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

[Thorrak]

While I highly doubt this will mean anything to most of you, this is after four days of running 3 separate “solder free” BrewPis:



Espressif finally solved their issues! Official solder-free support is (coming) back, baby!

 

[Derp]

Espressif finally solved their issues! Official solder-free support is (coming) back, baby!

I've been running a test setup of the solder-free Fermentrack 2, and over the last 20 days I've had 10 events where everything drops to zero. Are these Bluetooth crashes, or something else? If it's something that's difficult to track down, would there be a way to implement logic that would replace obviously incorrect values with the previous good value to smooth out the graph?

I just realized that even the Beer Setting value dropped to zero. That shouldn't be read by any type of sensor, right? I would expect it to be a static, configured value.

 

[Nagorg]

I don't see this in the FAQ, perhaps its not an FAQ.. lol

I'm wondering if/how I can make changes to an active fermentation profile after its started.

For example, lets say I'm using a profile that has been set for a 7 day primary phase before it starts a cold crash. But along the way I notice the beer is not attenuating as fast as expected and I want to extend this phase longer. Or even the reverse of that, its attenuated faster and I want to start a cold crash sooner.

Is this possible?

 

[Thorrak]

I don't see this in the FAQ, perhaps its not an FAQ.. lol

I'm wondering if/how I can make changes to an active fermentation profile after its started.

For example, lets say I'm using a profile that has been set for a 7 day primary phase before it starts a cold crash. But along the way I notice the beer is not attenuating as fast as expected and I want to extend this phase longer. Or even the reverse of that, its attenuated faster and I want to start a cold crash sooner.

Is this possible?

Sort of. Since a profile can be in use by multiple ferments at once, you can't edit a profile that is in use, but you can unassign the profile, edit it, and then reassign the profile - starting it X hours into the future (where X is the number of hours in your current ferment is). It's not quite as easy as directly editing it, but it prevents any weirdness if you have multiple fermenters going at once.

 

[Nagorg]

Did I toast my Arduino Uno?

I finally got around to wiring up my Arduino Uno for use with Fermentrack.

I started the guided controller wizard, everything seemed to be going well. My controller was new and needed to be flashed. I started that process, it was detected and everything seemed good. At least until after the flashing finished. Now its not seen by Fermentrack.

Does it sound like its toast? Anything I can do at this point or just buy another one and start over?

@Thorrak or anyone?

EDIT: Nevermind... Its not toast. I'm a total noob with this stuff. It seems I did flash it and it is seen. But looks like I need to configure the pins for what they do within Fermentrack, at least I think anyway... That didn't seem apparent and I either didn't find this info or glossed over it somehow.

If I'm on-track, wish me luck. Or if it seems like my noobieness is destined for more confusion and frustration, please point me in a better direction!

 

[Nagorg]

Welp... After I selected the correct Brew-Pi firmware (RevC) that matched the wiring diagram I've been using, I was able to assign temp probes and am getting input!

IT'S ALIVE! A bit of a learning curve, just makes me want to keep digging in more. I've obviously got a LOT to learn about this stuff but looks like I'm well on my way to controlling my fermentations..

 

[Nagorg]

After getting Fermentrack running and playing with profiles and switching options for Control Mode, I think I kinda answered my own question I posted a few days ago about changing operation during fermentation.

Aside from switching to a new profile as suggested by @Thorrak , I can always switch from the "Beer Profile" control mode to "Beer Constant" and basically take over the control of my fermentation whenever I think I need to.

I need to do some testing with beer profile switching but worst case, I think switching to beer constant will give me what I was looking for!

Thanks for all the hard work to everyone keeping these projects going for the community. I just wish I had taken a leap back in 2017 when I was first interested. Better late than never I suppose...

Looking forward to seeing what comes with Fermentrack2! But meanwhile, having fun with V1 and putting these components into a box so I can start using it!

 

[tieflyer]

good day brewers!!!! It has been forever since i brewed and i would like to get started brewing again. Eons ago, in a galaxy far far way, when i was brewing i used a raspberry pi, this great software and a iSpindel to monitor my fermentation.

Well fast forward to today, and i was contemplating using brewfather and i believe i could hook my iSpindel to it, however i really don't remember/know the calibration for it. Is there anyway to see what my setting were in Fermentrack? If so can anyone lead me in a direction to do it?

My first problem is hooking Fermentrack up to my pi, but i found an old post here that helped me get it up on my laptop so I am trying that while waiting on finding the settings. Yes i can redo finding the correct calibration settings, but since it has been so long, i wanted to get a few brews under my belt before i try doing the calibrations and i feel the using the old settings just might be a starting point.

 

[bloombrews]

The First thing You do, to your new Icemaster Max2 Chiller, to work with Fementrack!
My 110 VAC switching is up on the wall with my Fermentrack on other side of Brewery. Had to override the onboard pumps, to switch on/off, with Ftrack commands. I used an A-B toggle switch to isolate the 12 vdc onboard the Icemaster. Then ran the Ftrack switching through the SSR.
Works awesome so far, with the Chiller or without. I have my choice to use the dumb STC-1000 variation, or @Thorrak , awesome bug-less-proof, Logic
controller.
Obviously, my first hack, was to have all control from Fermentrack.
Next... tidy up the Hack, to make it look OEM-BloomBrews Building Standerd!

EDIT... Had to get the TiltBridge in the second retake Pix, by @Thorrak ,

 

[bloombrews]

Merry Christmas to All, and to All, A Happy Brewyear !

 

[bloombrews]

@Thorrak
Where can we go, to buy you a Coffee? So, you can stay awake and get Fermentrack2 totally released?
I can not wait to try it...

 

[Thorrak]

@Thorrak
Where can we go, to buy you a Coffee? So, you can stay awake and get Fermentrack2 totally released?
I can not wait to try it...

Which feature are you waiting on? Gravity support, or the source + installer to run it locally? Fermentrack 2 is Fermentrack.net, after all!

Gravity support is coming soon, but will bring with it an updated TiltBridge. For a discussion of the latest challenges in building it see here.

If it’s the source, just ping me and I can add you to the project on GitHub. I’m not keeping the source secret from anyone interested, other than that I’m not providing any support for installing/maintaining it at this point. I’d rather focus on features than debug environmental concerns for now.

 

[bloombrews]

Just waiting for the Beta release, so I don't screw something up trying to update to 2......
Fermentrack has been running almost flawlessly for the past couple years with multiple fermentors going at the same time... I'm just afraid to change to Fermentrack2 and turn my Lager into a Steam Ale

 

[wd16261]

I managed to install the local version in a Container (PROXMOX) but it wasn't easy so I think an Installer would be useful for most users.

During the first tests that I was able to perform I already encountered a few small bugs such as:
- I can't create a superuser (manage.py doesn't work)
- Saving 'Unit and Display Preferences' doesn't work either.

And as @Thorrak already mentioned the focus is more on 'Features' so I certainly wouldn't use this local version for production yet.

I also have another question, is there some more information available somewhere on how to connect a TFT (wiring diagram or something like that)? At the moment I am using the Lolin D32 Pro with the accompanying TFT and TFT cable and this works fine, but I would like to install a 2nd one and use a less expensive 2.8" TFT for that but I can't figure out how to connect it.
The only thing I have been able to find on Github so far is this:

TFT Pins

• 14 - TFT CS
• 27 - TFT DC
• 33 - TFT RST
• 12 - TS CS
• 32 - TFT Backlight

But there are still some connections missing here such as MOSI, MISO, ... or am I wrong?

 

[Thorrak]

I managed to install the local version in a Container (PROXMOX) but it wasn't easy so I think an Installer would be useful for most users.

During the first tests that I was able to perform I already encountered a few small bugs such as:
- I can't create a superuser (manage.py doesn't work)
- Saving 'Unit and Display Preferences' doesn't work either.

And as @Thorrak already mentioned the focus is more on 'Features' so I certainly wouldn't use this local version for production yet.

I also have another question, is there some more information available somewhere on how to connect a TFT (wiring diagram or something like that)? At the moment I am using the Lolin D32 Pro with the accompanying TFT and TFT cable and this works fine, but I would like to install a 2nd one and use a less expensive 2.8" TFT for that but I can't figure out how to connect it.
The only thing I have been able to find on Github so far is this:

TFT Pins

• 14 - TFT CS
• 27 - TFT DC
• 33 - TFT RST
• 12 - TS CS
• 32 - TFT Backlight

But there are still some connections missing here such as MOSI, MISO, ... or am I wrong?

Manage.py definitely works, but you have to invoke it differently for FT2. How? Unfortunately, it’s been a good while since I’ve done it — I’ll have to check and get back to you.

I can check the PCB design when I’m back home, but the pins are the same as the D32 Pro for compatibility. Good call on the documentation needing to be updated on that point.

 

[wd16261]

OK I found the missing information:

23 - MOSI
19 - MISO
18 - SCK

I Found it here.

 

[Thorrak]

That looks right. This is from the schematic of my board designs:

 

[bscuderi]

I hadn't had time to brew in a while but I sound some time last weekend to brew a couple of batches. I have both my fermentation chambers running a beer on separate profiles. The first one behaved normally so far its a brewpi with a d1 mini second one also a d1 mini i found today 3 days in randomly with the fridge set to 10.3F and the beer wasn't done yet which definitely was not part of the profile. Luckily I caught it at a beer temp of about 50 so hopefully just a stagnated fermentation for a minute. The graph says the temp was set by the web interface. I haven't been home or accessing it to think I could have accidently done that. The strange thing is the server was acting slow and erratic and unresponsive when I tried to access fermentrack. I could access another webpage from a different port on my pi just fine though. I rebooted the raspberry pi and was able to have normal of fermentrack again. Is it possible some sort of weird crash or error of fermentrack was sending the erratic set points. The only difference I could find with my two controllers is the malfunctioning one showed as being an s2 mini as the board type in the configuration page but it wouldn't let me change it to esp8266 and it was communicating fine. I did just as a precaution in case that was causing me problems remove the controller and reinstall it correctly as an esp8266 in case that could have possibly caused my problem. Not sure if i did that on accident when I switched to the D1 from an S2 I was trying back in the day. I'm on the Sept. 4, 2023 commit of fermentrack and that shows up to date. I ran the following to make sure their wasnt an update the web app wasnt telling me about but its the same version.

• cd fermentrack-tools
• git fetch
• git pull
• ./install.sh

Thoughts? I definitely don't want to freeze my beer when I'm not paying attention haha

 

[bscuderi]

Update on my last post. Today controller 1 had a strange failure too. it was ramping up slowly just fine for a dactyl rest then it shows a set point of 60 by fermentation profile. I have attached the profile I'm at a loss as to why it would do this. It became unreachable by the fermentrack script. The device itself showed beer profile mode with a setpoint of 60 working lcd and working relays maintaining 60. I tried rebooting the brewpi it still wouldn't connect to fermentrack so I assumed the problem was on the fermentrack end and rebooted the raspberry pi and it connected back up. Im at a loss as to why it's not behaving.

 

[day_trippr]

Not seeing any attachments.

Is this the same complex you had problems with the day before - or are both acting flakey now?

 

[bscuderi]

Not seeing any attachments.

Is this the same complex you had problems with the day before - or are both acting flakey now?

sorry i guess I needed to click the attach button. The first one you can see the beer is ramping up like set in my profile then the next one you see it gets a setpoint of 60 says from beer profile. Fermentrack cant connect to script after that and beer went to 60. 60 is at least where that beer started. The problem I had yesterday with the other controller was a setting of 10.3F and the server itself being haywire too. Im really not sure but nothings seeming to work right. But yea this is a defferent controller than the first one that acted up.

 

[day_trippr]

Unless you've been making changes on the host side, I'd start by making sure power to the host(s) is in good shape. I have had wall warts slowly fail...

Cheers!

 

[bscuderi]

Unless you've been making changes on the host side, I'd start by making sure power to the host(s) is in good shape. I have had wall warts slowly fail...

Cheers!

not a bad idea. This Pi runs raspberry pints, fermentrack, pihole, and an mqtt server that interfaces with a bunch of diy sensors and devices for home automation. I haven't had problems with its other tasks just fermentrack. Ive had wall warts fail on some diy devices super annoying to track down. Ill go see if I have another one to try just in case.

 

[day_trippr]

Are both controllers connected to the same host?

 

[bscuderi]

Are both controllers connected to the same host?

Yeah they both sit next to eachother out in my shed. I have an ehternet cable that runs to the shed and run a wifi network out there for the controllers and ispindels to connect to. The server is on a raspberry pi in the house connected via ethernet.

 

[RocketBrewer]

Update on my last post. Today controller 1 had a strange failure too. it was ramping up slowly just fine for a dactyl rest then it shows a set point of 60 by fermentation profile. I have attached the profile I'm at a loss as to why it would do this. It became unreachable by the fermentrack script. The device itself showed beer profile mode with a setpoint of 60 working lcd and working relays maintaining 60. I tried rebooting the brewpi it still wouldn't connect to fermentrack so I assumed the problem was on the fermentrack end and rebooted the raspberry pi and it connected back up. Im at a loss as to why it's not behaving.

Does the weird setpoint coincide with the setpoint of the other chamber by any chance? I've had issues a couple times where Fermentrack seemed to cross up the set points when running multiple controllers, both running beer profiles

 

[bscuderi]

Does the weird setpoint coincide with the setpoint of the other chamber by any chance? I've had issues a couple times where Fermentrack seemed to cross up the set points when running multiple controllers, both running beer profiles

no it was a very random point of 10.3F which is way colder than anything I would ever set I always use a warmer than freezing setting even when cold crashing just in case plus the fridge isn't powerful enough to achieve that. So II have no idea where that setting came from. In beer profile mode Fermentrack sends the profile to the controller and it should run in therory regardless of server connection correct?

 

[Thorrak]

Very strange about the random data point. The annotation is actually generated by/sent by the controller - not Fermentrack - as part of a status message so the fact that you’re getting an annotation makes this even more interesting.

To reduce the number of variables in play, what version of the firmware are you using? V16?

 

[bloombrews]

Is there any way to get what beer name your fermenting under the Device Control panel, on the main GUI page? I often forget what beer is in the right or left conical, and what controller is running the script. I would then have to switch- "Select Device to Control" panel, to see the beer name for the given controller.

 

[LBussy]

Is there any way to get what beer name your fermenting under the Device Control panel, on the main GUI page? I often forget what beer is in the right or left conical, and what controller is running the script. I would then have to switch- "Select Device to Control" panel, to see the beer name for the given controller.
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