HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

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The pins are correct it worked while I wired everything up in the house, the relay made the click sound turning the correct outlet on and the red led came on but when I moved it to the garage to put it in its final spot it stopped working could it be the connection from the power cord or the connection from relay to arduino
 
Diver4life said:
The pins are correct it worked while I wired everything up in the house, the relay made the click sound turning the correct outlet on and the red led came on but when I moved it to the garage to put it in its final spot it stopped working could it be the connection from the power cord or the connection from relay to arduino
Click to expand...

If it used to work its not likely inverting being the problem but its worth checking i suppose. If its wire as i show it in the diagram you need to invert in the BrewPi interface. If the relay isnt clicking on now and the small LED isnt coming on then your wires from Pins 5 and 6 to the relay are not attached its probable they just came undone while moving everything.
 
I double checked those and they are secured both to the relay to the header on the arduino. So fuzzewuzze you don't think it could be a loose connection from the power cord that goes to the outlets?
 
Diver4life said:
I double checked those and they are secured both to the relay to the header on the arduino. So fuzzewuzze you don't think it could be a loose connection from the power cord that goes to the outlets?
Click to expand...

That side of the relay should have nothing to do with it no. Can you take a picture? Did your jumper fall off the jd-vcc/vcc pins?
es001997b.jpg
 
If your wiring is solid. And the led changes from off to on, Check the NC or NO terminal to Comm With a meter. If doesn't change state when the led changes. Double check the VCC-JD jumper. If that's correct and it doesn't work. Then the relay is bad.
 
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As long as it says Uno Rev3 it SHOULD work. Like mentioned, arduino is open source, you could technically make your own if you wanted.

In the past I've always used official ones, but I have a third party one sitting on my desk right now. I'll be using it tonight for another project.
 
I've used three unofficial ones from different suppliers and different types. All of them have worked for this application.
 
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lumpy5oh said:
Ya that is the one. I should have looked a little harder at the link I posted. I was looking at a couple of them and the descriptions threw me off. They all looked the same but one said mega board.
Thanks
Click to expand...

You want to make sure you order an Uno not a Mega, they are both Arduinos but different versions. I think you can MAYBE get a Mega to work, but not sure.
 
There are a large variety of arduino boards, each with different features. The largest difference is the number of I/O pins, and the micro-controller. If you have the original sketch you could conceivably tweak the Arduino code to suit a different board, but the automated install uses a pre-compiled program, so there's no guarantee it works on anything other than the Uno it was originally written for.

I still really want to make it work with a Pro Micro board, just because it takes up so much less space. But I haven't seen the original sketch floating around for modification, and I really don't have that much time.
 
cegan09 said:
There are a large variety of arduino boards, each with different features. The largest difference is the number of I/O pins, and the micro-controller. If you have the original sketch you could conceivably tweak the Arduino code to suit a different board, but the automated install uses a pre-compiled program, so there's no guarantee it works on anything other than the Uno it was originally written for.

I still really want to make it work with a Pro Micro board, just because it takes up so much less space. But I haven't seen the original sketch floating around for modification, and I really don't have that much time.
Click to expand...

You can run the precompiled hex on a pro mini. Also, you can get the avr code from brewpis github and with only a few tweaks compile it with the ide.

I'm running my brewpi with a $3 eBay pro mini and custom compiled hex.

Now that I think about it I *think* the code is just slightly too large for the pro micro.
 
thekraken said:
You can run the precompiled hex on a pro mini. Also, you can get the avr code from brewpis github and with only a few tweaks compile it with the ide.

I'm running my brewpi with a $3 eBay pro mini and custom compiled hex.

Now that I think about it I *think* the code is just slightly too large for the pro micro.
Click to expand...

good to know. I think i skipped the mini because it doesn't have a USB port already on it. Might go pick one up.
 
cegan09 said:
good to know. I think i skipped the mini because it doesn't have a USB port already on it. Might go pick one up.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the only draw back to that is you need a ftdi cable to talk to the mini ($10-15 I think). Unless your handy with electronics, then you could probably find a way around that.
 
I had to back-program to Legacy, and everything seemed to go fine. I also, had an older RPi running great, and then tried to program a second one that is also about 18 months old, and NO GO. After tons and days of research and lost sleep...I finally found out how to back program the scripts to the Legacy. I then rebooted (sudo reboot). I was logged in as ROOT user ( ~# command prompt) when I rebooted.
NOW, it asks me for the password and username - I never changed it from Username: pi and Password: raspberry ! I type it in and now can NOT log back in.
There is a way to get your password reset, by putting your SD card in a Window machine, and edit the cmdline.txt on the fat partition, but this is a last resort, since I never had to do this before and would have to self learn this procedure. I'm screwed up again!
 
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Honestly i'd just wipe your RPI and start from scratch following the guide on the Wiki(link at the top of the first post now)

You could be back up and running in an hour, instead of chasing your tail trying to fix a broken system :)
 
If you type everything in the order I list it i can confirm you will have a working BrewPi setup. I made the instructions going step by step from a blank RPI and blank Arduino and wrote down everything i did.

The only thing that could possibly happen thats not documented is if it has problems flashing your Arduino from the BrewPi during the update step near the end. This can sometimes happen if your arduino is already flashed, if it fails, just hook the arduino up to your windows PC with the Arduino IDE and flash onto the Arduino the default "Blank" sketch they provide and try again.

If your Arduino was already previously flashed and has the BrewPi software on it you can just answer No to that question and it should communicate with it fine.
 
How do you guys do the fermentation in the bottle? After botteling, all the bottles go back in the frige. My heater is on the bottom shelf and next to it I put 1 reference bottle (here I tape the beer sensor to with a cloth around it and then some duct-tape.

However my PIDs are not enjoying this setup and my temperature is overshooting more than 0,5 degrees. Also my heater is going on following by the fridge to counter the overshoot etc. So it is constantly heating-cooling-heating-...

Here the graph. first part is main fermentation, then you have the cold crashing, followed by fermentation in the bottle:

Www.kglprinting.com/brew
 
you mean bottle conditioning? fermentation should be finished before you bottle to avoid bottle bombs

and I bottle condition by setting fridge constant to 70° (21.1°C)

I figure by then you don't really need the precision of beer constant. true, I've only done one beer with my BrewPi, but that one carbonated PERFECTLY.
 
After bottling the temperature is not critical. You could use fridge-constant mode and that will be good enough. Or just put the bottles in a warm place for a couple of days to get some carbonation, then in a cool place for storage and maturing.
 
ame said:
After bottling the temperature is not critical. You could use fridge-constant mode and that will be good enough. Or just put the bottles in a warm place for a couple of days to get some carbonation, then in a cool place for storage and maturing.
Click to expand...

By a couple days I hope you mean weeks. I never had a beer carb properly in less than 2 weeks, usually 3 to 4 to have it carbed proper
 
Yeah but if I would set it to fridge constant, I risk that the bottem bottles are getting hotter (closer to the heating). Now there is a fridge sensor in the middle and the beer sensor is on a bottle completely on the bottem. That's why I run at beer constant temp (25 °C)
 
KLucky_13 said:
Yeah but if I would set it to fridge constant, I risk that the bottem bottles are getting hotter (closer to the heating). Now there is a fridge sensor in the middle and the beer sensor is on a bottle completely on the bottem. That's why I run at beer constant temp (25 °C)
Click to expand...

What are you using for heat? If you have a fan and dont point the heater at the bottles this should not be an issue.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
By a couple days I hope you mean weeks. I never had a beer carb properly in less than 2 weeks, usually 3 to 4 to have it carbed proper
Click to expand...

By a couple of days I mean 'some indeterminate, but not overly long, time period until the result is achieved'.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
Honestly i'd just wipe your RPI and start from scratch following the guide on the Wiki(link at the top of the first post now)

You could be back up and running in an hour, instead of chasing your tail trying to fix a broken system :)
Click to expand...

Hello, thanks for the updated instructions.
I just programmed a new Pi, and the only thing you should note is that the web directory is now by default var/www/html/ instead of var/www/ as before.
I suppose that change came with a new version of Raspbian?
 
Elkaybay said:
Hello, thanks for the updated instructions.
I just programmed a new Pi, and the only thing you should note is that the web directory is now by default var/www/html/ instead of var/www/ as before.
I suppose that change came with a new version of Raspbian?
Click to expand...

Yes, this is why i specifically noted Wheezy in the instructions for now. There's no reason to use the newer Debian until getting Wheezy isnt supported or downloadable anymore if ever, which is a long ways off.
 
FuzzeWuzze said:
Yes, this is why i specifically noted Wheezy in the instructions for now. There's no reason to use the newer Debian until getting Wheezy isnt supported or downloadable anymore if ever, which is a long ways off.
Click to expand...

First: A big thanks for all the hard work here to support brewpi, I was starting off by reading first post and hit a few hurdles, but particulary the wiki set me off right. Newer debian (jessie) works (and I have a dual chamber set up) but all web pages and references should go to /var/www/html and then you are fine. I have not got symlinks working, but adressing ports directly in config.cfg works fine. When Ill get the HC05 bluetooth modules Ill take on that again. I have a Lcd and rotary encoder set up. No auto dimming or buzzer though.

Also, microsoft edge messes with the lcd display in the webpage and result in "Cannot read .." message. Chrome works without a hitch.

Now: Has anyone got a hex file for a i2c lcd display version for arduino uno? I have hunted high and low on the Internet after that, and found code on github for it, but installing Atmel Studio and compile it is really a project for a rainy day. That way I can get the second chamber lcd without making a protoshield and shift register. (Have a i2c module already)

Many thanks and cheers!
 
Asmodeus said:
First: A big thanks for all the hard work here to support brewpi, I was starting off by reading first post and hit a few hurdles, but particulary the wiki set me off right. Newer debian (jessie) works (and I have a dual chamber set up) but all web pages and references should go to /var/www/html and then you are fine. I have not got symlinks working, but adressing ports directly in config.cfg works fine. When Ill get the HC05 bluetooth modules Ill take on that again. I have a Lcd and rotary encoder set up. No auto dimming or buzzer though.

Also, microsoft edge messes with the lcd display in the webpage and result in "Cannot read .." message. Chrome works without a hitch.

Now: Has anyone got a hex file for a i2c lcd display version for arduino uno? I have hunted high and low on the Internet after that, and found code on github for it, but installing Atmel Studio and compile it is really a project for a rainy day. That way I can get the second chamber lcd without making a protoshield and shift register. (Have a i2c module already)

Many thanks and cheers!
Click to expand...

No problem, ill make a note on the wiki that if you use newer than Wheezy about the apache path changing.
 
Just a thumbs up on finding a hex file for the arduino (and a new python.py file that is needed) . Was right under my nose in this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=510036&page=31

Note that the lcd need a4 and a5 on the arduino so some rerouting is needed.

Now I just have to put it all in a nice enclosure and perhaps add that auto dimming feature.:ban:

Many thanks to the people that makes this kind off stuff, and document their steps!

Regards & cheers
 
Asmodeus said:
Just a thumbs up on finding a hex file for the arduino (and a new python.py file that is needed) . Was right under my nose in this thread:



https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=510036&page=31



Note that the lcd need a4 and a5 on the arduino so some rerouting is needed.



Now I just have to put it all in a nice enclosure and perhaps add that auto dimming feature.:ban:



Many thanks to the people that makes this kind off stuff, and document their steps!



Regards & cheers
Click to expand...


You might wanna dig a little deeper and look into the brewpi forum and legacy forum. because I believe there is a different I2c setup that actually uses pin 8 and 9 that would normally go to shift register for I2c instead of the analog pins. because I can tell you from experience that once you start messing with the one-wire stuff you'll open up a whole other can if worms
 
After starting on this project and realizing that I wanted to add the LCD screen and the bluetooth options that @day_trippr was so great to make How To's for, I decided that a PCB board build would be a good learning project for my 10 year old and I. With much help from day_trippr, we came up with this:

20160306_160239.jpg

Kudos to day_trippr

20160306_160252.jpg

Soldered up:

20160306_160328.jpg

Mated to the UNO:
20160306_160413.jpg

More pics to follow when I get the bluetooth hooked up and all put in a project box. I'm really pleased for our first attempt at a board. And the purple is kind of cool. I've already come up with a couple of changes if I go to version 1.1 :)
 
CadiBrewer said:
After starting on this project and realizing that I wanted to add the LCD screen and the bluetooth options that @day_trippr was so great to make How To's for, I decided that a PCB board build would be a good learning project for my 10 year old and I. With much help from day_trippr, we came up with this:

View attachment 342423

Kudos to day_trippr

View attachment 342424

Soldered up:

View attachment 342425

Mated to the UNO:
View attachment 342426

More pics to follow when I get the bluetooth hooked up and all put in a project box. I'm really pleased for our first attempt at a board. And the purple is kind of cool. I've already come up with a couple of changes if I go to version 1.1 :)
Click to expand...

That looks great! :mug:

What PCB design software did you use?
 
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