are completely independent — when you’re updating Fermentrack, it doesn’t update the firmware on your controller. The v14 beta update was released a few weeks ago and would have required you manually update. I’m guessing you’re almost certainly running v11 at the moment.

You can update your controller to v14 using either Fermentrack, BrewFlasher, or BrewFlasher Web Edition.

Ahh I think there is even deeper confusion. I am running an Arduino Uno!

 

[Thorrak]

Ahh I think there is even deeper confusion. I am running an Arduino Uno!

Even better! I told you the bug was long standing — it was inherited!

@LBussy may be able to help you. Are you running the “OG” BrewPi firmware, or BrewPi-Remix?

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Even better! I told you the bug was long standing — it was inherited!

@LBussy may be able to help you. Are you running the “OG” BrewPi firmware, or BrewPi-Remix?

99% sure I am running the BrewPi remix.

 

[RayZab]

Hello all. I've been using Fermentrack (with a RPi and Uno, and Tilt connected) for five batches now. However, this is the first time I've run into issues. Has anyone seen these before and know what the issue may be? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

• 4-5 times on the current batch, fermentrack is showing that it is cooling (during cold crashing), however the outlet to the fridge is not being turned on (you can see in chart below when this is occurring (the cooling duty is on for approximately 3 hours before i reset it). There is a gap with no cooling duty, which is when I unplugged the fridge from the outlet and plugged it in separately and allowed the fridge temp to drop on its own. This is the first time I've had any issues with the temperature controller out of five batches, and I did not execute differently from the previous batches. Wondering if this is an issue with fermentrack or is it also possible that my SSR is starting to malfunction?
• The tilt hydrometer is sparsely connecting to fermentrack (hours to days without a data point connecting to fermentrack). However when I open the Tilt app on my phone I am receiving live data just fine.

 

[Thorrak]

Hello all. I've been using Fermentrack (with a RPi and Uno, and Tilt connected) for five batches now. However, this is the first time I've run into issues. Has anyone seen these before and know what the issue may be? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

• 4-5 times on the current batch, fermentrack is showing that it is cooling (during cold crashing), however the outlet to the fridge is not being turned on (you can see in chart below when this is occurring (the cooling duty is on for approximately 3 hours before i reset it). There is a gap with no cooling duty, which is when I unplugged the fridge from the outlet and plugged it in separately and allowed the fridge temp to drop on its own. This is the first time I've had any issues with the temperature controller out of five batches, and I did not execute differently from the previous batches. Wondering if this is an issue with fermentrack or is it also possible that my SSR is starting to malfunction?
• The tilt hydrometer is sparsely connecting to fermentrack (hours to days without a data point connecting to fermentrack). However when I open the Tilt app on my phone I am receiving live data just fine.

View attachment 767793

When you see this cooling behavior, what does the (physical) screen on your controller say?

How close is your Raspberry Pi to your Tilt?

Are you using the docker or non-docker version of Fermentrack?

 

[RayZab]

When you see this cooling behavior, what does the (physical) screen on your controller say?

How close is your Raspberry Pi to your Tilt?

Are you using the docker or non-docker version of Fermentrack?

The screen states it is cooling, and when I look at the boards inside my control box, the correct light is turned on for cooling. However, there is no power going to the cooling outlet (as soon as I unplug the fridge and plug it into a wall outlet, it turns on). The RPi is right on top of the fridge, so probably about 1 to 2 feet away from the tilt. This is where I've left it for all five batches, and this is the first time I've had connectivity issues. I'm assuming I have the non-docker version of Fermentrack (since I'm not even sure what that means).

 

[Thorrak]

The screen states it is cooling, and when I look at the boards inside my control box, the correct light is turned on for cooling. However, there is no power going to the cooling outlet (as soon as I unplug the fridge and plug it into a wall outlet, it turns on).

Unfortunately, this sounds like a hardware issue with your relay. The light for cooling indicates that the controller/firmware is doing the right thing (sending a signal to the relay to cool) but the relay isn't actually closing the circuit.

Assuming that you are using one of the 2 channel relay boards (and aren't using heat, or can live without it for this part of the fermentation), my recommendation would be to swap your AC wiring over to the other relay channel on the board, and update the pin accordingly. If it starts working again (both the proper light on the relay board comes on and you get cooling) then replace the relay board.

The RPi is right on top of the fridge, so probably about 1 to 2 feet away from the tilt. This is where I've left it for all five batches, and this is the first time I've had connectivity issues. I'm assuming I have the non-docker version of Fermentrack (since I'm not even sure what that means).

OK. The radios on the Pis aren't the strongest, but that should be close enough to pick it up, unless you've got super thick stainless or something of that sort. Try restating the Pi.

You're right -- you probably aren't using the docker version at the moment. I'd recommend updating to the docker version when you get a chance, as updates are not going to be released much longer for the non-docker version. That said, I don't know if there is anything in the latest versions that would help with regards to your Tilt issues, so it may not make sense to update at the moment until your current ferment is complete.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I had fermentrack installed and running.
I unplugged the temperature sensors to put a heat shrink on them so that each had a different color, as to be able to identify them.
When I plugged them back in the device (ESP8266) became unresponsive and I rebooted the Pi, when I was rebooting it, it became unresponsive, I likely didn't wait long enough. I power cycled the Pi and after it rebooted, I couldn't get to the web interface, 404 page not found. I've rerun the install script and get

*** WARNING: Port 80 is currently in use.
::: You probably want to stop the installation here and either select a
::: new port or stop the service currently occupying port 80.
*** WARNING: Installation will continue with port 80 in 10 seconds unless you press Ctrl+C now.
*** ERROR: Port 6379 is required by Redis, but is currently in use. Installation cannot continue.
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ error messages that port 80 is in use

Any ideas as to what I need to do?