Event Title
Designing a Two Kettles Homebrewing System with Remote Monitoring
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
BACKGROUND: In recent years, homebrewing has seen a significant increase in popularity, especially in Michigan where the state ranked 5th in the nation in the number of home breweries. Unfortunately, sophisticated brewing systems are often costly and usually require considerable space to operate. PURPOSE: To fill the void between basic homebrew systems and sophisticated professional systems, our team set out to design and build a two kettle homebrewing system that would allow brewers to monitor the temperature during the entire process, eliminate challenging two-person operations, and minimize operating space, all while providing an easy to use and maintain system. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The system consists of mash tun stacked over a boil kettle using a wooden cart. A wort recirculation system is implemented using a pump. Using the heating element located in the boil kettle, the recirculated wort is heated to the desired temperature during the process, helping prevent the grains from scorching. The system is configured to operate via a dedicated touch-screen control panel or a wireless interface accessible through a web-based interface. The wireless interface provides for remote controls and an alert system to provide flexible and convenient operation. ANALYSES AND RESULTS: The objective of the system design is to provide accuracy throughout the brewing operations within 2 degrees of the target temperature for each stage of processing. Based on the preliminary analysis of the system, the temperature and timing required to process complicated beer recipes may be programmed and accurately maintained throughout operation of the system. The most important factors for controlling the system relate to tuning the temperature control algorithm of the heating element. If the parameters applied to control the heating element are not accurately tuned to the brewing system, the quality of the wort and the resulting beer may vary drastically. CONCLUSION: The resulting system provides for a semi-automated brewing process that can be operated by one person to provide improved accuracy and flexibility when compared to similarly priced homebrew apparatuses.
Designing a Two Kettles Homebrewing System with Remote Monitoring
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
BACKGROUND: In recent years, homebrewing has seen a significant increase in popularity, especially in Michigan where the state ranked 5th in the nation in the number of home breweries. Unfortunately, sophisticated brewing systems are often costly and usually require considerable space to operate. PURPOSE: To fill the void between basic homebrew systems and sophisticated professional systems, our team set out to design and build a two kettle homebrewing system that would allow brewers to monitor the temperature during the entire process, eliminate challenging two-person operations, and minimize operating space, all while providing an easy to use and maintain system. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The system consists of mash tun stacked over a boil kettle using a wooden cart. A wort recirculation system is implemented using a pump. Using the heating element located in the boil kettle, the recirculated wort is heated to the desired temperature during the process, helping prevent the grains from scorching. The system is configured to operate via a dedicated touch-screen control panel or a wireless interface accessible through a web-based interface. The wireless interface provides for remote controls and an alert system to provide flexible and convenient operation. ANALYSES AND RESULTS: The objective of the system design is to provide accuracy throughout the brewing operations within 2 degrees of the target temperature for each stage of processing. Based on the preliminary analysis of the system, the temperature and timing required to process complicated beer recipes may be programmed and accurately maintained throughout operation of the system. The most important factors for controlling the system relate to tuning the temperature control algorithm of the heating element. If the parameters applied to control the heating element are not accurately tuned to the brewing system, the quality of the wort and the resulting beer may vary drastically. CONCLUSION: The resulting system provides for a semi-automated brewing process that can be operated by one person to provide improved accuracy and flexibility when compared to similarly priced homebrew apparatuses.