[Yuri] spent some time building a computer controlled, arduino interfaced beer brewing rig. A cooler serves as a mash tun, while the arduino controls a steam source that’s used to raise the temperature of the mash as desired. A java app talks to the arduino to set the temperature parameters and monitor the steam boiler. You can catch a nice video walkthrough of the setup, see some screen shots of his java interface.
13 thoughts on “Arduino Beer Brewing”
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I’m so modifying this for mead production.
Hell yeah! Now every hour can be happy hour!
Sweetness! Awesome awesome post.
One little note though – I’m going to assume that he soldered those copper pipes together with lead-free solder, since it’s sitting in a bath of water?
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2865
Cool picture of his first arduino test.
1. Mash is made into whiskey, beer is made from /wort/ (pronounced wurt).
2. Alcohol was designed as a solvent and fuel, not a beverage–you are a pathetic loser if you use it as such and I feel sorry for you.
Mash is what the concoction is called when all grain is mixed into water and left to remove sugars. Wort (wert) is the liquid that is drained/washed from the grains. If you want to chastise people, at least get your misinformation straightened out first.
Additionally, alcohol wasnt designed as anything. It was discovered, and it was discovered initially as a beverage considering that for thousands of years straight water wasn’t safe to drink, but mild alcoholic beverages were. Thank your prehistoric ancestors for drinking alcohol as thats on of the major reasons you exist today.
We’ve evolved to enjoy alcohol as it was a safe item to drink.
Amos, pure alcohol (ethanol) is used as a solvent, and it does burn but to say beer is designed to be used as such is a bit silly. Beer was one of the first “hacks” as a means of storing the calories present in grain for a long time, as well as providing potable liquid.
Read these:
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/673
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/everything/scientist-declares-beer-as-the-source-of-civilization-and-technology-nobody-is-surprised-253196.php
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/04/0424_kurtbeer.html
Also mash, or mashing is when you use the natural amalyase enzymes present in malted grain, and turn the starches present into smaller fermentable sugars. Calling someone a pathetic loser, if they like a beer or two though is ridiculous.
@justin
Nah. All solder joints would have been done with plumbing/lead-free solder. You could use it on a prechiller for immersion chillers, no reason to do so. Though using a car’s heat core might be a neat idea for prechilling safely as no wort comes in contact with that copper or water.
@amos
Actually, mash is what it is called. Your “mashing-in” the grains to have enzymatic activity that converts the starches to sugars. Alpha- and Beta-amylase each have their own preferred temps and they produce a certain amount of ferementable sugars.
But, too much heat/water(rise in ph) causes tannin extraction resulting in bitterness. Hence why Yuri’s automation is so neat! It controls both with precision.
Now if any nerd can’t appreciate the chemistry behind the beer making and the neatness of Yuri’s automation, then I just feel sorry and would love to offer a homebrew to change your mind.
@amos I like your quoteâ¦. I think youâre a total moron, but I still like it.
Hey Amos,
In regards to your quote:
“Alcohol was designed as a solvent and fuel, not a beverage–you are a pathetic loser if you use it as such and I feel sorry for you.”
Guess what, microwave ovens were originally designed to detect Nazi planes. So if I use a microwave oven to heat a burrito, does that make me even more of a loser?
Wow! Fantastic hack. This combines two of my favorite things, electronics and beer. :)
“Guess what, microwave ovens were originally designed to detect Nazi planes. So if I use a microwave oven to heat a burrito, does that make me even more of a loser?”
No, that makes you a spic.:P