whiskeytango Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Anyone have a affordable recommendation? looking for something simple I can monitor glycol and fermenter temps with I have found a few battery powered ones on Amazon just wondering what everyone is using Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Lenerz Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Our mechanical contractor hooked us up with a control system that allows us to get remote monitoring of most of our systems. The controller itself is a Jace from Honeywell (https://buildings.honeywell.com/us/en/products/by-category/control-panels/building-controls/plant-and-integration-controllers/jace-8000-controller) For what I need/use it for I wouldn't have necessarily sprung for it but it is really nice to have. On the wine side we have north of 60 tanks and management, monitoring, logging, and warning alarms are crucial to them for that many tanks. It's a web-based java app so we're able to access from any computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection. There probably is something a bit more modern, but this works for us. Depending on how tech savvy you are, you might be able to do a DIY solution with something like this, but our contractor handles it whenever we install new equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38° Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 We use Tilt Pro to monitor our fermentation. Our tanks are open and 500 gallons. Much larger than that might not work but we like them for our process. https://tilthydrometer.com/products/tilt-pro-wireless-hydrometer-and-thermometer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triangle Distiller Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 We purchased a Ranco Solenoid Valve Controller: https://www.gwkent.com/ranco-nema-4x-temperature-control-1.html. Our FT are 1000 gallons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskeytango Posted July 19, 2022 Author Share Posted July 19, 2022 46 minutes ago, Triangle Distiller said: We purchased a Ranco Solenoid Valve Controller: https://www.gwkent.com/ranco-nema-4x-temperature-control-1.html. Our FT are 1000 gallons. Are these wifi comparable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 If you are looking for something more in line with an industrial control approach, or are looking for something more technical/flexible. Omega's got some great units that are ethernet enabled (iSeries) - easily plugged into wifi bridge to wirelessly enable them on your network. They have web browser interfaces, and can easily be integrated with whatever apps you'd like to build (if that's your thing). This includes pid controllers, so you can actively control your fermenter remotely as well, not just monitor. Red Lion Modular Controller as well, they have nice HMI style web displays, where you can drop lights, switches, readouts, etc. Ethernet as well, but easily plugged into router or wireless bridge, etc. You can display these on monitors, tablets, whatever. Neither of these are plug and play though, you've got to be comfortable with din-style controllers, and or wiring, configuration, etc etc. You can almost always find a unit on eBay for cheap. Those Ranco units are not WIFI, but they are BOMB-PROOF reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Beaver Distillery Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 On 7/19/2022 at 7:20 AM, 38° said: We use Tilt Pro to monitor our fermentation. Our tanks are open and 500 gallons. Much larger than that might not work but we like them for our process. https://tilthydrometer.com/products/tilt-pro-wireless-hydrometer-and-thermometer Are you recording data on Google Sheets? Are you displaying the data in your distillery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jocko Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 On 7/19/2022 at 7:20 AM, 38° said: We use Tilt Pro to monitor our fermentation. Our tanks are open and 500 gallons. Much larger than that might not work but we like them for our process. https://tilthydrometer.com/products/tilt-pro-wireless-hydrometer-and-thermometer Curious how you fish the Tilt Pro out of the fermenter? Some of our tanks are 20' tall. Do you attach to a hook inside a port? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38° Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 We have open top low fermenters so it isn't really a problem. I don't think you could attach it to anything as the gravity readings would be off possibly? We do use the sheets logging feature but only really to confirm feemtation is complete and see the progress. We really like how easy it is and that's the use case for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk City Distillers Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Have the same questions about that thing getting stuck at the top of a grain cap and reporting crazy data as a result. Its a brilliant idea though, I love it. Especially if you have a lot of different tanks to accommodate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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