ArdBir (formally BrewPi Spark) Herms Build

[Will_D]

Thanks guys, ye have prolly just cost me a shed load of money!   

Managed to blow up me cut off saw yesterday:

Aparently 6 mm stainless is a bit harder than wood!

WTF were you cutting 6mm stainless for

I'm in tool making mode.

I haver just finished maching some 50 mm square 304 as well!

[molc]

Quick update before the weekend. Both keggles are built and calibrated now, as well as insulated. Oh so very shiny.

This should be the end of the hardware build, bar adding an additional element to each for "boost" mode.

[molc]

Late start but the brew is finally on. Kit looks great installed. The insulation has brought by boil from 92 to 99.6, so quite a difference. I'll upload the video later as it keeps crashing this app.

Hlt is def underpowered, so will add an extra element next month.

Next stop, brewpi pid update, once released, as well as the ssr installation to control everything.

   

[Leann ull]

Like the glass stacking for the hop additions

Is your temp probe on the top or return of the  MT?
I make mistake of putting it half way down on my very first herms

Tapatalk has an easy video function is that what kept crashing?

[molc]

I usually put masking tape on the glasses with the times, but my roll whet walkabout tonight.

Yeah my phone just crashes when I use the tapatalk feature. I took a video though, so will pop it up Ayer with good drive or you tube ors.
I have probes at the top, the bottom outlet and also on the herms outlet so I can watch them all. The pid will be reacting to the herms out in the final config. I think there will be too much lag if I use the MT out as the sensor.
The other issue I'm now having is ventilation. 5L is a lot of steam and it pours down the walls, even with all the windows open. Might have to move to the sunroom in the future or fix the venting upstairs.

[Dr Horrible]

Are you happy with your PID tuning molc? Not an expert but have spent a lot of time tuning PID loops so am fascinated to see them being used for brewing. Adding another heating coil will definitely mean retuning so keen to hear how you get on.

[molc]

Brewpi software hasn't added the pid yet, so I actually just tweak the flow rates by hand right now on mash and get pretty close. I'll let you know how pid works out when I start using it

[molc]

Quick update from today's brew day. Everything bar the final control box is built now, as I'm waiting on a few parts from China. Mash tun is now a keg as well and bar needing a bit of work on the false bottom, it's working well. Going to use the lid from the keg and put a bit of tubing through the hole to suck all the liquid from the bottom. The biab bag makes cleaning a breeze, as well as stopping any chance of a stuck sparge.

Extraction system really keeps the smells down and means no cleaning the walls after a long brew. Best purchase ever.

I've switched over to an ardbir for control and today is the first time using it with the existing sensors from the brewpi setup. It got my mash to a solid 66 within 8 minutes of mash in and held it there solidly with no variation until mash out. In the pic you can see the brewpi measuring the mash out and hlt in, with about .5 difference through the mash.

Over the Christmas, I'll build a control box properly for if, rather than the lunch boxes and all will be finished.

Oh, also I clean everything in place now, which is a real pleasure.

[Leann ull]

I need to pop around some time for a look, are you selling tickets?
How can we get ard bir to be more accurate, I know my pid takes 10 mins in learning mode when I set it up originally but then it doesn't budge +\- .1

[molc]

Tours are at 4, 6 and 8 ardbir is only accurate to .25C due to the onewire library they are using. I think Brewpi is more advanced and accurate, which is why I'm keeping control separate from the electrics in the build. Want to be able to easily swap in the future.

[darren996]

Nice build!! Insert drool here..

[darren996]

@molc what are using for the extraction system and what did it set you back...

[molc]

@molc what are using for the extraction system and what did it set you back...

There's a separate thread, as I was initially aiming for a passive system and looking for advice.
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,10895.0.html

If you're brewing indoors, just get one is all I have to say. That, plus the ArdBir, have given a great level of comfort to my brew days.

The only modification I've made is I put it at an angle so the condensate drips onto a towel that I run around the lip of the keggle. Also I pop it over the mash while that's running, just to suck out any vapours that may be flowing. The day after the brew, there's almost no smell anymore - the fiancee is a huge fan

[darren996]

Yeah, I will be brewing in doors and this will make SHMBO very happy and the kids dont like the smell of daddies special soup 😉 Thanks for the link..

[molc]

Mentioned previously that I needed a better false bottom for the keg. Took the angle grinder to the old lid and made one quickly today. Since I use a bag for filtering the opening at the top isn't an issue, but you can close that with some silicon or even the top of a jar.

Fits perfectly in the keg and gives about 5L space for the mash.