HOWTO - Make a BrewPi Fermentation Controller For Cheap

[Mikmonken]

For people with chest freezers, what are you setting your minimum temp to? I am using the default 33.8. Do you set yours any lower than that?

I've set mine to -16c to + 30c for no other reason than I can lager and I don't plan to have it go any higher than 30c for fermentation.

 

[CadiBrewer]

For people with chest freezers, what are you setting your minimum temp to? I am using the default 33.8. Do you set yours any lower than that?

Mine is set to 31f. I've never had any issues with beer freezing and it seems to work well for cold crashing.

 

[wbarber69]

Keep my keezer at 42. Because the colder you go the less you'll be able to taste your beer. IPAs really should be served at 45 degrees to be able to enjoy all the flavor sand aromas from the hops.

 

[Mikmonken]

Keep my keezer at 42. Because the colder you go the less you'll be able to taste your beer. IPAs really should be served at 45 degrees to be able to enjoy all the flavor sand aromas from the hops.

I think you've misinterpreted the question. It's not what temp you keep your keezer at but the maximum low point it can reach under settings.

When I cold crash a lager for example my fridge needs to try to cool to -8c to drop the fridge to freezing quickly so I set my minimum setting way below that. If your fridge min setting is 42f you'd hardly be able to cold crash or lager.

Do you just use yours for serving, rather than fermenting?

 

[cunnol]

I've set up two arduinos so far without many issues, I'm setting up a 3rd and am the installing devices stage Usually I'd reset the eeprom here, which I've done, yet I still can't get anything to move up into the installed devices section. Does anybody know of any other reason this wouldn't work? Thanks

 

[wbarber69]

I've set up two arduinos so far without many issues, I'm setting up a 3rd and am the installing devices stage Usually I'd reset the eeprom here, which I've done, yet I still can't get anything to move up into the installed devices section. Does anybody know of any other reason this wouldn't work? Thanks

Go to advanced settings and scroll all the way to the bottom of the bottom screen. click restore to factory defaults or whatever it says down there. magically everything will work now.

 

[cunnol]

Go to advanced settings and scroll all the way to the bottom of the bottom screen. click restore to factory defaults or whatever it says down there. magically everything will work now.

Tried that too, did it manually via ssh, while logged on as normal user and as root. Still nothing...I'm at a loss

 

[Mikmonken]

Tried that too, did it manually via ssh, while logged on as normal user and as root. Still nothing...I'm at a loss

Do you know which version of BrewPi you're running, you might want to make sure you have install the legacy version.

Arduino users
This new release did not fit into an Arduino and it is unlikely we can make it fit in the future. To keep using your Arduino version of BrewPi, and to prevent our update scripts from updating the UI to something that only works with 0.4.0 and later, change your branch to the 'legacy' branch. Run the updater with --ask. It will ask you which branch to check out. Choose 'legacy'.

cd ~/brewpi-tools
sudo python updater.py --ask

 

[jmark]

Tried that too, did it manually via ssh, while logged on as normal user and as root. Still nothing...I'm at a loss

I had the same issue the other day and resetting the Arduino to defaults from the maintenance panel advanced settings on the web page fixed it for me.

 

[wbarber69]

Tried that too, did it manually via ssh, while logged on as normal user and as root. Still nothing...I'm at a loss

? Don't know how you clicked a button on a website from under ssh terminal but whatever?

 

[cunnol]

? Don't know how you clicked a button on a website from under ssh terminal but whatever?

When I say 'it' I'm referring to resetting the eeprom not the button on the brewpi ui. Hope that clears up the confusion

 

[cunnol]

Do you know which version of BrewPi you're running, you might want to make sure you have install the legacy version.

Arduino users
This new release did not fit into an Arduino and it is unlikely we can make it fit in the future. To keep using your Arduino version of BrewPi, and to prevent our update scripts from updating the UI to something that only works with 0.4.0 and later, change your branch to the 'legacy' branch. Run the updater with --ask. It will ask you which branch to check out. Choose 'legacy'.

cd ~/brewpi-tools
sudo python updater.py --ask

The thing is I've successfully set up two other arduinos using the same raspberry pi. They're atmega rather than official arduinos so I uploaded the hex via xloader on all of them. This one is just getting stuck at the installed devices stage. It worked perfectly after resetting the eeprom on the other two atmegas. Thanks for all the advice so far

 

[wbarber69]

So I guess you're not going to try hitting the button on the webui…

 

[cunnol]

So I guess you're not going to try hitting the button on the webui…

Said in my first reply I tried that too

 

[wbarber69]

After you hit set defaults try using one of the send to arduino buttons up above it in the advanced settings. Then reload the page and try adding devices again. it's not the board more than likely. it's got to do with Python or some weird php character. I'm guessing that it's coming up as having the script running and all. otherwise youd have started with that. Have you tried programming from the webui?

 

[TheFlangerBeer]

Hi. I'm going to build a brewpi system with arduino, raspberry and brewpi.
As there are many versions of arduino and raspberry, the question is simple:

Which is the most updated and proven to buy.

Thank you!

 

[jbnla]

N

 

[jbnla]

Sorry user error

 

[day_trippr]

Hi. I'm going to build a brewpi system with arduino, raspberry and brewpi. As there are many versions of arduino and raspberry, the question is simple:
Which is the most updated and proven to buy.

Might be a conflict between "most updated and "proven", both from a software package version and the hardware to run it.

The "most updated" BrewPi package uses the ARM Cortex M3 (Spark core) and relies on an extensive one-wire implementation for sensors and actuators. This is the actively supported version with upwards and outwards expansion potential that perhaps will be exploited by the developer some day.

Otoh, the "least updated" BrewPi version relies on an Atmel microcontroller communicating with a host processor, typically an RPi of some vintage. This package will likely never see another update, but has the advantage of plenty of supporters here on HBT.

Indeed, I don't know of anyone running BrewPi Spark on HBT.

For the Spark version hardware, see the developer's site for fully assembled kits. Haven't read of anyone cloning that version yet.

For the Arduino version, an implementation using an RPi2B and an Arduino Uno R3 (preferably one using a legit Atmel 16U2 for the USB/serial bridge as opposed to CH340/CH341 found on the really cheap Uno clones from China) would be the most likely to succeed with the fewest headaches.
As well, HBT members have developed BrewPi shields that support all of the functionality found in the original BrewPi (rev C) shield...

Cheers!

 

[TheFlangerBeer]

Good! Really interesting.
TY very much for explain in detail.

So...otoh, since I also have to buy a Raspberry, I would prefer to have more updated hardware.
Does anyone have BrewPi + Arduino + RaspPI R3 B+ (i.e) running smoothly?
If so, which model in particular?
And if possible, download links for firmware + soft.

TY

 

[stlbeer]

Good! Really interesting.
TY very much for explain in detail.

So...otoh, since I also have to buy a Raspberry, I would prefer to have more updated hardware.
Does anyone have BrewPi + Arduino + RaspPI R3 B+ (i.e) running smoothly?
If so, which model in particular?
And if possible, download links for firmware + soft.

TY

RPi 3B is the latest version and it works just fine.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/
It's faster than the RPi 2B+, the 2B+ works just fine.

As Day_trippr stated, get Arduino's with the Atmel 16U2 bridge chips. Try to get original R3's. ATMEGA's won't work. I know Fry's sells and R4 Arduino, but I haven't tried it yet.

See the top of this thread for a location with up to date installation instructions. They are very well written and if you read them and follow them you will likely be successful.

Follow-up with this forum. We're happy to help.

 

[jmark]

Has anyone had any success building the 0.2.10 legacy branch from scratch? I'm trying to fix a small bug that was fixed in 0.2.11 but since that branch is not supported for the Arduino, I was just going to recompile 0.2.10 with the change. I've tried both the method described in this thread and using Atmel Studio but no luck... it keeps complaining about missing dependencies for Actuator.o which I don't think even exists in this branch. There's a thread on the Brewpi community where another guy has the same issue but no solution yet. Figured I'd post here too.

 

[TheFlangerBeer]

RPi 3B is the latest version and it works just fine.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/
It's faster than the RPi 2B+, the 2B+ works just fine.

As Day_trippr stated, get Arduino's with the Atmel 16U2 bridge chips. Try to get original R3's. ATMEGA's won't work. I know Fry's sells and R4 Arduino, but I haven't tried it yet.

See the top of this thread for a location with up to date installation instructions. They are very well written and if you read them and follow them you will likely be successful.

Follow-up with this forum. We're happy to help.

TY very much for the extensive information! Will try RPI 3 B and UNO R3.
Cheers!

 

[TheFlangerBeer]

RPi 3B is the latest version and it works just fine.
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/
It's faster than the RPi 2B+, the 2B+ works just fine.

As Day_trippr stated, get Arduino's with the Atmel 16U2 bridge chips. Try to get original R3's. ATMEGA's won't work. I know Fry's sells and R4 Arduino, but I haven't tried it yet.

See the top of this thread for a location with up to date installation instructions. They are very well written and if you read them and follow them you will likely be successful.

Follow-up with this forum. We're happy to help.

TY very much indeed. Will try RPI 3 B and UNO R3 and comment.
Cheers!

Edit: So... you mean this R3 card is not valid? http://www.ebay.es/itm/201530741428
I understand CH340 / CH341 is the "cheap and not good" option.
Can you pls put a link example of valid R3 card (clone or Arduino, not original) ?
Ty and sorry, I do not have high knows about tech

 

[day_trippr]

It would be wonderful if someone would indeed post a blow-by-blow How To Compile BrewPi Hex Code In Atmel Studio 7.
I've given it a couple of tries and utterly failed both times...

Cheers!

 

[froot]

It would be wonderful if someone would indeed post a blow-by-blow How To Compile BrewPi Hex Code In Atmel Studio 7.
I've given it a couple of tries and utterly failed both times...

Cheers!

Hold it a second!

Your the Guru!!!

We're screwed!!!:smack:

It may be studio 7 just sux, but what error is it coming up with? I know there were a few sketches I had for other stuff that HAD to be compile in Linux, or the file size was just too big to load to the uno. I'm in the middle of switching my setup over to BrewPiless and BrewmaniacEx, so can't do too much testing myself, Just wish the postie would hurry up already.
And lets not discuss Chinese New Year.

 

[stlbeer]

It would be wonderful if someone would indeed post a blow-by-blow How To Compile BrewPi Hex Code In Atmel Studio 7.
I've given it a couple of tries and utterly failed both times...

Cheers!

Agreed. Same here.

 

[ame]

My solution was to re-write everything in Python. No compiler, no HEX file, no Arduino.

 

[day_trippr]

LOL! Ok, but how is that helpful to the question at hand?
You know the answer...

Cheers!

 

[day_trippr]

Hold it a second!

Your the Guru!!!

We're screwed!!!:smack:[...]

Don't lose hope, it's probably me.

I am highly skilled (over four decades experience) in finding software potholes to fall into.

Honest to Big Hairy Thunderer, when I worked for IBM/DEC/HP/Stratus the CAD/CAE software wizards would have me trial their work.
Typically, I would find all the weak spots they were trying to hide

Cheers!