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

[Thorrak]

I assume you mean, that I need to install Docker first, and then download Fermentrack from there?
I was installing it from my Raspberry Pi desktop, not on a Windows system

No, I meant what I said quite literally -- Can you access http://get.docker.com/ on your Raspberry Pi. The error you're receiving implies that you can't, which means that Fermentrack's installer can't install Docker for you automatically.

You're correct that you need to install Docker before installing Fermentrack, but the install script should take care of both.

 

[bloombrews]

Okay, I got back to this and installed docker by - sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock
Then the install -
curl -L install.fermentrack.com | sudo bash
Here is what I got after two attempts -
One other question - Is it important to run this as "Pi" user, or root ? There is a question asked for this, and I just let it run as root
error -
I keep going around in circles lately... Thanks @Thorrak

 

[RocketBrewer]

sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock

There's your problem.... You summoned Satan with that command
Sorry, not very helpful

 

[bloombrews]

Okay, I was having an issue with BrewPiRemix, when I assigned a second sensor, both temperatures would revert to the same value number.
I then tried to run this Fermentrack and then assign temp sensors, and the same strange Assignment readings happened here.
Not sure what could be causing this. Anything to do with the Resister, Pi, or Controller hardware? I did try new sensors, reset the eeprom, and Apply.
So, it is not a bug, but I assume a hardware issue?

 

[day_trippr]

I'm assuming Fermentrack burns a precompiled image on the Uno during installation so I can't see the firmware being the problem cause here. And the only way I can envision the hardware being at fault would be a rogue sensor - I can't see the microcontroller sending out misaddressed One-Wire commands, but I could see a sensor with a defective address recognition circuit grabbing commands as its own...

 

[bloombrews]

I'm assuming Fermentrack burns a precompiled image on the Uno during installation so I can't see the firmware being the problem cause here. And the only way I can envision the hardware being at fault would be a rogue sensor - I can't see the microcontroller sending out misaddressed One-Wire commands, but I could see a sensor with a defective address recognition circuit grabbing commands as its own...

I will try to install a new UNO controller (generic Arduino), and 2 new sensors. Do a eeprom reset to factory, then refresh the list, and reassign the new probes. The RPi should have nothing to do with these ghost readings.
I guess I do not have to uninstall the UNO that is shown above post, but it will show up with no readings on my dashboard on Fermentrack.
This is really strange how 2 unique 1-wire addresses discovered, mysteriously come back with the same reading (one I am sitting on to keep much warmer than room temp), once applied..... I did use brand new never used sensors today after resetting the eeprom, reassigning, without resolve.
My "last resort" will be to buy a brand new Arduino UNO, and redo the wires, resister, sensors, except the Pi, and start from scratch.
Thanks for your thoughts

 

[Thorrak]

@bloombrews What does your sensor page look like? The bottom section - with the assignments.

 

[bloombrews]

@bloombrews What does your sensor page look like? The bottom section - with the assignments.

The Fermentrack and RPR, are both working and assigning slots good, now that I have a totally new build (everything except the Pi B+ V3).
It has been at least 3 years, since I used the Fermentrack, so I am in the relearning process of navigation through the GUI.
Is the command to reflash with a Glycol shield in the Terminal window, the same syntax as with the BrewPi? Or can this be done through the User Interface G?

 

[Thorrak]

The Fermentrack and RPR, are both working and assigning slots good, now that I have a totally new build (everything except the Pi B+ V3).
It has been at least 3 years, since I used the Fermentrack, so I am in the relearning process of navigation through the GUI.
Is the command to reflash with a Glycol shield in the Terminal window, the same syntax as with the BrewPi? Or can this be done through the User Interface G?

It's done through the user interface. I haven't tested Arduino flashing in awhile -- if you get any errors, let me know!

 

[Derp]

I've been running Fermentrack for several years, but I have a fermenting beer, and the temperature is 4 or 5 degrees above the set point, but my chest freezer isn't cooling. I suspect the fridge temperature probe is faulty, as it shows a temperature several degrees below the actual value. I have spare 1-wire probes on hand. Is it possible to snip off the sensor head and splice on a new one, or would that cause problems with Fermentrack? I'm trying to avoid tearing my Frankenstein controller apart, and running everything through the silicone-sealed holes in my freezer's lid will be a bit of a pain.

 

[day_trippr]

Your new ds18b20 will have a device address unknown to Fermentrack hence it won't use it until it is assigned through the gui.

But that could be relatively benign: I would stop (pause) your current Fermentrack run, unassign the suspect sensor via the gui, power down your complex, cut the old sensor out and splice in the new one, power up the complex, use the Fermentrack gui to assign the new sensor, then un-pause your Fermentrack run. I believe it should just pick up from where it was paused...

Cheers!

 

[Derp]

Your new ds18b20 will have a device address unknown to Fermentrack hence it won't use it until it is assigned through the gui.

But that could be relatively benign: I would stop (pause) your current Fermentrack run, unassign the suspect sensor via the gui, power down your complex, cut the old sensor out and splice in the new one, power up the complex, use the Fermentrack gui to assign the new sensor, then un-pause your Fermentrack run. I believe it should just pick up from where it was paused...

Thanks for the quick reply. It's too dark to fool around in my garage after a few pints, so I will try offsetting the beer setpoint by the number of degrees the fridge sensor is off, then see where I am in the morning. I'll start cutting wires tomorrow.

 

[bloombrews]

I've been running Fermentrack for several years, but I have a fermenting beer, and the temperature is 4 or 5 degrees above the set point, but my chest freezer isn't cooling. I suspect the fridge temperature probe is faulty, as it shows a temperature several degrees below the actual value. I have spare 1-wire probes on hand. Is it possible to snip off the sensor head and splice on a new one, or would that cause problems with Fermentrack? I'm trying to avoid tearing my Frankenstein controller apart, and running everything through the silicone-sealed holes in my freezer's lid will be a bit of a pain.

I don't know 1/1,000 of what @day_trippr knows about EE, but I do know hvac and enough Fridge, to get a pay check. Did you do the obvious (to me) and make sure your "Chamber" Fridge is working? Not sure if you overridden the fridge OEM stat, or what. But sometimes it is easy to overthink, outside the "Box"

 

[Derp]

I don't know 1/1,000 of what @day_trippr knows about EE, but I do know hvac and enough Fridge, to get a pay check. Did you do the obvious (to me) and make sure your "Chamber" Fridge is working? Not sure if you overridden the fridge OEM stat, or what. But sometimes it is easy to overthink, outside the "Box"

Yeah, the freezer works/cools. A rundown:

After brewing on Saturday, I put about 12 gallons of bitter in a Speidel fermenter inside the freezer. I'm in south Texas, so my counterflow chiller only got the wort down to 73 degrees. I keep the freezer near freezing when I'm not fermenting anything; it'll get condensation and mold if I don't. It was probably around 35 degrees when I put the Speidel in the freezer, with a garage temp ranging between 65F and 80F.

A full day later, the beer was still at about 66 degrees, even though Fermentrack was set for 63. I manually dropped the fridge temperature until it was at my pitching target, then pitched. Since then, the beer temperature has steadily climbed into the upper 60s, with the compressor never kicking in. Whenever I grab the fridge sensor with my hands, it causes the freezer to kick on, but as soon as it's back in its usual spot, it goes back to about 57F. There's no way that it's that cool in my hot garage. I placed my Thermapen in the freezer for 15 minutes, and its reading matched the beer temperature, as measured in the thermowell.

 

[day_trippr]

I'm still running BrewPi "Classic" here, and its gui has a horizontal bar that indicates the current system state, between Wait To Heat (light red), Heating (red), Idle (blank), Wait To Cool (light blue) and Cooling (blue). It is useful because it clearly shows the intentions of the underlying control algorithm, which can help diagnose wonky sensor or actuator (relay or SSR) behavior.

Does Fermentrack provide a similar system status line?

Cheers!

 

[bloombrews]

I'm still running BrewPi "Classic" here, and its gui has a horizontal bar that indicates the current system state, between Wait To Heat (light red), Heating (red), Idle (blank), Wait To Cool (light blue) and Cooling (blue). It is useful because it clearly shows the intentions of the underlying control algorithm, which can help diagnose wonky sensor or actuator (relay or SSR) behavior.

View attachment 814536

Does Fermentrack provide a similar system status line?

Cheers!

You are Awesome!, My to-do number #1001, is to do a Header!! LOL
I need to go get my Pencils, sharpened... I like the Picture of Dad, sitting on TOP!

 

[bloombrews]

Yeah, the freezer works/cools. A rundown:

How did you bypass the OEM thermostat on the freezer? I am assuming you totally took it out of the compressor circuit, and ran the 110vac switching through the UNO for cooling? You say it cools, but how do you get it to cool without a switching thermostat setup (The UNO, Relays, Temp Probes)? On another, not related note, make sure you have your "wait to cool" delay set for at least 3-5 minutes, so you do not short cycle the compressor.

 

[day_trippr]

A freezer thermostat's range is usually entirely below 0°C/32°F. As we don't ferment quite that cold even at its "warmest" setting the thermostat will always want to turn on the compressor. So you simply control the line cord...

Cheers!

 

[bloombrews]

Craft Beer and Brewing magazine just sent me an email about a new Accubrew Fermentation Monitoring System...
Looks like an expensive Tilt/iSpindle setup... LOL @Thorrak
Does look sweeet though!
Curious how they get the signal from this long Tri Clamp well ?

EDIT - The $295 looks super good/sensor, but what is the expensive long term "Subscription" to monitor the cheep sensors??

@Thorrak said on another Forum - "Ahh, yes. Modern software. Subscriptions as a Service.

No idea how an optical gravity sensor works though. Would be interesting! The only thing that seems missing from Fermentrack/TiltBridge is alerting. I think I know how to fix that…"

We need get @Thorrak , a Go Fund Me Page, so we "Others" dont feel bad getting free Szit !

"WARNING WARNING!! DANGER DANGER!! Boil Kettle is a Vulcano NOW!"
Like this, John? Lee said your beer is done! LMAO

 

[carrsgarage]

Can Fermentrack (and/or BrewPi) be run concurrently with CraftBeerPi on the same Raspberry Pi?

 

[Thorrak]

Can Fermentrack (and/or BrewPi) be run concurrently with CraftBeerPi on the same Raspberry Pi?

Probably - I've never tried it (but I don't see any reason it couldn't!)

You may need to select a different port to run each on, though

 

[Thorrak]

@Thorrak said on another Forum - "Ahh, yes. Modern software. Subscriptions as a Service.

No idea how an optical gravity sensor works though. Would be interesting! The only thing that seems missing from Fermentrack/TiltBridge is alerting. I think I know how to fix that…"

We need get @Thorrak , a Go Fund Me Page, so we "Others" dont feel bad getting free Szit !

"WARNING WARNING!! DANGER DANGER!! Boil Kettle is a Vulcano NOW!"
Like this, John? Lee said your beer is done! LMAO

Lee would know - I made him suffer with some of my earlier attempts at "beer". At least the recent stuff is decent!

 

[bloombrews]

Lee would know - I made him suffer with some of my earlier attempts at "beer". At least the recent stuff is decent!

Next time you or Lee are in the "Burgh" (Pittsburgh), give me a heads-up, and we can fire up my small brewery here. Then UPS it back to Kansas n NYNY. @day_trippr too, for putting up with me! LOL. Plenty of room for AirBnBloom, here also

 

[Derp]

Your new ds18b20 will have a device address unknown to Fermentrack hence it won't use it until it is assigned through the gui.

But that could be relatively benign: I would stop (pause) your current Fermentrack run, unassign the suspect sensor via the gui, power down your complex, cut the old sensor out and splice in the new one, power up the complex, use the Fermentrack gui to assign the new sensor, then un-pause your Fermentrack run. I believe it should just pick up from where it was paused...

Finally got around to splicing the new sensor, and everything seems to have gone smoothly. Thanks for your help!

 

[day_trippr]

Excellent!

 

[bloombrews]

Is there any way to edit/change the Device Name (Controller) through the GUI ?
Only way I know is to uninstall 1 controller at a time, and then reinstall it under a new name.

My 2 Controllers, somehow got there Names/temperature probes, switched, when I was adding a new controller.

 

[Thorrak]

Is there any way to edit/change the Device Name (Controller) through the GUI ?
Only way I know is to uninstall 1 controller at a time, and then reinstall it under a new name.

My 2 Controllers, somehow got there Names/temperature probes, switched, when I was adding a new controller.

You can do it from within the Django admin. Click the gear in the upper right, then click "Django Admin Panel", then "BrewPi Devices" (under "App"). Select the device, and you can change the name.

 

[Derp]

Excellent!

My beer still wasn't cooling to the proper temperatures, so I took another look. Believe it or not, my chamber temperature sensor also seems to have gone bad. Like the beer sensor, it read about 10F lower than the actual temperature. When I stripped the original sensor wires, I noticed a little green corrosion. I assume both "waterproof" sensors must have gotten wet at some time. Not sure how the chamber sensor could have gotten wet, but the beer sensor sits in a thermowell that tends to hold onto Starsan after I sanitize it. I guess I need to find/make some really long Qtips to ensure the thermowell is dry.

My beer quickly hit the chosen temperature after being rather sluggish for a few beers and then finally becoming unusable. The sensors lasted at least 6 or 7 years, so I can't really complain about having to replace them occasionally.

 

[day_trippr]

Is it just condensation or are you dunking sensors in liquids? I'm still using the same sensors from 2010 but they are never submerged and the wired ends are inside Tiny XLR connectors...

Cheers!

 

[wd16261]

Are you sure that you removed the other version of Fermentrack and are actually logging into the docker-based install? (And, separately, does the install actually work??)

The message pops up when the "USE_DOCKER" setting is false which should only happen if the environment settings aren't being loaded into the Docker container. These same settings, however, contain the information on how to connect to the database behind Fermentrack, what secret key to use for internal storage, how to access, redis, and a bunch of other things that - if missing - are likely to cause Fermentrack to either act very strangely or to not work at all.

My recommendation is always to just re-run the fermentrack-tools installer. Assuming you run it from the same directory, it should be idempotent -- the worst case scenario should just be a little bit of downtime.

I also have the same error message when I click on (in my case) Fermentrack3 in the menu:

I thought that the migration was successfully and when I run some docker commands it looks like the docker version is running?

Is there another way to check this?
I know that the best solution is probably to reinstall my Rasberry Pi OS and then reinstall Fermentrack but I'm hoping that this is not needed because I'm planning another brew for the next weekend.

 

[Thorrak]

I also have the same error message when I click on (in my case) Fermentrack3 in the menu:

View attachment 815118
I thought that the migration was successfully and when I run some docker commands it looks like the docker version is running?

View attachment 815117

Is there another way to check this?
I know that the best solution is probably to reinstall my Rasberry Pi OS and then reinstall Fermentrack but I'm hoping that this is not needed because I'm planning another brew for the next weekend.

Did you install the docker version on the same Pi as you previously had non-docker Fermentrack installed? If so, there is no "uninstall" step there -- you didn't uninstall the previous version of Fermentrack first. In your screenshot you can see where the "fermentrack_nginx" image is crashing -- likely because it can't bind to port 80 (which is already in use by the other install).

My recommendation if you have a brew coming up would be to either not worry about it for now, stick with the non-docker Fermentrack install, and then worry about migrating later -- or re-run the "docker Fermentrack" install script and select a port other than 80 to be able to access both at once.

 

[wd16261]

Did you install the docker version on the same Pi as you previously had non-docker Fermentrack installed? If so, there is no "uninstall" step there -- you didn't uninstall the previous version of Fermentrack first. In your screenshot you can see where the "fermentrack_nginx" image is crashing -- likely because it can't bind to port 80 (which is already in use by the other install).

My recommendation if you have a brew coming up would be to either not worry about it for now, stick with the non-docker Fermentrack install, and then worry about migrating later -- or re-run the "docker Fermentrack" install script and select a port other than 80 to be able to access both at once.

I didn't know that there was an uninstall required before the migration.
But I have 2 RPI setups and with the first one the migration to the docker version went well without the uninstallation.
like you said I will leave it like this for now and when I do have some more time I will reinstall my second setup from scratch.

 

[wd16261]

Just another question how can I backup the Docker version?
With the non-docker version I used a simple script to copy the home folder:

#!/bin/bash
TIME=`date +%d-%b-%Y` # This Command will read the date.
FILENAME=backup-homedir-$TIME.tar.gz
SRCDIR=/home
DESDIR=/backup/backup
tar -cpzf $DESDIR/$FILENAME $SRCDIR

I did had a crach of my RPI in the past and it took me a while to get it back up so since then I prefer to have a backup so it could save me some time.
But where are the docker files located? I believe that there are some steps required first to export the docker data?

 

[bloombrews]

Why does the running Beer Profile not match the GUI dashboard?
I paused the logging yesterday and resumed today, so this has nothing to do with it.

 

[bloombrews]

Django Admin Panel, Graph Color change?
The graph is really hard to read, since the colors are blending together (and my 63 year old eyes..)
I went to change the colors , and I do not understand what "code" to use. I read the Documentation (3.3.2 Advanced Site Settings), and do not see a list of possible change codes. Not sure if you call them "codes", but that is what the letters and number combinations look like to me.

 

[gsmit07]

Hi, All: Attempting my first build and am unable to flash BrewPi-ESP32-S2 (Experimental) - v15-beta4 - - WiFi to my esp32-s2 via Fermentrack or web.brewflasher.

The hold "0" + press "reset" button combo makes the board selectable but in fermentrack the result is "Flash process returned code 2" with a flash output of " " b'' "

In web.brewflasher I get the following popup "Failed to initialize. Try resetting your device or holding the BOOT button while clicking INSTALL." Tried again while holding "0" when pressing install to no avail.

I tried another esp32-s2 board as well and get the same issue with it.

Has anyone encountered this issue? Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Thorrak]

Unfortunately, it's hard to debug exactly what might be going on here. These boards leverage the microcontroller itself to provide the USB to UART bridge, hence the need to force the board into a special mode in order to flash. My recommendation is to try using the desktop BrewFlasher - holding the "0" button while plugging the board into your computer, then flashing it.

The good thing is that once you've flashed it once it gets a new bootloader that makes flashing much easier going forward.

 

[wd16261]

I didn't know that there was an uninstall required before the migration.
But I have 2 RPI setups and with the first one the migration to the docker version went well without the uninstallation.
like you said I will leave it like this for now and when I do have some more time I will reinstall my second setup from scratch.

The brew was canceled so I tried the fresh installation with the latest version Bullseye but this was not a good choose, this version has a problem with xRDP so I'm further away of a proper solution. I'll think I will go back to the previous version Buster which works well but time is what I'm missing a bit rigth now.

 

[Thorrak]

The brew was canceled so I tried the fresh installation with the latest version Bullseye but this was not a good choose, this version has a problem with xRDP so I'm further away of a proper solution. I'll think I will go back to the previous version Buster which works well but time is what I'm missing a bit rigth now.

xRDP? Not sure I've heard of that before.

If you can get docker to run on Buster, you can probably get the latest version of Fermentrack to work as well. That's one of the benefits of Docker -- it abstracts away a lot of the system packages.

 

[wd16261]

xRDP? Not sure I've heard of that before.

If you can get docker to run on Buster, you can probably get the latest version of Fermentrack to work as well. That's one of the benefits of Docker -- it abstracts away a lot of the system packages.

FYI: My raspberry pi 4B can't use xrdp connection · Issue #2060 · neutrinolabs/xrdp