Sample Step Mash

Describe your system and processes, and post your config file.
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np0x
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Sample Step Mash

Post by np0x »

I spent some time talking tonight with Bryan about how to set up a state machine, he has a fairly consistent step mash he does, and here is how I felt I would go about setting this all up. It's hard to do in words, so first I will try, and then the screen shots.

He and I both use HERMS based brewing so I just used my config to brew the way he does, and setup a process to do it.

Goes like this:
-strike water ~162
-Dough in and first step 30 minutes at 145
-rise to 158, hold 30 minutes
-rise to 168 for mash out
-sparge with 168 water.

I used a 7 state process(and it could really be 6 states) to get this goal.
1. Get strike water
2. Dough in and confirm temp is 145 before starting timer
3. hold 145 for 30 minutes
4. go to 158
5. hold 158
6. go to and hold 168
7. use herms exchanger to generate 168 sparge water(requires a switch of some valves in my brewery, but the config is really the same as step 6...not sure why I bother with the extra state, maybe I just want to be able to say i used all the states. Having a hard time doing it.

Ok, pictures. First you need to see all my configurations:
Image
Image
Image

The associations are interesting cause they are how the bcs knows what temperature reading it is controlling with what power output if you are using PID or Differential. When I am changing temps I use differential, cause I would rather a minor over shoot(my brewery only goes a bit past) than waiting the longer time I believe a pid would take to asymptotically reach the target temp(YMMV).

Ok, next is the process and it's states:
Image

And then all the states:
State 0:
Image

State 1:
Image

State 2:
Image

State 3:
Image

State 4:
Image

State 5:
Image

State 6:
Image

EDIT: There are subtitles in how I would use this and how it might work, I might have issues with the "goto" steps, at least the first one as the mash will probably take 10 minutes or so to drop to it's temp so that state may not be quite right, perhaps an intervening step just recirculating for 10 minutes before checking for 145 might help, additionally during parts of the brew, again doughing in, I would probably "Pause Process" so more heat wasn't being added to the grain bed, if I didn't add that additional state of waiting for temp stabilization after dough in. All that being said I think you should be able to see how to do this with minor modifications to this relatively complicated example.

Hopefully this answers more questions, than it raises.

Cheers, and go make some beer already!
Check out the Brew Buddy for iphone controlling your bcs-460.
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bsfixit
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by bsfixit »

Thats great !
rabeb25
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by rabeb25 »

Thanks!

I actually have been tinkering with it and I *think* it will work great, I am just finishing setting up my boil/cooling process.. so after that I will post what I ended up doing.
rabeb25
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by rabeb25 »

Ok Here is My Setup: I have ran though it a million times, but I bet you guys find some problems!
Noah, has it pretty much down, but I did a few different things
Main Screen:
Image

Here is the Process:
Image

Now the States:
State 0: I wanted this step to have strike water ready and hold it until I tell it to mash in (so I could start my strike from work)
Image
Image

State 1: Mash to 145, which include the pump, hlt stirrer, and the HLT (but I tricked the BCS to thinking that I actually had a mash element, so I could PID the temps in the mash)
Image

State 2: Basically I could have combined 1 and 2 but I just have this holding and timing.
Image

State3: Is the ramp to 156 (did 156 for now in case of overshoot in the first few times running)
Image

State 4: Is basically the same as 2 only at 156...Hold and time of 30min
Image

State 5: Mash out to 168
Image

State 6: Like states 2 and 4 hold temp and time (10min this time)
Image

State 7: Just a hold on the sparge water, with a button stopping the whole process.
Image


Next to come Boil and Cooling, and other mash profiles!


Bryan
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ECC
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by ECC »

I love it when a plan comes together. Great work!
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ECC
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by ECC »

A few general comments. I notice in your hold states you have loopback exit conditions. For example, in State2:Hold Step 1, Exit Condition 0 = when Mash >= 145 goto State2: Hold Step 1. These aren't necessary, if you want to hold the temp in a state, just don't exit the state.

Also you might want to verify the settings of your timers. I noticed that some of the timer exit conditions weren't correct. General rule of thumb: If counting up, init it to zero and exit >= desired value. If counting down, init it to desired value and exit <= zero. Also, if you want a timer to count in a state, you must enable it.

And some more specific suggestions:
State2: Hold Step 1 - I assume you want to go to State3 when the timer expires, not state0.
State5:Mash Out - I think you want to exit when Temp0 is >= 168
State6:Hold Mash Out - Exit Condition 1 needs a condition
slimer
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by slimer »

You mentioned that you were worried about overshooting the mash temp.

Why not use the PID function to get to the desired temp?
rabeb25
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Re: Sample Step Mash

Post by rabeb25 »

I will edit them(the posts), I got it all figured out.
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