BrewManacEx is a brew controller based on ESP8266. It was started by mimicking famous Arduino-based Open ArdBir, so most of Open ArdBir functions are included.
- Manual and Automation brewing process control
- PID and PWM heat control
- Automatic PUMP control
The operation is almost like Open Arduino, while the most important feature that BrewManiacEx differs from Open ArdBir is
- WiFi Enabled, Web-based interface
You can view, change the settings, monitor and control the brew on your phones, tablets, and computers.
Additionally,
- Multiple sensors support
Up to 5 sensors are supported. Different sensors can be used in different stages.
- PID autotune
Run the PID Autotune to get the best PID parameters for your system instead of guessing.
- Sparge water Heating control
Run the sparge water heating when the main heating element is idle during mashing to enable using only one 15A/20A GFCI socket.
- Temperature logging chart
Watching the temperature chart during brew and after brew
The hardware is relative simple. In additional to the socket, Relays, button, and LCD, the main circuit is comprised of a ESP8266 and PCF8574.
My first trial version was made by a PCF8574 board and a NodeMcu board:
Second version is made by a WEMOS D1 mini and a custom-built shield:
I am using with a Grainfather
Latest brew temperature log:
I am going to attach additional sensors for next brew.
The source code, reference circuit, and prebuilt image can be find on github:
https://github.com/vitotai/BrewManiacEsp8266
You can find some screenshots in the user manual:
https://github.com/vitotai/BrewManiacEsp8266/blob/master/docs/BrewManiacExManual_0.1.pdf