We developed an ESP-based embedded control system for a brewhouse. The operator picks a recipe, and the automation runs mashing, lautering, boiling, whirlpool, and cooling on its own, controlling heating, pumps, and temperature in real time.
A brew takes hours, and each stage depends on the previous one: on temperature, timing, pump operation, and operator actions. The system has to survive pauses, manual intervention, power loss, and sensor disconnects without losing the current process state.
Control is built as a sequence of process states with clear transition conditions. A mashing and boiling recipe can include up to 7 temperature rests: the system heats the brewhouse, holds each rest for the set time, and prompts the operator for the next step. The operator can pause the process, extend it by 5 minutes, skip to the next step manually, or stop it. Cooling is regulated automatically: pump output adjusts to the temperature at the heat exchanger outlet, using a PID controller when needed. A separate safety loop watches for sensor disconnects, variable-frequency drive (VFD) faults, overheating, and heating that fails to raise the temperature. The brewhouse is controlled through a web interface on a PC, and remote monitoring of its current state is available from a phone.
- 0101
Process analysis
Formalizing the mashing, lautering, boiling, whirlpool, and cooling stages.
- 0202
Control architecture
Designing the state and transition logic, operator confirmations, and fault handling.
- 0303
Embedded development
Implementing control of temperature sensors, pumps, heating, and actuators on the ESP.
- 0404
Automatic control
PID and hysteresis control of temperature and pump output.
- 0505
HMI & remote control
A web interface for controlling the brewhouse from a PC and monitoring it from mobile devices.
- 0606
Fault tolerance
Sensor and fault monitoring, a watchdog, and state recovery after power loss.
- 01ESP
- 02Embedded
- 03PID
- 04Web HMI
- 05IoT
- 06Real-time monitoring
- 07Thermal process control
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