Uns Maisch-Anlage

Components

Our modest system for "automated" mash control basically consists of two components:
On the one hand, we use zwei Siemens Logo8 industrial controls.

I) Office-employed: Our Hipster Logo

One of these is in the home office. It assists with data entry - temperature levels need to be entered - and handles communication - with or without "Node Red," by the way (more on that later).

This young fresh Logo8 looks like a spitting image of her old one, but is actually an internet-savvy hipster. Or would like to be, anyway.

II) Old School brewing henchman: Our brewhouse logo.

The other one, we call it "Brewhouse Logo", ensures on site, in our brewhouse, that the mash process is running as required, i.e. that rest temperatures and rest times are maintained. It' s more "old-school", switches loads with relays, can also network, but is rather slow on the uptake when it comes to the Internet. Although it has served faithfully for years, it has been discontinued by Siemens, and is now only offered as a "spare part". That's how it goes.

III) Feel The Heat: Sensing and controlling temperatures using PT1000

Exkurs: "You're not an 80's man if you don't love this tune: Feel The Heat vom Jean Beauvoir
For the mashing of our beers in our brewery a more or less large pot (we work I.d.R. in the 30Liter range) with our brew mash, heated and stirred. A PT1000 temperature sensor measures the heat of the mash. These sensors and Siemens Logo8 controls belong together like ass and bucket (as we Germans use to say).

By means of ongoing temperature measurements, the old brewery logo controls when to heat and when to stir via a fairly simple programmed control circuit.

This to the Siemens side.
On the other side Node-Red is used

IV) Node-Red

In order to have easy access from anywhere to all processes and measuring stands, we use the Internet and Node Red.
Box bread, raspberry and apple: The Node Red services run on hardware in my humble office, in fact everything is represented, a) Windows/PC, b) Linux/Raspberry Pi and also c) Steve Jobs Apple computer and his magic software.

E/A

Technical infrastructure

The brewery logo henchman only talks to himself and the hipster logo in my office. Inputs on site are rarely necessary.
If, for example, we want to end a break early, or just stir a little extra, the inputs are made

• either directly via "function keys" on a panel on site (TDE) or
• (via wlan/Intranet) via LWE and the Hipster Logo in the office, or
• (via 4G/Internet) via Node Red, which then reports back (via 4G/Internet) via the Hipster Logo in the office, which then returns the processing command (via wifi/Intranet) to the brewery logo henchman. This is, admittedly, quite complex, and sending signals back and forth across Frankfurt to the US probably consumes so much CO2 that you could carbonate an entire case of wheat beer with it. Just to turn something on or off where you're sitting right in front of it. But what the heck. After us, the deluge. Cheers, dear parishoneers.
• or by hand (this works, too)

Surfaces

Here are a few "impressions"

• LWE: This is what a mash morning with the Siemens Logo Webservice looks like

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• Node Red

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  ##Moving images from VEB