Electronic Cooker, Fermenter and Preheater by Arduino

[luchete80]

Hi everyone!!!
Ok, this is a weird post. I have a little problem: i have almost no time to make whisky. I can only go to my little workshop for cooking and distilling once a week, a few hours. So...
In the past few months i have programming and assemblying an automated program in order to do the following, once i just boil the corn (I only cook bourbon recipe until now), i started the "Cooker" and.. :

1. Wait till saccarfication (eventually heating)
2. Cooling till reach strike temp
3. Throw barley (yes. believe me. see the pics below)
4. Wait again (2/3 hs, user can select)
5. Cool again
6. Throw yeast starter
7. Ferment (i.e. wait) BUT: I wanna see fermenting temps (last 80 liter ferment went to high in temps). So..:
8. SEND VIA WIFI (and save history also in hardware) FERMENTATION TEMPS
8. Cool/Heat to keep between temp threshold
9. Last: PREHEAT (in large volumes my preheat time seems to last forever), in order to reach my place and not have to wait to distill

I have not tested hardware (but yes the circuit) yet. But i want to share with you all this because i'm really excited, and is the less i can do for all i've learned here from you.

I think all this is possible. So. I began with Arduino UNO, but i had not enough available digital pins for all this stuff so i've changed to arduino Mega.

[luchete80]

Ok i continue, trying to describe all this. I used:

Arduino (UNO/Mega or Nano -I recommend Mega-)
Arduino hardware friends: Timer/Relays (several)/Display LCD/Wifi board/Temp probe
Buttons
Electro valves
Pump
Tons of wire
PC / Notebook
Protoboard

The arduino code i'm writing from this page (it is constantly being updated):
https://github.com/luchete80/Arduisky" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[luchete80]

As far as the program is written, you can select the following:

Boil Time
Strike temp
Mashing time
Yeast throwing Temp
Time interval to save temps to hardware
Mix Time and time interval
Adding Cool water to wash
Day of the week and hour to begin preheat
Possibility of change from CounterFlow to steam heating
Time interval to send Temp via wifi when fermenting

All this values are saved in EEPROM


Preheat for distilling is pending
Reconnect wifi if connection is lost is pending

[decoy]

The idea is good, but most here like to do things hands on, its like therapy.

however a few ideas for you;
Are you using an MQQT broker ?

also the use of web or IP cameras with Ispy as a server so you can remote monitor and or initiate processes manually

As a metered dose dispenser you can try something like this but with a stepper motor, I made a 3d filament extruder like this, works well.
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/4188/ano ... machining/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[luchete80]

The idea is good, but most here like to do things hands on, its like therapy.

however a few ideas for you;
Are you using an MQQT broker ?

also the use of web or IP cameras with Ispy as a server so you can remote monitor and or initiate processes manually

As a metered dose dispenser you can try something like this but with a stepper motor, I made a 3d filament extruder like this, works well.
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/4188/ano ... machining/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Thanks a lot decoy! I'll consider all this!

[zapata]

Automating the mash is cool.
Remote monitoring the fermentation is cool.
Scheduling to turn the still on a week in advance is one of the most irresponsible things I can imagine, I assume that is what you mean by preheat?
I think one should not put heat to alcohol unless you are sitting by the pot, and are willing to continue sitting by the pot until it's done.

[luchete80]

Automating the mash is cool.
Remote monitoring the fermentation is cool.
Scheduling to turn the still on a week in advance is one of the most irresponsible things I can imagine, I assume that is what you mean by preheat?
I think one should not put heat to alcohol unless you are sitting by the pot, and are willing to continue sitting by the pot until it's done.

I think you're right. Althougt preheat has an automatic preset cut off with batteries(i was thinking about 50C), i'm forgeting about it since in the following weeks i'm planning to duplicate my electric power. The original preheat idea was from the fact is a huge boiler and the power is not ehough to heat in less than, say, 4, 5 hours. So, you're right. I think thinking the same about you said i began to work with another electric boiler and bye bye preheating.

Thanks!!

[zapata]

You know, after thinking a bit, it's more the idea in general that scares me. I do think it could be done safely. Many of us use some kind of heat for our fermenters, and fundamentally that is no different from preheating a still charge. Though if you haven't, read the butter rum thread for an example of what slow, low temp heating can do to change a wash. You may well not like that result in many spirits.
More power is always a good upgrade

[luchete80]

You know, after thinking a bit, it's more the idea in general that scares me. I do think it could be done safely. Many of us use some kind of heat for our fermenters, and fundamentally that is no different from preheating a still charge. Though if you haven't, read the butter rum thread for an example of what slow, low temp heating can do to change a wash. You may well not like that result in many spirits.
More power is always a good upgrade

I'll read that thread.
Thanks z!