I have been searching the forums to see if there has been anyone who has made a simple RIMS controller. It seems that everyone who posts is building a Cadillac system. I have a brewtroller, but again, it is built with the Cadillac system in mind, and they are not currently conducting any business operations.
So there are the Cadillac systems with automated pumps, multiple vessels, auto hopping, and cleaning and what not. What I want to build is more of a moped than a Cadillac. Two vessels, like the new Blichmann two tiered RIMS system. I already have everything I need to make it. All I need to do is complete the programming.
What I plan to do is relatively simple. There will be PID temperature control for the mash with continuous recirculation (no need for valves or pump controls, just turn it on at mash in and off at mash out). The lower vessel will be the hot liquor tank, and the upper the mash tun. Liquid drains by gravity to the HLT (with a Blichmann electric heating coil) and recirculated to the mash tun. Temperature is maintained by the PID.
The boil will be controlled by PWM with settings (duty ratio for PWM and setpoints for PID) to be entered by rotary encoder. I am going to house the controls and pump in an old Starbucks Barista espresso machine (I think the control unit will look pretty cool and unique when all is said and done).
Right now I am just working on separate functions and got the Rotary encoder to work with the LCD. Has anyone else made such a thing? The nearest I can find are a few souse vide programs, but I am dealing with a bigger mass of liquid.
My main question is if anyone out there has done this. And a second question (that happens to be on my mind at this moment) is does it make sense to include the autotune routine in the program, or just have it as a separate program, run it, then input the settings to my control program?
Thanks , and cheers!