Hi Elco,
I am currently working on setting up a semi-automatic all grain HERMS system as well and would appreciate you feedback to more trivial issues below. I am using BrewPi PI-diagram (Schematics.pdf) and BrewPI Interactive Process View running as HERMS with manual valves.
I have however a suggestion when doing “mash-in from boil kettle”. I would prefer pumping the water from the BK through the Lauterhexe at the outlet of the MT (valve 21) at mash-in, rather than going through the inlet of the MT (valve 20). This change might reduce risk of air pockets in the grain, and apparently improve efficiency during mash-in. Would you recommend this change of the mash-in procedure? During mash recirculation I will of course use V20 as inlet for the wort.
As MT I have found an insulated water barrel from Rubber Maid as shown below. My plan is to install the Lauterhexe from inside of the barrel connected to the end of a ball valve through the barrel. The sparge arm is feed through the white lit from the top of the barrel. I have expect that the overall temperature stability is improved quite a lot by use of the barrel compared to a single wall stainless-steel pot.
I can see the pumps are still out of stock with the mashing pump, so I have found a magnetically coupled pump as shown here https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=31971. Would you recommend this pump as an alternative?
My final question concerns the CIP process. Which type of the two manual valves https://store.brewpi.com/mashing/valves does have the most sanitary design when doing semi-automatic CIP.
This got out of hand, and forgotten again?
Just to chime in here… I just finished installing and wiring up a Raspberry Pi 2B, to run Craftbeer Pi 3. and it seems to tick all the functionality that I was hoping that Brewpi was going to give me. And I can then just use Brew Pi for fermentation, as it is made to do. I just wanted to share the fact that the B18D20 is supported, and it was quite easy going about soldering up something to make it mate with the RJ11 connectors of the probes from BrewPi with is a really nice piece of kit.
So 3 years later (almost) I got a functioning Herms brewery with some BrewPi parts, and another controller. And now I can use BrewPi Spark where it really shines, in a fermentation chamber!
Hi all of you. I have been MIA from the forum for ages, we been rebuilding the house, but finally we can see light ahead.
First of all thanks for the reply with the other controller software link Conect, we might use that as a secondary choice.
Elco Im fully aware that things aint going as planned with the software, so would it be possible to make small adjustments to the old software?
One of the things that I missed in the old software, might been added while i was MIA, was the option to control a second heater for boil kettle, so that I dont have to switch power cord to another heater.
Now that I am in here. how is it going software wise? were you able to find a local coder?
Regards Kenneth