Fermenter Bubble Counter

by jeremy.green in Cooking > Beverages

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Fermenter Bubble Counter

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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

Software

Photomicrosensor Circuit

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Build the Photomicrosensor Circuit

  1. Cut the stripboard to size
  2. Create the rear breaks
  3. add the front wires
  4. install the components

the .per and .dsn files are avaible here

https://github.com/jem-green/iBubbles

Installation

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Add the Photomicrosensor Circuit to the Bubble Airlock

  1. Hot glue the Photomicrosensor to the airlock

Connection

Attach the WEMOS D1 Mini

  1. Add the dupoint wires as per the PDF
  2. Upload the sketch
  3. SX1070 for testing
  4. Bubbles for ubidots integration
  5. Configure ubidots to display the data
  6. Ubidots | Dashboards for a live view

the .ino sketches are available here and attached

https://github.com/jem-green/iBubbles

Downloads

Bubbles.pdf
SX1070.ino
Bubbles.ino

Airlock

Fill the bubble Airlock

  1. 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

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Monitor the result using a combination of the bubble count results, specific gravity you can determine when primary fermination is complete.

  1. Specific gravity reduces rapidly
  2. Typiclly within 24-72 hours carbon dioxde is produced resuting in a rapid number of counts per minute (10's)
  3. Within 24 hours specific gravity levels out but still dropping
  4. The bubble count reducs to a small number of bubbles (1's)
  5. Within a further 72 hours the specific gravity is unchanging
  6. Bubble production is zero.
  7. At this point if you dry hopping then bubble production will restart but only for a mixium of 12 hours.
  8. Bubble production is zero.