NEW StrangeBrew Elsinore Thread

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So, I had an interesting little discovery with my prototype last night...

I'm working on the intended final connectivity for my temperature probes, using a method I think I saw here: an ethernet patch panel. Basically, I ran +3.3v to lead 8 on the panel, gpio4 to lead 6, and ground to lead 2, then jumped 8 to 6 with the 4.7k resistor. I then crimped on an rj45 connector to my temp probe, using that same pinout (8=power, 6=data, 2=ground).

What was weird was that I got 32.0 for a temperature reading. I then swapped out the leads at the Pi for +3.3v and gpio4, and it worked perfectly.

So, any idea why these are getting swapped around on me?
 
You can't trust the colors on the probe wires. I use a multimeter to find ground and then swap the leads for power and sense till I get a reading. Basically, you wired your panel up right to begin with. It's the probe wires that are wrong.
 
That's exactly what I would have thought, except I had already identified those wires correctly previously when I connected everything through a breadboard. It's only with the introduction of the patch panel that the data and power wires appear to be reversed... I'm going to review all the connections again tonight with fresh eyes and see if I can find what I did, but to the best of my knowledge they should have been wired exactly as they had been through the breadboard, where they worked previously.
 
Try a different patch cable, maybe a keystone jack or another patch panel to see if your results are different.
 
Went back over it again last night, and sure enough, I crimped the power and data lines backwards on my rj45 plug. I swear I wasn't even drinking when I did that! ;)

Anyway, mystery solved. As I figured, it was something dumb I did.
 
Wondering if anyone has a solution, I reviewed all the threads I can find but haven't found this issue yet.

When attempting to use triggers, I can upload a beerXML and transfer the profile across to a PID (HLT in my case). When I hit activate nothing happens, in the Terminal window I see "Warning: Failed to find URI: /toggleTrigger". If I attempt to delete any of the triggers I get "Warning: Failed to find URI: /deltriggerstep".

I'm using a hosehead unit and my browser is Chrome (because that's what Doug uses), but I've also attempted the same (and got the same results) with firefox, IE, etc.

Chris
 
Beta branch is feature complete, I just need to tune the UI then I'll be releasing.
 
How did it take so long to find this.. Been researching for weeks and hadn't even come across a pi based solution. Very exciting stuff and definelty going in this direction now over convention set-up. One question, since we have volume measurements and triggers and pump outputs can I get it to automate transfer of specific amount of liquid? Can't see why not.. And this would be very useful. ;)

Cheers for developing such an awesome program!
 
I too have been thinking about that. With the many variations of setups being used, it might get tricky to implement but I'd doable. I also thought you could maybe add a trigger for writing/reading a file. So, for example, after a mash, a trigger could touch a mash_complete file and then a python (or your favorite scripting language) script could be watching that directory for that file and perform additional user-created functions such as opening valves, turning on pumps, monitoring volumes, etc. in ways not yet implemented in SBE and then that script could then touch a file that SBE is monitoring to resume the SBE profile. This would theoretically allow the inclined to fully automate the whole process including hops additions, chiller flow control, etc. Since I'm worried about running out of I/Os (without an expansion board) and whether or not the functionality would be spotted in SBE, I had also considered doing this using a few I/Os on the pi as a binary encoder (via switch outputs from SBE) to trigger various actions on an Arduino (i.e with three pins I could define 8 states) but haven't messed with it yet. I was going to approach this with more thought after we completed or new control panel, but since you brought it up. :)
Loving it Doug! :cheers:
 
HoseHead and Mash Profile Questions:

I have been trying to get XML based mash profiles from Beersmith to work with my Hosehead (running Elsinore) and they are just not working out.

Has anybody else got this combo to work?

Here is what I do and what is happening:

I make a mash profile in Beersmith with my mash steps (1st step is a "dough-in" and the rest are temperature rests). (Do I need an infusion step?)

I then export the recipe as an .xml and open it in Elsinore. All seems like it is going well. I assign a probe and the mash schedule appears under the probe's temperatire reading. I then hit "activate" and nothing fires my element. A green highlight appears on the second step of the profile looking like the 1st step was skipped. After a while I go back to picking the mash temps manually and being frustrated at having another failed attempt at automation.

Am I missing something or is the program just not working properly? Very confused. Thanks for your help,
 
Bassman2003 said:
HoseHead and Mash Profile Questions:

I have been trying to get XML based mash profiles from Beersmith to work with my Hosehead (running Elsinore) and they are just not working out.

Has anybody else got this combo to work?

Here is what I do and what is happening:

I make a mash profile in Beersmith with my mash steps (1st step is a "dough-in" and the rest are temperature rests). (Do I need an infusion step?)

I then export the recipe as an .xml and open it in Elsinore. All seems like it is going well. I assign a probe and the mash schedule appears under the probe's temperatire reading. I then hit "activate" and nothing fires my element. A green highlight appears on the second step of the profile looking like the 1st step was skipped. After a while I go back to picking the mash temps manually and being frustrated at having another failed attempt at automation.

Am I missing something or is the program just not working properly? Very confused. Thanks for your help,
Click to expand...

http://dougedey.github.io/2014/09/01/Elsinore-Mash-Edits/
 
Just throwing this out there....

Had a brew session last week and noticed this again. That my ds18b20 sensors were off by about 15 deg F. This is a fair amount. These are bare sensors inserted into thermowells 3-6 inches deep. Its not just 1 sensor doing it but both I have in my system.

I had the water proof adafruit sensors showing something similar results before I thought it was the fact they were too close to the outside and the epoxy potting compound.

Any ideas?
 
DougEdey said:
http://dougedey.github.io/2014/09/01/Elsinore-Mash-Edits/
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply Doug. I am pretty sure I pressed Auto after hitting activate. I will need to test again but am too busy this week.

But what do you think is causing the 2nd step to essentially be the 1st step? Why is the program jumping to the 2nd step?

Since I am having troubles with using XML files, if I build a profile from scratch using the web interface, is there a way I can save that profile for future use?

Thank you.
 
Doug,
I'm having the same issues as Bassman2003. When I posted previously you said you were working on a fix but hadn't published yet. If your reply to Bassman2003 you seem to suggest that the mash profile (or triggers) should work as you provided a link to you directions. I just tested again and the issues does seem to be resolved. loading XML files works great, we can assign a probe and have the mash steps added to a PID (HLT in my case). But the steps (triggers) can't be activated.

As I mentioned before the steps also cannot be deleted (at least for me) from the GUI.
 
ih8lag said:
Just throwing this out there....



Had a brew session last week and noticed this again. That my ds18b20 sensors were off by about 15 deg F. This is a fair amount. These are bare sensors inserted into thermowells 3-6 inches deep. Its not just 1 sensor doing it but both I have in my system.



I had the water proof adafruit sensors showing something similar results before I thought it was the fact they were too close to the outside and the epoxy potting compound.



Any ideas?
Click to expand...


If both of your Dallas probes are reading the same amount off from your thermometer, perhaps your thermometer is off.
 
So I got my version on this setup. My configuration is basically a single vessel ( decoction vessel) with a mash rake. It will be an added vessel to my 3 vessel system. So if I want to do a decoction I will just roll this in and off we go. I have been playing around with it, and I think I understand it decently well, but had a question or 2.

I will upload what I came up with but I will explain it first. When I do decoctions I do double, so the first will include a conversion rest. So I have it as follows:
First Decoction
step start rake
step start heat to 70c
step rest at 70c for 20min
step when at 85c shut off rake
step heat until 100c
step hold 100c for 20 minutes
done

Second decoction
Step start rake
step heat to 100c
Step turn off rake at 85c
keep heating until 100
hold at 100 for 20
done

First does this look right (The controller) to accomplish my steps of the first decoction above? Can I save this mash schedule some where to just pull it up?

Thanks!

1940213_10201196686195211_991032265_n.jpg
 
hi guys,
want to share a couple of pics of my control panel near finished, obviously based on Rpi with strangebrew elsinore :rockin:

The panel will work on a 100 liters E-biab Rig (stainless steel cage for the bag, 10-12 gallons of finished beer) with dual 2kw ulwd elements (4kw) and a speed adjustable stirrer, based on a wipers motor, can be add a recirc pump in the future.
2 x 40amp SSR, 2 x 3800w SCR voltage regulators, 25amp auto/manual AC switch. 230v, 12v, 5v, Rpi, elements, and stirrer show leds, stirrer auto/manual switch, emergency stop, detachable temp. probes, etc.


Panel itself have a dual mode, manual and auto.

Auto: stirrer (on/off) and elements are controlled via strangebrew, only wipers motor speed is manually controlled with a potentiometer.

Manual: stirrer and elements can be put on or off and manually fine adjusted via a dual scr boards, totally separated from the Strangebrew setup.

Here it is, sorry for the messy wiring, quite difficult with big wires and low skill in this field.


2hz68hc.jpg


2yn085k.jpg


14mclzm.jpg


Here is a video in italian language of the work in progress test.
Quite simple, i check the startup of 230v, 12v power supply with 5v stepdown (upper blue, yellow and red led), test the start of the raspberry pi (upper switch and green led),voltmeter and amperometer (which is broken) test the 12v and AC switch, which set on the right, manual mode (3 on/off switch with regulators), and on the left, auto mode, commanded by Strangebrew.
Auto mode tested with a temp. probe put near a light bulb.






This work only because of Doug's time, effort and patience, so....thanks man!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
blitzer said:
hi guys,
want to share a couple of pics of my control panel near finished, obviously based on Rpi with strangebrew elsinore :rockin:

The panel will work on a 100 liters E-biab Rig (stainless steel cage for the bag, 10-12 gallons of finished beer) with dual 2kw ulwd elements (4kw) and a speed adjustable stirrer, based on a wipers motor, can be add a recirc pump in the future.
2 x 40amp SSR, 2 x 3800w SCR voltage regulators, 25amp auto/manual AC switch. 230v, 12v, 5v, Rpi, elements, and stirrer show leds, stirrer auto/manual switch, emergency stop, detachable temp. probes, etc.


Panel itself have a dual mode, manual and auto.

Auto: stirrer (on/off) and elements are controlled via strangebrew, only wipers motor speed is manually controlled with a potentiometer.

Manual: stirrer and elements can be put on or off and manually fine adjusted via a dual scr boards, totally separated from the Strangebrew setup.

Here it is, sorry for the messy wiring, quite difficult with big wires and low skill in this field.


2hz68hc.jpg


2yn085k.jpg


14mclzm.jpg


Here is a video in italian language of the work in progress test.
Quite simple, i check the startup of 230v, 12v power supply with 5v stepdown (upper blue, yellow and red led), test the start of the raspberry pi (upper switch and green led),voltmeter and amperometer (which is broken) test the 12v and AC switch, which set on the right, manual mode (3 on/off switch with regulators), and on the left, auto mode, commanded by Strangebrew.
Auto mode tested with a temp. probe put near a light bulb.


Ninkasi & Blitz Brewery Control Panel test



This work only because of Doug's time, effort and patience, so....thanks man!
Click to expand...

Awesome! You've combined some of the tactical controls and displays of the electric brewery style panels with SBE, looks like a lot of work, great job. I put a link to your post over on www.reddit.com/r/strangebrew because I know folks over there will be interested in this!
 
OMG i made an Hybrid! :eek: What i have done?! :D:D

Thanks guys, working on it for some months, lots of brainstorming with a couple of friends.
Some parts could have been made better, some parts recovered (box is an old security alarm box with a plastic electrical box attached behind, poor solution :) ). Could be done with a single SSR but i prefer to break the Line and Neutral Wire where possible.

I'll post a complete thread when i test it, with all wiring schematics (remember here in italy we have 230v 50hz), part list and so on.
I'm not sure if the stirrer is a good solution (hoping so!) to distribute the temperature, however down the line i could add / or switch to a recirc pump setup.

Here the low voltage parts of the scheme, some parts made with small difference

sw8fp2.jpg
 
Hello all,

This is my first post to the forum after a lot of reading an research. I have been using kits for a few months and have decided to build a 3 vessel electric brewery. Initially I was following the instructions on the electric brewery website but I have come across the strange few Elsinore system and I would like to go for this option as it looks awesome! I know very little about software development but I see this as a good opportunity to learn.
I have a crew questions for the experienced. Firstly I have already brought some pt100 temperature sensors, can there be incorporated into the strangebrew system or is it strictly 1 wire sensors? Also is there an idiots guide to building the control panel? I would like to incorporate lights into the panel to show when components are running and switches to ensure only one element can run at a time. I am in the uk so the supply is 240v.

Any help gratefully received!
 
Leo1 said:
Hello all,

This is my first post to the forum after a lot of reading an research. I have been using kits for a few months and have decided to build a 3 vessel electric brewery. Initially I was following the instructions on the electric brewery website but I have come across the strange few Elsinore system and I would like to go for this option as it looks awesome! I know very little about software development but I see this as a good opportunity to learn.
I have a crew questions for the experienced. Firstly I have already brought some pt100 temperature sensors, can there be incorporated into the strangebrew system or is it strictly 1 wire sensors? Also is there an idiots guide to building the control panel? I would like to incorporate lights into the panel to show when components are running and switches to ensure only one element can run at a time. I am in the uk so the supply is 240v.

Any help gratefully received!
Click to expand...

Idiots shouldn't be building control panels :eek: :p

Couple of good threads to start with for background are:Once you start understanding how some of the schematics in the second thread work, then you are ready to think about designing your own panel. Once you know how you want your panel to work, there of people here who can help you refine your design. One difference you will have to take into account is that most of the designs in this forum are for a US style 240V system (two opposite phase 120V lines plus neutral) vs. the UK style 240 (single phase 240V line plus neutral.)

Brew on :mug:
 
doug293cz said:
Idiots shouldn't be building control panels :eek: :p

Couple of good threads to start with for background are:Once you start understanding how some of the schematics in the second thread work, then you are ready to think about designing your own panel. Once you know how you want your panel to work, there of people here who can help you refine your design. One difference you will have to take into account is that most of the designs in this forum are for a US style 240V system (two opposite phase 120V lines plus neutral) vs. the UK style 240 (single phase 240V line plus neutral.)

Brew on :mug:
Click to expand...

Agree with the idiot statement! It somehow makes me braver! I have some experience on panels but limited! I will have a read of the threads. Thanks for the help and I will brew on as soon as I get this sorted...... Had enough of kits!

Cheers

Leo
 
Leo1 said:
Hello all,

This is my first post to the forum after a lot of reading an research. I have been using kits for a few months and have decided to build a 3 vessel electric brewery. Initially I was following the instructions on the electric brewery website but I have come across the strange few Elsinore system and I would like to go for this option as it looks awesome! I know very little about software development but I see this as a good opportunity to learn.
I have a crew questions for the experienced. Firstly I have already brought some pt100 temperature sensors, can there be incorporated into the strangebrew system or is it strictly 1 wire sensors? Also is there an idiots guide to building the control panel? I would like to incorporate lights into the panel to show when components are running and switches to ensure only one element can run at a time. I am in the uk so the supply is 240v.

Any help gratefully received!
Click to expand...

You can not use PT100s with strangebrew elsinore, 1wire temp probes only.

People build panels to suit their needs, there isn't a specific build or plan that goes along with strangebrew elsinore. My build for instance is for a 3 vessel HERMS with 2 pumps, heating and cooling for a fermentation chamber, heating and cooling for a keg fridge, and 7 temperature probes.

You may find some further useful information over at www.reddit.com/r/strangebrew A wiki has been partially built which offers some build tips... but please don't attempt unless you are confident in your knowledge of electrical circuits and safety.

Strangebrew elsinore can be used in a build almost identical to that of the electric brewery. Only differences are that the PIDs are replaced by a raspberry pi, 1wire temperature probes are used instead of RTDs, and you can also choose to control switches/pumps through strangebrew elsinore.

My brewing blog has a number of posts about strangebrew elsinore if you're looking to read even more: www.onbrewing.com
 
PT100/PT1000 sensors aren't supported because they are expensive to get working, you need a special converter to read each probe (I saw someone mention that they tried to use ADS1115, but I don't know how well they did). And so that's around $20+ per probe. 1Wire probes are $10~ each, and can be daisy chained.

The cost different is substantial.
 
Leo1 said:
Hello all,

This is my first post to the forum after a lot of reading an research. I have been using kits for a few months and have decided to build a 3 vessel electric brewery. Initially I was following the instructions on the electric brewery website but I have come across the strange few Elsinore system and I would like to go for this option as it looks awesome! I know very little about software development but I see this as a good opportunity to learn.
I have a crew questions for the experienced. Firstly I have already brought some pt100 temperature sensors, can there be incorporated into the strangebrew system or is it strictly 1 wire sensors? Also is there an idiots guide to building the control panel? I would like to incorporate lights into the panel to show when components are running and switches to ensure only one element can run at a time. I am in the uk so the supply is 240v.

Any help gratefully received!
Click to expand...

The solid state relays have indicator lights to show when they are active - I don't know if that solve your wanting to know when everything is running, but you could run a bunch of SSRs with indicator LEDs if you want to save yourself on some wiring, or Adafruit and others have LED/relay module kits available. If you are using the SB Elsinore web interface, the buttons change status (from grey to red), so that also give you feedback.

FWIW, I switched from an electric brewery / PID configuration in a SS enclosure. After switching to SB Elsinore I ended up using a plastic enclosure with a clear door, so I can see when the relays are running. I would recommend a larger box than you think you need, and plastic or a soft metal so you can easily cut the holes you need. Also, I burned lots of SSRs before I decided to add a cooling fan.
 
I use the 2n7000 mosfets on each GPIO output as a power-switch essentially to avoid overloading the pi. Then, off of those, I run a line to the SSR and over to an indicator LED. On my panel, I get indication when the Low-voltage signal is active. Then, I use 240vac LED indicator on the mains side of the relay to indicate when the element is for-sure active.
 
Thank you all for your reply's. I am starting to put together a plan to include fermentation heat control. It seems like a fantastic system with so many possibilities, looking forward to getting stuck in. I will keep you posted, oh and no doubt there will be other questions!!

Cheers

Leo
 
DougEdey said:
PT100/PT1000 sensors aren't supported because they are expensive to get working, you need a special converter to read each probe (I saw someone mention that they tried to use ADS1115, but I don't know how well they did). And so that's around $20+ per probe. 1Wire probes are $10~ each, and can be daisy chained.

The cost different is substantial.
Click to expand...

$10 each? What gold coated probes are you getting? You can get 5 for $11 on Amazon lol.
 

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