Fermenter Bubble Counter
![20230106_163736.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FFJ/9CKS/LCKJ226E/FFJ9CKSLCKJ226E.jpg&filename=20230106_163736.jpg)
![20230115_154406.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F6O/X2DV/LCXE0RN9/F6OX2DVLCXE0RN9.jpg&filename=20230115_154406.jpg)
Schematic, stripboard and sample ESP8266 code for publishing fermenter bubble counts to ubidots (Home (ubidots.com))
Supplies
The aim is to use a few consistent parts
- EE-SX1070 Photomicrosensor
- Stripboard 5x13
- 2 x pullup resistors 10k and 100k
- Wire
- WEMOS D1 Mini
- Dupont male to male connectors - red, orange and black
- Bubble Airlock
Suppliers
- Farnell - farnell.com
- AliExpress - AliExpress.com
- Ebay - ebay.co.uk
Software
- TinyCad - TinyCAD
- VeeCAD - VeeCAD Home
Photomicrosensor Circuit
![back.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FXM/K9Y2/LCKJ22AD/FXMK9Y2LCKJ22AD.png&filename=back.png)
![front.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FV4/DIGL/LCKJ22AH/FV4DIGLLCKJ22AH.png&filename=front.png)
![components.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F3K/GY42/LCKJ22AL/F3KGY42LCKJ22AL.png&filename=components.png)
![all.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F6E/L6YB/LCKJ22AS/F6EL6YBLCKJ22AS.png&filename=all.png)
Build the Photomicrosensor Circuit
- Cut the stripboard to size
- Create the rear breaks
- add the front wires
- install the components
the .per and .dsn files are avaible here
https://github.com/jem-green/iBubbles
Installation
![20230106_172905.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FFJ/5QPV/LCKJ2B43/FFJ5QPVLCKJ2B43.jpg&filename=20230106_172905.jpg)
![20230106_172908.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FHM/CWKL/LCKJ2B44/FHMCWKLLCKJ2B44.jpg&filename=20230106_172908.jpg)
Add the Photomicrosensor Circuit to the Bubble Airlock
- Hot glue the Photomicrosensor to the airlock
Connection
Attach the WEMOS D1 Mini
- Add the dupoint wires as per the PDF
- Upload the sketch
- SX1070 for testing
- Bubbles for ubidots integration
- Configure ubidots to display the data
- Ubidots | Dashboards for a live view
the .ino sketches are available here and attached
https://github.com/jem-green/iBubbles
Airlock
Fill the bubble Airlock
- I have calibarated the threshold* to a matching bubble cell of water
*If you want to use a different type of bubble airlock** type then you need to mark the water level and adjust the threshold value by trial and error
**I can update the calibration method if anyone is interested
Monitor
![ubidots.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FIZ/D3WG/LCKJ22VE/FIZD3WGLCKJ22VE.png&filename=ubidots.png)
![FNopcLqX0AUDuas.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F7U/496V/LCXE0SQH/F7U496VLCXE0SQH.jpg&filename=FNopcLqX0AUDuas.jpg)
![FRfjCfiWYAA-76T.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F8C/DWNP/LCXE0SQI/F8CDWNPLCXE0SQI.jpg&filename=FRfjCfiWYAA-76T.jpg)
![FRk0z4lXsAA2DLS.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FX9/89AB/LCXE0SQJ/FX989ABLCXE0SQJ.jpg&filename=FRk0z4lXsAA2DLS.jpg)
Monitor the result using a combination of the bubble count results, specific gravity you can determine when primary fermination is complete.
- Specific gravity reduces rapidly
- Typiclly within 24-72 hours carbon dioxde is produced resuting in a rapid number of counts per minute (10's)
- Within 24 hours specific gravity levels out but still dropping
- The bubble count reducs to a small number of bubbles (1's)
- Within a further 72 hours the specific gravity is unchanging
- Bubble production is zero.
- At this point if you dry hopping then bubble production will restart but only for a mixium of 12 hours.
- Bubble production is zero.