Beer Brewing Automation

[tedhale]

I now have an automation system controlling the process of home brewing beer. The raspi is connected to an interface for 1-wire temperature probes, and relays for a propane valve, flame ignitor, and chiller pump. The same interface has now been slightly reconfigured to control the temperature during fermentation of a lager.
Details found here:
http://raspberrypihobbyist.blogspot.com ... ewing.html

[BAStumm]

Hale's Lager doesn't have the same ring as it would for Ale...

[BMS Doug]

did you fix your issue of the flame detection sensor melting?

you could try an optical sensor, flame gives light, no flame = dark as long as the sensor isn't going to be subject to light level variations from other sources.

Edit: Ah, reading the blog entries shows that you had considered this.

[omegaman477]

Flame Detection...

Most smaller automatic burners (ie hotwater service, stove top etc) all use ionisation detectors. A flame is conductive, and you will see the small wire in the flames path (not the ignitor). They are cheap, reliable and easily installed. UV Optical sensors tend to be used on much bigger burners, at distance to avoid over heating.

No unattended burner system should be without a failsafe. A friend lost his garage as the PC controlling the burner gas supply valve did not close when the PC crashed.

I always recommend a basic automatic burner control unit (lookup SIT Controls Model 537) It provides failsafe gas control, pilot control, over temp, flame sense, flame failure, re-fire, and flame present output. Control it with the RPI.