I've seen a couple of hacks out there for getting an Arduino to intercept measured weights, I'm figuring on putting together a front end that basically tells me easily approximately how much beer I have left in the kegs... thoughts anyone?
There have been a myriad of methods - attempted and occasionally successful - on tracking keg volumes. I'm thinking I've seen most of those documented in the Kegging section (though I could be wrong). There have been schemes based on bubble meters, scales, floats of all kinds, impeller/rev counters, sonic transducers, ad infinitum.
Aside from an epic KegBot or two (truly awesome level of overkill-kill-kill dispensing system) I've yet to read of anything that I thought had the legs to work beyond the one-off level.
Anyway, using scales - and there's a crap ton of cheap digital scales that might be "interfaceable" with a controller - the relatively hostile environment at the bottom of the typical keezer may pose a life-span limiting factor. We've had some epically humid weeks here where I've had to wet-vac my keezer floor...
Cheers!
[...]Also, off topic but day_trippr have u considered adding one of these? Works wonders on kegerators and ferm chambers with regards to condensation.
Homercidal said:I had a few thoughts, but will probably never get around to building anything. My easy, mechanical idea was to mount the keg on a base made from plastic/MDF with springs between a top and bottom piece. Then machine a simple pair of blocks to mount on the front with a pivoted needle indicator. A bit of work, but simple in concept and requires no electricity. As the keg emptied it would raise the top part of the base.
When I hear phssssssssssssssst and foam comes out I know it's time to put a fresh keg in.
I tried the bathroom scale idea. Does not work. Number one, scales like things to be set on them and then be removed, not on continuously. Two, most scales hate the cold! So I came up with a better, more accurate method. I bought a food scale for $7 online, connected it to my Arduino Uno, and now have a beer scale that as of the second test keg was -.20% accurate! When my keg ran out, the PC app that I made to read the data sent by the Arduino via Xbee gave me that result. No more lifting of kegs, just reading the display on my PC! Check out my site,http://www.beerscale.webs.com .
When I hear phssssssssssssssst and foam comes out I know it's time to put a fresh keg in.
Awesome, this is exactly what I started planning out last night. I've previously used an inline flow sensor to figure out how much was left in a keg, but this required me to reset it every time I installed a new keg, so I think a weight based approach will be more automatic.
Everywhere that carries those load sensors seems to be backordered right now, but you mention using a kitchen scale. I bought a couple bathroom scales (most kitchen scales don't seem to have the range for a full keg), and they seem to be hit or miss on the types of sensors they use. I had hoped to somehow use a single sensor per keg, though your method seems a bit more stable. It does however, use 2 of the Arduino's analog inputs right? I'm going to have to get it down to a single input, as the remainder are taken up with pressure sensors attached to my gas lines (0,1,2 for keg mass sensors and 3,4,5 for the gas pressure sensors).
What model of scale did you use to get the parts, or did you eventually end up buying them individually? Do you have more pictures covering how you build the scale parts itself to distribute the weight?
How are your circuit design and soldering skills? I might be able to help you figure out a solution for that problem.
Also, where did you find pressure sensors for the gas lines? The places I've looked those are all industrial quality and hundreds of dollars each.
I either pull out the keg in question or shut down my kegarator for about 20 minute to half hour and check the condensation line!
It looks like these solutions still require you to take your keg out and weigh it each time you want an update. Has anyone found a solution for taking constant readings?
Enter your email address to join: