Boldly going where no boiler control has gone before

[Nofossil]

It came to me in a blinding flash of insight: for all the work I've put into controls, I've foolishly focused on heating systems. While this is all well and good, it misses the point. What good is being warm if you don't have good beer?

With that in mind (and an excellent starter kit from Santa) I boldly took the NFCS to the next level: controlling the temperature for my fermentation tank. The new control panel has a 'Beer' gauge that shows the fermentation tank temperature, and the NFCS controls a heater to maintain happy yeast temperature.

As with all endeavors, there will be much testing to be done.

 

[Hunderliggur]

When will the beer be ready?

 

[RobC]

I'm a bit closer. I think I should go and test first ?

 

[woodsmaster]

awsome.. I may have to get rid of enternet explorer...

 

[jebatty]

A good reminder for all of us to focus on what really is important - beer!

 

[Lukas060606]

Too cool. And just when I thought your setup couldn't be more perfect you go and improve on it!

 

[pybyr]

Will it eventually measure quantity of remaining beer reserves in addition to temperature ?

 

[sdrobertson]

What size and how many feet of copper heat exchanger does it take to heat your fernentation tank? This goes right along with my father's pex water bed heater

 

[flyingcow]

Road Trip!! :coolsmile: I'll pick anyone up on the way.

 

[Fi-Q]

Road Trip!! :coolsmile: I'll pick anyone up on the way.

I'm in for the road trip, your in Maine, so picking me up on the south side of the Gaspe Peninsula won't be a huge detour. .

As long as we'll have fruit, we will have Alcool.......

 

[Nofossil]

Wow - lots of questions!

The fermentation tank in this case is a 6 gallon glass jug. The problem is that fermentation needs temperatures between 62 and 75, and my basement will get cooler than that at times.

The heat source is a heating pad controlled by a relay. I'm testing temperature control until today, when the wort goes in and fermentation begins. Bottling should be 7-10 days from now, and drinkable beer a couple weeks later.

The controller is a standard NFCS which I'm in the process of installing to replace all of the cobbled-together wiring that I'm currently using to control everything. It's in the boiler room, and it's measuring wood boiler in and out, outside temp, and beer temp at the moment.

The first batch will be a British bitters style with a bit of extra malt.

If anyone wants to use an NFCS for this sort of thing, it only requires a spare temp sensor channel, spare discrete output with a relay, and a single rule. I think all but one installation has the extra channels to do this.

For any non-IE users, here's the control panel.