LoniBrew: A Smart, Customizable Brewing Controller for HERMS Systems
LoniBrew™ is an advanced brewing controller designed to bring precision and automation to your brewing process, especially in HERMS (Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash System) setups. Developed by Gammabrewery/Lonitech AB, LoniBrew offers a customizable and scalable solution, making it a great fit for homebrewers and small breweries seeking professional-level control.
Key Features:
- Temperature Control & Monitoring: LoniBrew provides precise control over multiple temperature points within your system, including the Hot Liquor Tank (HLT), Mash Tun (MLT), and Boil temperatures. It employs a proportional control (P-based) algorithm to regulate heating duties, ensuring efficient temperature management across your system. The system can automatically detect when the wort reaches a boil and transition to fixed duty or P-control to prevent boil overs, providing smooth and stable boiling without manual intervention.
- CAN Communication: The controller integrates with a CAN-bus network to manage sensors, relays, and actuators. This setup allows for flexible expansion, supporting an unlimited number of temperature sensors, pumps, and additional nodes like agitators, flow meters, pH/DO sensors or sanitary pinch valves, making the system adaptable to your brewing needs.
- Powerful Heating Control:In its standard configuration, LoniBrew can manage up to 4 heating elements, each capable of handling up to 32A, even when connected to a 3-phase power supply. The system can operate three elements simultaneously, or four elements by intelligently sharing two of them on a single phase. LoniBrew uses zero-switching solid-state relays (SSR), even for pumps, to minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI) and ensure smooth and efficient power delivery.
- Flexible System Design: The modular nature of LoniBrew allows for flexibility in expanding the system. While the standard setup manages several sensors and pumps, the system can be tailored to suit your specific brewing needs. Whether you require additional temperature sensors, pumps, or even specialized equipment like flow meters or sanitary pinch valves, LoniBrew can be adapted to your operation—just contact us for custom configurations.
- Advanced GUI with Touchscreen and Wi-Fi: The system features an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) with a responsive touchscreen. The GUI offers real-time monitoring of temperature trends, heater statuses, and pump activity. With built-in Wi-Fi, you can remotely view system temperatures and statuses from your phone or computer, making it easy to keep tabs on your brew no matter where you are.
- Automation & Safety: LoniBrew is equipped with an emergency stop (E-stop) function, watchdog timers, and sensor validation to ensure safe operations. These features guarantee that any system or sensor failure will trigger a shutdown to prevent damage.
- Data Logging: LoniBrew continuously logs temperature data and operational statuses, providing historical insights to help optimize your brewing process.
Applications:
LoniBrew is ideal for homebrewers and small breweries looking for an automated and adaptable brewing solution. With its precise heating control, flexible system architecture, and expandable options via CAN-bus, LoniBrew can evolve to meet your brewing needs. Custom configurations are available to ensure the system grows with your operation.
For more information, contact us at info@lonitech.se.
