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Hello, CD listeners. Wait...That's Tom Petty.
Hello, lazy brewers? Maybe, but automated brewing is as much work as any other method for a while. I hope its less in the long run.
TL;DR: Long series of posts about an automated brewstand build using BruControl.
I'm Geoff. I'm at the start of the second phase of an automated electric brewing build. The first phase was the design phase, and it's been about a six-month process. My current rig is just not able to deliver the consistency and repeatability that I want.
Current setup: I have a cut-up keg boil kettle on top of a turkey fryer propane burner, a round Igloo cooler mash tun, and haphazard storage for my 6-gallon glass carboy fermenters. Ive been increasingly frustrated with the level of effort required for two cases of beer that disappears far faster than I want it to. By the time I give away a six-pack or two to non-brewing friends, have a couple of pond beer sessions with my wife, and bring a cooler full to a party, Ive done an awful lot of work and really enjoyed about eight beers.
Goal: Automated 1/2 bbl HERMS 3-kettle, 2-pump setup with 50A 120/240VAC 1𝞍 feed to 2 5500W 240VAC elements. Kettles are 30-gallon.
I started by looking at building my own version of Kal's iconic setup, but decided that there were so many modifications that I wanted to make (especially regarding overcurrent protection) that I started expanding my reading horizons a bit. I found my happy place was somewhere between Kals somewhat staid, conservative approach using tried-and-true materials that are readily accessible and easily replaced, and the Raspberry Pi crowds rebel hacker approach that uses code blocks that six people on four continents have been working on for a total of half a day (yes, that is hyperbole).
I stumbled across BrunDogs efforts, and the more I looked, the more I liked. Arduino is established and stable, and I liked that the software is turnkey, but I could develop my own scripts. Im not a code pig, but I can muddle my way through a script.
I started drafting a basic schematic. Im not effective with AutoCAD, but I was able to use Visio to cobble up some decent drawings. Full disclosure: I work for a company that designs and builds automated power distribution systems for superyachts. Ive got access to good brains and good parts.
My initial approach was to put a layer of automation over the top of a modified Kal design. I wanted the convenience of automation with the mature, available underpinnings of Kals design. I came up with a helluva schematic and a $5k materials cost for the control box alone, after my employee discount.
Around the time that I was finalizing the minutiae of my initial set of drawings, I noticed that BrunDog was sorta close by my area (kinda in between my house and my office), so I reached out to him and started a conversation. Bottom line Hes a good dude, and I like his approach. It doesnt hurt that hes a damn good brewer, and his barleyjuice is well worth a side trip for a visit!
The upshot is that I have been convinced that (while noble) my effort to put automation on top of a Kal box is an order of magnitude too complex, and that I should scale back and follow the KISS rule. I didnt want to, but in the end, the reduction in part numbers and dollars won out over my desire for redundancy.
Like I said earlier, Im at the start of the second phase. Ive finalized my design, built what I think is a pretty comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM), and have ordered all of the stuff that I have to have shipped in. I promised BrunDog that I would document the build, and this is the first installment on that promise.
Im also a little bit torn. On the one hand, I really appreciate the sense of community here, and Im happy to share my labor. On the other hand, Im thinking seriously about developing and marketing this design as a pilot brewery for small craft brewing operations. This design is original, its mine, and I dont want anyone to copy or use it for commercial purposes without my permission. If you want to build it for your personal use, you are welcome to. Beyond that, I want a cut.
Attached to this post are a couple of drawings and some screencaps from my BOM. My intention is to document the build with photos and comments throughout the process and debugging. Right now, there isnt much eye candy, but the parts started rolling in today. By next weekend, most of the stuff should be here. Ill try to document the process, with photos and lessons learned, as I go through the assembly.
1/?
Hello, lazy brewers? Maybe, but automated brewing is as much work as any other method for a while. I hope its less in the long run.
TL;DR: Long series of posts about an automated brewstand build using BruControl.
I'm Geoff. I'm at the start of the second phase of an automated electric brewing build. The first phase was the design phase, and it's been about a six-month process. My current rig is just not able to deliver the consistency and repeatability that I want.
Current setup: I have a cut-up keg boil kettle on top of a turkey fryer propane burner, a round Igloo cooler mash tun, and haphazard storage for my 6-gallon glass carboy fermenters. Ive been increasingly frustrated with the level of effort required for two cases of beer that disappears far faster than I want it to. By the time I give away a six-pack or two to non-brewing friends, have a couple of pond beer sessions with my wife, and bring a cooler full to a party, Ive done an awful lot of work and really enjoyed about eight beers.
Goal: Automated 1/2 bbl HERMS 3-kettle, 2-pump setup with 50A 120/240VAC 1𝞍 feed to 2 5500W 240VAC elements. Kettles are 30-gallon.
I started by looking at building my own version of Kal's iconic setup, but decided that there were so many modifications that I wanted to make (especially regarding overcurrent protection) that I started expanding my reading horizons a bit. I found my happy place was somewhere between Kals somewhat staid, conservative approach using tried-and-true materials that are readily accessible and easily replaced, and the Raspberry Pi crowds rebel hacker approach that uses code blocks that six people on four continents have been working on for a total of half a day (yes, that is hyperbole).
I stumbled across BrunDogs efforts, and the more I looked, the more I liked. Arduino is established and stable, and I liked that the software is turnkey, but I could develop my own scripts. Im not a code pig, but I can muddle my way through a script.
I started drafting a basic schematic. Im not effective with AutoCAD, but I was able to use Visio to cobble up some decent drawings. Full disclosure: I work for a company that designs and builds automated power distribution systems for superyachts. Ive got access to good brains and good parts.
My initial approach was to put a layer of automation over the top of a modified Kal design. I wanted the convenience of automation with the mature, available underpinnings of Kals design. I came up with a helluva schematic and a $5k materials cost for the control box alone, after my employee discount.
Around the time that I was finalizing the minutiae of my initial set of drawings, I noticed that BrunDog was sorta close by my area (kinda in between my house and my office), so I reached out to him and started a conversation. Bottom line Hes a good dude, and I like his approach. It doesnt hurt that hes a damn good brewer, and his barleyjuice is well worth a side trip for a visit!
The upshot is that I have been convinced that (while noble) my effort to put automation on top of a Kal box is an order of magnitude too complex, and that I should scale back and follow the KISS rule. I didnt want to, but in the end, the reduction in part numbers and dollars won out over my desire for redundancy.
Like I said earlier, Im at the start of the second phase. Ive finalized my design, built what I think is a pretty comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM), and have ordered all of the stuff that I have to have shipped in. I promised BrunDog that I would document the build, and this is the first installment on that promise.
Im also a little bit torn. On the one hand, I really appreciate the sense of community here, and Im happy to share my labor. On the other hand, Im thinking seriously about developing and marketing this design as a pilot brewery for small craft brewing operations. This design is original, its mine, and I dont want anyone to copy or use it for commercial purposes without my permission. If you want to build it for your personal use, you are welcome to. Beyond that, I want a cut.
Attached to this post are a couple of drawings and some screencaps from my BOM. My intention is to document the build with photos and comments throughout the process and debugging. Right now, there isnt much eye candy, but the parts started rolling in today. By next weekend, most of the stuff should be here. Ill try to document the process, with photos and lessons learned, as I go through the assembly.
1/?




