I'm just starting to explore the idea of automation so please excuse my preschooler like knowledge level.
My goal is to partially automate a 3 tier gravity fed RIMS system.
He is what I would like to accomplish:
First step:
A valve opens on the water source and drain into the HLT. The water volume would be measured either by weight or by time opened/closed (because it's pretty easy to determine flow rate with a mason jar and a stop watch).
After the volume has been reached, the HLT heating element would turn on and heat the mash water. Once the mash water has reached the dough in temperature a valve would open, draining the water into the mash tun.
Stop.
I would put the grain in myself and stir.
The second step:
A valve will be opened to prime the pump and the pump will turn on, recirculating the mash through the RIMS tube and back into the mash tun. The flow rate will be controlled by me physically. From there, the microntroller would act like a PID to maintain mash temp for an hour. During the last half hour of the mash, the water source valve will open and fill the HLT with sparge water and begin to heat and maintain temp.
After the hour of mash is up, a valve on the mash tun will open and drain the wort into the boil kettle and begin to heat. After a delay to allow the draining to occur, the HLT valve will open up, draining the sparge water into the mash tun.
Stop
3rd step:
As the boil kettle is heating up, I will stir the sparge water and drain it into the boil kettle.
Once boiling begins a timer will count down for an hour, and at select intervals small valves will open above the boil kettle dropping hops into the kettle.
After an hour, a buzzer will sound, and the element will turn off.
End.
Thank you to those of you that made it this far. And if you made it this far, perhaps you'll go just a little bit further.
Can the Arduino Mega do these tasks? Is there a better micro controller for these steps than the Mega? If so, what do you suggest?
Is this what brewtroller did?
Thanks,
Mark
My goal is to partially automate a 3 tier gravity fed RIMS system.
He is what I would like to accomplish:
First step:
A valve opens on the water source and drain into the HLT. The water volume would be measured either by weight or by time opened/closed (because it's pretty easy to determine flow rate with a mason jar and a stop watch).
After the volume has been reached, the HLT heating element would turn on and heat the mash water. Once the mash water has reached the dough in temperature a valve would open, draining the water into the mash tun.
Stop.
I would put the grain in myself and stir.
The second step:
A valve will be opened to prime the pump and the pump will turn on, recirculating the mash through the RIMS tube and back into the mash tun. The flow rate will be controlled by me physically. From there, the microntroller would act like a PID to maintain mash temp for an hour. During the last half hour of the mash, the water source valve will open and fill the HLT with sparge water and begin to heat and maintain temp.
After the hour of mash is up, a valve on the mash tun will open and drain the wort into the boil kettle and begin to heat. After a delay to allow the draining to occur, the HLT valve will open up, draining the sparge water into the mash tun.
Stop
3rd step:
As the boil kettle is heating up, I will stir the sparge water and drain it into the boil kettle.
Once boiling begins a timer will count down for an hour, and at select intervals small valves will open above the boil kettle dropping hops into the kettle.
After an hour, a buzzer will sound, and the element will turn off.
End.
Thank you to those of you that made it this far. And if you made it this far, perhaps you'll go just a little bit further.
Can the Arduino Mega do these tasks? Is there a better micro controller for these steps than the Mega? If so, what do you suggest?
Is this what brewtroller did?
Thanks,
Mark
